It has long been known that one of the strongest weapons of the Russian war machine is disinformation and propaganda. They have proven to be deadly and devastating, crossing borders and cultures and harming civilian populations without bombs and bullets. In this war, sophisticated tools are being used – from AI-generated images to fabricated content and false narratives. These constructions are often repackaged into local stories to appear more convincing and influential.

This report is only one of countless examples of how Russian propaganda operates.

Claim: A photograph circulating on Facebook and pro-Russian channels (also distributed locally) allegedly shows a group of young people in Zaporizhzhia, on Ukraine’s Independence Day (24 August), carrying both a Ukrainian flag and a Nazi flag.

Verdict: FALSE. Multiple visual and contextual indicators suggest that the photograph is digitally manipulated or staged for propaganda purposes. There are no independent sources, no second angle, and no official confirmation.

What We Know

• Backdrop is real: The background (“ІНМЕДИКО – педіатрія”) exists in Zaporizhzhia; this makes the location plausible, but it does not prove the event or the date, nor that the photo was taken on 24 August.
• No independent confirmation: No report has appeared in local media, no eyewitnesses, and no police statement regarding such an incident. In a large frontline city, on Independence Day, such an act would have drawn attention, been captured from multiple angles, and reported immediately.
• Nazi symbols are banned in Ukraine: Since 2015, public display of Nazi (and communist) symbols has been illegal. Displaying a Nazi flag publicly on Independence Day would have triggered a police intervention.

Visual Forensic Indicators

Although we cannot conclusively prove manipulation from a compressed social media screenshot, several anomalies raise serious doubts:

1. Oversaturation and sharpness mismatch: The two flags appear more colorful and sharper than the rest of the photograph. The background scene is slightly blurry, while the flags’ edges are unusually crisp.
2. Geometric anomaly: The swastika disk remains nearly a perfect circle despite supposed fabric folds. Real cloth would distort circular shapes into ovals.
3. Shadow inconsistency: Shadows and lighting on the flags do not align with people and nearby objects.

These indicators point to digital insertion or selective editing.

Distribution and Source Analysis

• The photo was first circulated via the Telegram channel of Russia Today (RT), and then amplified by other Kremlin-linked media such as RIA Novosti, Lenta.ru, Gazeta.ru, and Komsomolskaya Pravda.
• It later appeared on Facebook via profiles that look local (e.g., the profile “Goran Dimov”), which clearly function as amplifiers. This is a typical tactic of Russian information operations: “laundering” propaganda through “ordinary” profiles to make it appear more credible.
• No independent media outlet has published or confirmed the photo.

Why This Narrative?

The Kremlin has long used the narrative of “denazification” to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine. Each year, around symbolic dates such as 24 August (Ukraine’s Independence Day), propaganda channels intensify their disinformation efforts by spreading staged or digitally manipulated photos with alleged Nazi symbolism.

Monitoring organizations across Europe and beyond, including CIVIL, continuously expose disinformation and digital manipulations of photos and videos that associate Ukraine with Nazi symbolism, as part of this recurring propaganda pattern.

What Would Be Needed to Confirm Authenticity

• The original file with metadata (EXIF).
• Additional angles or video from independent eyewitnesses.
• Official confirmation from the police or local authorities of such an incident.
• Coverage by local journalists or citizen reporters.

None of this exists in this case.

CIVIL’s Conclusion

Taking into account:

• the distribution pattern (originating from Kremlin propaganda channels),
• the lack of independent confirmation,
• the legal and social unlikelihood of such a public display in Ukraine, and
• the visual anomalies pointing to manipulation,

CIVIL assesses the photo as false, with a high probability of being digitally manipulated or staged.

How to Recognize Similar Manipulations – CIVIL’s Mini Guide

1. Check the source: Who published the photo first? Are they already known propaganda outlets?
2. Look for multiple angles: If the event is real and in a public place, there are usually more photos/videos.
3. Examine image consistency: Watch for mismatched shadows, color saturation, sharpness, and other technical characteristics.
4. Check local reporting: Did Ukrainian or international journalists report on it?
5. Don’t share unverified photos: Instead, report them to CIVIL.

If you come across fake news, disinformation, false narratives, digitally manipulated photos or videos, or hate speech, report them to monitoring.civil@gmail.com. Together we can expose propaganda and defend democracy.

✍️ Jabir Deralla, in cooperation with the CIVIL Hybrid Threats Monitoring Team (CHTM)

This report was produced with the support of AI (ChatGPT, OpenAI). It is free to republish under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), with attribution to CIVIL.