Russian propaganda ‘outgunned’ by social media rebuttals

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

Russian state media is spreading false claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fled Kyiv in what experts say is an effort to discourage Ukrainians and erode support for Ukraine around the globe. In stories and videos posted online and on platforms such as TikTok, Russian state outlets like Sputnik are claiming Zelenskyy abandoned his nation’s capital during the fighting. It’s not true, as photos and videos of Zelenskyy leading his country’s defense prove. Analysts who study Russian disinformation say the Russian claims show how Ukraine is winning the propaganda war with images showing courage in the face of Russian aggression.