Weekly Exclusives
Weekly Exclusives - a newsletter that contains author publications, interviews, exclusive comments, photos and videos.
Photos and videos of the week
Russian strike on Zaporizhia service station kills 12
Throughout the day, people bring flowers in memory of the dead.
UAV operators from 1st Mechanized Brigade repel Russian assault in Sumy region
Publications
War on velvet cushions: Artifacts from destroyed Ukrainian cities will be carried through Venice streets
An Italian artist has launched the project Reliquiae in response to the participation of Russians in the 2026 Venice Biennale.
The Venice Biennale has traditionally been one of the most prominent cultural events in the world. This year, however, interest in it has extended far beyond the professional community. The reason is the organizers’ decision to allow Russia to take part in the official program of the 61st Biennale, which has sparked strong reactions in Italy and across Europe.
As early as the beginning of March, the ministers of culture and foreign affairs of 22 countries signed a joint letter calling for Russia to be excluded from the exhibition.
Italy’s Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, said he would not attend the opening of the Biennale in protest against the presence of the Russian pavilion, while the European Union suspended a three-year EUR 2 million grant to the Biennale.
In addition, on April 30, the exhibition’s international jury resigned amid the controversy surrounding the participation of Russia and Israel.
Rzeszów Security Forum: Svyrydenko’s Visit Amid a Surge in Ukrainian Ballistic Capabilities
During the conference “On the Road to the URC (Ukraine Recovery Conference): Security and Defense Dimension” in the Polish city of Rzeszów, several developments of real significance for Ukraine–Poland bilateral relations took place. They point to a growing recognition of the need to advance cooperation in the security domain—an area that is becoming increasingly central to ties between Kyiv and Warsaw.
Another highlight of the Rzeszów forum was the international FPV drone racing competition AIR BRIDGE: UA×PL, co-organized by the Ukrainian side. Participants—most of them Ukrainian— piloted FPV drones along a specially designed obstacle course, testing both technical skill and system performance.
A Ukrinform correspondent examined in detail both the official proceedings of the conference and its side events, as well as the discussions taking place behind the scenes.
Fact Checks
Russian propaganda spreading fake stories about mobilization and “abuse” in Armed Forces of Ukraine
Russian Telegram channels are spreading an image allegedly showing a Ukrainian Defense Ministry advertisement banner. The picture depicts a citylight billboard in Kyiv featuring a serviceman and another man hiding under a school desk. The poster includes the slogans: “A desk is a shelter for cowards” and “Sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine – be a real hero.”
This is fake. The image was generated using artificial intelligence. An analysis by the Hive Moderation service showed a 99.4% probability that the picture was AI-generated.
The Russian origin of the fake is also evident from a lexical mistake in the banner text. The creators used the Ukrainian word “trusiv,” which means “underwear,” apparently trying to translate the Russian word “trusov” (“cowards”). This points to automatic translation and a misunderstanding of the Ukrainian language context, as the correct Ukrainian word would have been “boiahuziv” (“cowards”).
It should be noted that the image created by the Russians included a real QR code linked to the “Contract 18-24” program. The likely aim of the propagandists was to discredit this particular initiative.
In addition, Russian propaganda Telegram channels circulated a video allegedly showing a commander of the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade abusing subordinates. In the footage, filmed from behind the backs of soldiers, a brigade officer supposedly beats a serviceman with a stick for revealing alleged abuses within the unit.
This is also fake. The video bears signs of being staged. The camera angle is arranged in a way that makes the shot “convenient” for viewers: the soldiers stand in static poses without blocking the view. The alleged “commander” is wearing full combat gear, a balaclava, and body armor, which appears unusual for a rear-area environment. Overall, the clip has suspiciously high video quality for supposedly “accidental” footage.
The original source of the video is an anonymous TikTok account. Only six videos have been posted on the account, the first appearing on April 21. Half of the videos consist of footage of destruction caused by Russian attacks accompanied by Ukrainian music. This is a common tactic used to disguise accounts as pro-Ukrainian resources before spreading disinformation. The other three videos, allegedly filmed in different frontline areas, also show signs of fabrication.
In other words, the source of the abuse video is an anonymous TikTok account created specifically to spread fake videos about the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Center for Countering Disinformation also confirmed that the video is fake. Analysts pointed out that the uniforms worn by the people in the footage lack any identifying insignia that would allow them to be linked to a specific military unit. In addition, the “commander’s” voice sounds robotic, indicating that AI technology was used to overlay audio onto pre-recorded staged footage.
Russian propaganda is increasingly using combined disinformation methods – from AI-generated images to anonymous social media accounts posing as Ukrainian sources. The above-mentioned fakes are aimed at undermining mobilization and recruitment efforts in Ukraine, creating the illusion of internal conflict within the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and discrediting the Ukrainian military.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, Russian propaganda had earlier circulated a fake video about the alleged “abuse” of a Territorial Recruitment Center employee.
By Andrii Olenin
News:
Politics
Ukraine needs scenario planning and unconventional solutions, expert says
Expert says Gulf war has become ‘trap of easy solutions’ for Trump
Economy
Nearly 85% of Ukraine’s cheese imports come from Poland – expert
Russia’s oil exports drop by 1.8 mln tonnes in April amid port strikes and sanctions – Vlasiuk
Kyiv region installing additional 150 MW of distributed gas generation, regional chief says
Society
"It was necessary to explain to the French what the Ukrainian mentality is, how the characteristics of the nation were formed, and what explains its resilience. So I identified five key elements, five 'keys': our history, economy, politics, culture, and our spirit and identity. I take each element and explain the most important events. If it is history, it goes back to the very beginnings. I also necessarily mention and explain our revolutions," said Alla Lazareva, deputy editor-in-chief and Paris correspondent of The Ukrainian Week/Tyzhden.
Border guards detain 26 SBGS servicemen, 69 civilians for corruption this year
Transnistrian direction remains security priority – SBGS spox
See you next Friday!