Russia launches disinformation campaign to discredit Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul – CCD

According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

The CCD states that Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, falsely claimed to have held a “bilateral meeting” with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov ahead of the Istanbul negotiations. This claim is not true.

In reality, the meeting took place in the presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who acted as a mediator. Claims about supposed “closed-door agreements” made during the meeting are manipulations aimed at undermining trust in the Ukrainian delegation.

Furthermore, Russian propaganda is reportedly preparing a two-pronged disinformation attack targeting Ukrainian negotiators: inside Ukraine, disinformation narratives will suggest conspiratorial personal ties between members of the Ukrainian delegation and Russian officials. For Western audiences, the propaganda will attempt to portray Ukraine as delaying peace talks, despite Russia’s consistent refusal to agree to a ceasefire.

“Russia’s goal is to distort reality and push a narrative in which the aggressor portrays itself as a ‘peacemaker’,” the CCD emphasized.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Kremlin propaganda is also trying to frame Operation Spiderweb as a NATO initiative.