A Russian psy-op concerning the situation in the occupied Oleshky town (Kherson oblast), involving staged videos of locals meant to foster a negative attitude towards Ukraine and justify Russia’s actions, appears to be in preparation, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) warns.
The intelligence service says that Russian forces plan to use these videos to create the impression that Ukrainian servicemembers are shelling and blockading the town and to discredit Ukraine’s army and government. Instead the locals in the footage are supposed to express a positive attitude towards Russian troops.
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The psy-op is planned for October through early November of this year, the SBU reports.
The service remarked that Russia has had no battlefield gains and is therefore trying to undermine Ukrainians’ mental and emotional state and destabilise the situation inside Ukraine by any means available.
In light of this, the SBU urged citizens and the media to be wary of such “sensational” reports, not to trust unverified posts by pro-Russian Telegram channels, and to rely exclusively on official sources.
Multiple Ukrainian media outlets and the legitimate local authorities have reported that the situation in occupied Oleshky remains difficult for the civilian population. Around two thousand people may remain in the city. The humanitarian conditions are made harsh by the lack of access to medical care and communications, land mines, shelling, and Russian drone attacks.
The Ukrainian side is trying to deliver the necessary aid to residents. For instance, on 4 October, the Bolharychi company of the Mykhailo Hrushevskyi Brigade No. 11 of Ukraine’s National Guard carried out a joint humanitarian operation with Kherson OMA. They delivered a total of 3.9 tonnes of food, medicine, and hygiene products to Oleshky using heavy drones.