Russia intensifies Bakhmut-related information campaign to demoralize Ukrainians – Maliar

Russian propagandists are demonstrating excessive information activity around the assault on Bakhmut, spreading the narratives that are intended to demoralize the Ukrainian military and society.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Defense Deputy Minister Hanna Maliar on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Today, there is an excessive intensification of the Russian information campaign, which accompanies the assault on Bakhmut. The enemy is spreading several narratives that are intended to demoralize our society and military,” Maliar wrote.

In her words, the enemy claims that Bakhmut allegedly has no strategic value and its defense is a purely political decision. This is not true, as the military repeatedly explained the value and tasks of Bakhmut’s defense, and the decision on combat operations is made by the military leadership.

According to Maliar, Russian occupiers are discrediting the military command in the Eastern direction, posting fake documents, allegedly from the headquarters in eastern Ukraine. For influence purposes, they show the occupiers’ ‘strength’ and the defenders’ ‘weakness’, disclosing the Bakhmut-related plans of both sides that they are allegedly aware of.