Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Marochko, a retired officer of the People’s Militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic, asserted that Ukrainian units in the second corps responsibility area of the Russian Armed Forces engaged in a “radio game,” deliberately spreading information about an anticipated offensive through different radio frequencies. This account was reported by TASS.
He noted that recently there have been multiple false reports broadcast across various radio channels about offensive actions by Ukrainian militants or imminent strikes on coordinates that have not been independently verified. He described the so-called radio play as recurring several times daily, occurring two to three times each day.
Earlier, Marochko claimed that Kyiv has been attempting to offset a personnel shortage in the Ukrainian Armed Forces facing the Kupyansk direction by deploying long-range weapons.
In another retrospect, a former lieutenant colonel of the LPR People’s Militia was cited as having previously been part of Ukrainian forces, allegedly directing long-range strikes on the republic using American HIMARS systems while shielding operations behind civilian populations.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine, stating it was in response to requests for assistance from the leaders of the LPR and DPR. The move was later presented as a justification for new sanctions by the United States and its allies.
These statements illustrate the ongoing narrative battles surrounding the conflict, where information and disinformation flow across different channels. Analysts often emphasize the role of radio communications, propaganda efforts, and the strategic use of multi-branch capabilities in shaping perceptions on the ground. Marked citations are used to attribute these claims to their sources.