The Russian Federation has launched yet another disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine’s international defense cooperation and the reputation of Ukrainian military specialists operating in the Middle East. According to the Center for Combating Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the latest fake narrative attempts to undermine the perceived competence of Ukrainian air defense experts.
As the CCD officially reported, Russian propaganda channels recently amplified a fabricated story citing an obscure Italian media outlet. The false report claimed that Middle Eastern authorities demanded the immediate departure of Ukrainian air defense specialists, allegedly due to their “professional unfitness.” The disinformation alleged that during a recent Iranian attack, Ukrainian operators failed to protect any of the five strategic facilities assigned to them.
The CCD swiftly debunked these claims, highlighting multiple layers of fabrication. First, the Italian article cited by Russian propagandists completely lacks credible sources, official statements, or leaked documents. Instead, it presents blatant falsehoods as established facts. Furthermore, Italian independent fact-checkers have repeatedly flagged the specific outlet used as the source of this fake as a known instrument of Russian informational influence within Europe.
The core premise of the fake is also technologically and logically impossible. “The absurdity of the situation lies in the fact that Middle Eastern countries do not have Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile systems or air defense interceptors in their arsenals,” the CCD explained. Consequently, Ukrainian systems could not physically fail to intercept targets. Furthermore, Ukrainian military specialists deployed in the region are not assigned to physically protect specific infrastructure facilities; their role is strictly advisory, providing expert consultative support based on their extensive combat experience.
This fabricated narrative is part of a broader, systematic Russian informational warfare campaign targeting the Ukrainian defense sector. Previously, the CCD exposed a similar Russian fake claiming that the United Arab Emirates had rejected Ukrainian anti-drone electronic warfare systems due to their alleged “complete inefficiency.”
In reality, Ukraine’s cooperation with Middle Eastern nations remains highly effective. Earlier this year, Ukraine deployed over 200 experienced specialists to the region to assist allied nations in developing robust defense architectures against Iranian ballistic missiles and attack drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently confirmed the success of this strategic mission, stating that Ukrainian experts have successfully assisted in downing Iranian drones—including advanced jet-powered models—in the airspace of several Middle Eastern countries.