By Kseniia Vysotskaia
Kseniia Vysotskaia is a journalist from Russia who worked as a reporter for a television program on Moscow’s TV channel. She is a regular contributor to several independent Russian publications as a freelance writer, covering topics such as law enforcement, social issues, and human rights. She moved to the United States in 2022 and currently lives in New York.
For over three years, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has inflicted immense suffering, grief, and devastation. Cities have been reduced to rubble. Families torn apart. And yet, the Kremlin persists – and not only in its military aggression but in a parallel war: a war of lies. This relentless propaganda campaign misleads the Russian people and also seeks to distort international understanding of the conflict. It is crucial to expose these lies and face the harsh truth of this war.
Myth 1: Russia’s Invasion Was a Preemptive Defensive Measure
One of the Kremlin’s most persistent justifications for its full-scale invasion is the claim that Russia had to act to protect Russian-speaking populations in eastern Ukraine from so-called Ukrainian aggression. Branded as a “special military operation,” the narrative frames the war as a humanitarian intervention. Supporters of the war often invoke history, claiming this is a necessary preemptive strike like Stalin’s missed chance in 1941 – despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But the facts tell a different story.
In the years leading up to February 2022, the conflict in Donbas had actually been de-escalating. Civilian casualties had steadily declined, with just 25 conflict-related deaths reported in 2021 – more than half of them caused not by fighting, but by mines and unexploded ordnance left behind from earlier clashes.
Furthermore, the International Court of Justice found no evidence supporting Russia’s claims of genocide against Russian speakers in Donbas. The invasion was not a defensive act but a deliberate aggression against a sovereign nation.
Myth 2: Ukraine Is Governed by Neo-Nazis
Another cornerstone of Russian wartime propaganda is the claim that Ukraine is run by neo-Nazis. This claim is baseless. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is Jewish and lost family members in the Holocaust. The idea that he heads a neo-Nazi regime is not just absurd; it’s offensive. Leading institutions dedicated to preserving Holocaust memory, including Yad Vashem and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, have unequivocally denounced Russia’s cynical exploitation of Holocaust history to justify its invasion.
Yes, far-right elements do exist in Ukraine, as they do in virtually every democratic society. But they represent a tiny fraction of the political landscape. In the most recent parliamentary elections, far-right parties failed to secure even a single seat. They do not hold power, shape government policy, or reflect the will of the Ukrainian people.
Labeling the entire Ukrainian state as “neo-Nazi” is a grotesque distortion – just to manipulate and justify an unjust war.
Myth 3: NATO Expansion Threatens Russia
The Kremlin convinces its population that NATO’s expansion poses a direct threat to Russia and justifies the war. However, at the time of the invasion, Ukraine was not close to joining NATO. Ukraine’s interest in the alliance only grew after Russian aggression in 2014 and 2022.
A common theme in propaganda is the idea that “everyone wants Russia’s resources” and that the West is plotting to weaken Russia for control – a narrative designed to fuel fear and justify aggression.
Security analysts and foreign policy experts widely agree that Moscow’s true concern isn’t NATO troops on its border – it’s the prospect of losing control over a neighboring state that seeks democratic reform, economic modernization, and integration with European institutions. A successful, sovereign Ukraine challenges the Kremlin’s authoritarian narrative and geopolitical dominance.
This war, then, isn’t about encirclement. It’s about an empire. The invasion of Ukraine is a calculated effort to deny a neighboring nation its right to self-determination and to keep it within Moscow’s sphere of influence.
Myth 4: The West Provoked the Conflict
The Kremlin often claims that Western countries – especially the U.S. – provoked the war by backing Ukraine. But the fact is that Russia violated international law by annexing Crimea in 2014, then escalated with a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Western support came in response to this aggression, not as its trigger. Blaming the West serves as a distraction – a way to shift focus from Moscow’s own actions and ambitions.
Reality: The Human Cost of Russian Aggression
The consequences of Russia’s invasion are devastating. According to the United Nations in Ukraine, as of February 21, 2025, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine verified that at least 12,654 civilians have been killed and 29,392 injured since February 24, 2022.
Investigations by international organizations have documented numerous war crimes committed by Russian forces, including targeting civilians, torture, and forced deportations. These actions are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of brutality.
Conclusion: Confronting the Truth
The Kremlin’s propaganda machine has tirelessly worked to obscure the brutal realities of its war in Ukraine. Yet, the facts and evidence overwhelmingly contradict its narratives. The international community must remain vigilant, challenge disinformation, and support efforts to hold Russia accountable for its actions.
Even President Donald Trump, who once maintained a cautious stance toward Vladimir Putin, has sharply criticized the Russian leader following a massive drone and missile attack on Ukrainian cities. Trump stated that Putin has “gone absolutely crazy” and is “killing a lot of people,” expressing his disapproval of Russia’s actions and indicating that he would “absolutely” consider imposing new sanctions.
War has revealed the true face of the Kremlin’s regime – a dictatorship steeped in lies, willing to sacrifice innocent lives to maintain power. Every time the war is called a “special operation”, a siren sounds in Ukraine. Every justification for killing costs another family their loved ones. The truth will not be silenced forever.
