Ukrainian MP Artem Dmytruk, who was put on the wanted list (Restoration of Ukraine deputy group) and independent MP Oleksandr Dubinsky, who is in jail, became the most quoted by Russian propaganda in December this year, according to the results of the first wave of the study “Top 40 Ukrainian public figures quoted by Russian propaganda” conducted by a Research and analytical group InfoLight.UA.

Presenting the results of the study, the head of the InfoLight.UA Research and Analytical group Yuriy Honcharenko pointed out that after the publication of the first study, analysts noted that some Ukrainian public figures had significantly reduced the number of statements used by Russian propaganda.

“Also, a distinctive feature of the Russian information and propaganda space is the deliberate disregard of the Ukrainian military or politicians, whose activities seem dangerous to the enemy. Thus, Kyrylo Budanov is virtually absent from the Russian media. Oleksandr Syrsky appears very rarely, in general less than, for example, his public opponent Mariana Bezuhla," he said at a press conference entitled "Information War: key narratives created and disseminated by Russian propaganda" at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.

Also, for Russians, there are no events related to the success of the GUR, Honcharenko stressed according to the results of the study.

The study also indicates that Oleh Starikov has a high level of manipulation among the military in December.

Mykhailo Podoliak and Volodymyr Husar, who are among neutral and positive examples, have negative scores (-1), which indicates positive or neutral press coverage.

Political expert Volodymyr Manko pointed out that “during the war, and especially in light of possible elections next year, it is important to know and understand Russian propaganda narratives.”

“They are created by the aggressor and spread in Ukraine in order to weaken society and its resistance. Politicians, political experts, and journalists in their rhetoric should not fall into propaganda traps set by the enemy. Everything that the aggressor spreads in Ukraine needs to be identified and debunked," he stressed.

According to the study, the most common method for Russians is to take quotes out of context, especially in the statements of Oleh Soskin, Oleh Starikov, Oleksandr Dubinsky and Artem Dmytruk. The Russian media are replicating their statements, creating a non-existent reality. Politicians-critics, such as Oleksiy Honcharenko and Serhiy Kryvonos come into focus because of their harsh rhetoric, which is manipulated.

Russian propaganda actively uses the statements of Ukrainian public figures to create a negative image of Ukraine. Analysts note that quotes are often distorted or presented out of context, which creates a distorted view of the situation in Ukraine in the audience of the Russian media.

The study was conducted by monitoring five of the most visited Russian websites and 100 other sources using the Osavul platform. More than 500,000 news stories were analyzed, from which those were selected where the statements of Ukrainian public figures became informational occasions. Evaluation of manipulation included taking quotes out of context, twisting, neutral presentation, or even rare positive coverage.