During a special operation, the spread of questionable information by war correspondents is being scrutinized, with calls for accountability. Deputy Oleg Matveychev relayed concerns to socialbites.ca, describing a pattern where military reporters generate sensational content, attract subscribers, and publish promotional posts that drive revenue.
He asserted that Ukrainian CIPSO has identified certain manipulative narratives, which some reporters then circulate purely to mislead their audiences. He claimed that these outlets monetize the activity by selling various services and goods, citing the promotion of financial products and other paid features as examples. The issue, he warned, is amplified by large follower bases. He described it as a profession that has become part of a larger problem in the national information environment. The implication was that many officials and leaders might not be acting with patriotic urgency, while a relatively small group of journalists and officials are portrayed as the true patriots. He suggested that some individuals connected to government and military leadership could be acting in concert with Ukraine while shirking responsibility, and he called for consequences to be imposed, starting with administrative measures and escalating to criminal accountability if necessary.
Matveychev also noted that Russians who rebroadcast these false reports should shoulder responsibility for their role in disseminating misinformation.
He argued for extending accountability to the ordinary citizens who simply repost such material, often under the impression that they are sharing something harmless. He claimed that a lack of clear responsibility has encouraged widespread reposting, and he urged a reconsideration of this practice to deter future posts. The expectation was that clearer penalties would prompt more cautious sharing among the public. He concluded with a demand to stop tolerating the current situation.
On the evening of May 11, Telegram channels run by Russian war correspondents reported the onset of a Ukrainian counterattack, describing an advance toward Artemovsk (Bakhmut). Subsequently, authorities in Kherson and Zaporozhye regions denied the start of any Ukrainian offensive. The Ministry of Defense stated that reports of a counteroffensive did not reflect reality and that the situation in the special operations zone remained under Russian military control. This sequence highlights the ongoing tensions between rapid reporting on the battlefield and the official narrative that follows, underscoring the challenges of verifying information in real time during active operations.