Detector Media

🔍 Media Literacy Index of Ukrainians: 2020–2025 (Sixth Wave) The Detector Media NGO conducted a quantitative study to determine the Media Literacy Index of Ukrainians, that is, the level of people’s ability to consciously perceive and critically interpret information, as well as to use a variety of media sources. The level of the overall Media Literacy Index changed significantly with the start of the full-scale war. From 2021 to 2022, the share of the audience with an above-average level of the indicator increased by 26% (from 55% to 81%). Accordingly, the number of Ukrainians with low and below-average levels of media competence decreased (from 45% to 19%). 🔗 Read more: en.detector.media/post/media-lit…

🕯️ Patriarch Filaret has died at the age of 97. Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret (Mykhailo Denysenko) has died at the age of 97, in his 98th year of life. This was announced by the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of #Kyiv and All Ukraine Epifaniy. 🗣️ “I call on the entire Ukrainian flock to offer heartfelt prayers for the repose of the soul of the newly departed Patriarch Filaret, who today has gone to the Lord. Let us ask the Almighty to receive him into His Heavenly Kingdom. My sincere condolences to the family of the late hierarch. We will always remember Patriarch Filaret’s guidance on the importance of maintaining the unity of the Ukrainian Church around the Kyiv See. We will also remember and follow his teachings on the importance of conciliarity, humility before the will of God and the will of the fullness of the Church, and devoted service to God, the Church of Christ, and the Ukrainian people. The heart of Patriarch Filaret stopped in his 98th year of life. But prayers and remembrance of him will remain in the Local Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church forever,” Metropolitan Epifaniy wrote. 🇺🇦 After the restoration of #Ukraine’s independence, Filaret initiated the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the jurisdiction of Moscow. He became one of the founders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and later its head. For this, the Russian Orthodox Church defrocked him and imposed an anathema. However, Filaret did not recognize this decision and appealed to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In the following years, he repeatedly renewed his appeal. On October 11, 2018, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized the Russian Orthodox Church’s decision to “defrock” him as inconsistent with canon law.

📵 Poland to ban phone use in primary schools Starting September 1, 2026, #Poland plans to ban the use of mobile phones in primary schools. This was announced by Polish Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka during a press conference, PAP reports. According to Nowacka, the decision was made on an accelerated basis after her conversation with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Ministry of National Education is currently finalizing the regulatory documents that will introduce a ban on smartphone use during both lessons and breaks. “Exceptions may be made for educational purposes and at the teacher’s discretion, but this should not become the norm, because we see how dependent children are on the internet,” the minister said. #socialmediaban #education #school

🚫 Manipulation: Historical flag misrepresented as an “insult” to Hungary Pro-Russian Telegram channels and media are spreading claims that #Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, Fedir Shandor, allegedly “insulted the Hungarian flag.” As “evidence,” they cite a photo showing him and serviceman Robert Brovdi holding a Hungarian flag with a hole cut out in the center. The posts claim this is disrespect toward a national symbol. SPRAVDI and Ukrinform reported this. ❗️ This claim is false. The flag in question is not a damaged modern flag, but a historical symbol of Hungarian resistance to Soviet occupation in 1956. During the revolution, protesters cut out the socialist coat of arms from the flag as a sign of rejecting Soviet influence. This version of the flag became one of the most recognizable symbols of #Hungary’s struggle for freedom and is still used during commemorative events. The photo being circulated is not new — it was taken back in 2024. At that time, both men in the image were serving in the military and are of Hungarian origin. The renewed spread of the image followed an information attack after Shandor reposted it on X in March 2026. 📌 Notably, the wave of “outrage” was artificially amplified not by Hungarian society, but by pro-Russian actors and collaborators based in #Russia. Their posts became the basis for further dissemination of this manipulation across media and Telegram channels. Fact-checkers emphasize that this case is part of a broader information campaign aimed at discrediting Ukrainian diplomats and escalating tensions between Ukraine and Hungary. #RussiaUkraineWar

🇷🇺 🇮🇹 The organizers of the Venice Biennale say that the #Russian pavilion’s participation in this year’s exhibition does not violate any rules. This was reported by RAI. They stated that they fully comply with all sanctions imposed on #Russia following its full-scale invasion of #Ukraine. “No rules have been violated,” the organizers said, adding that they had provided the relevant documentation to Italy’s Ministry of Culture. 🔍 According to ArtNews, the Biennale also emphasized that it rejects “any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art.” The organization added that the exhibition should remain “a place of dialogue, openness, and artistic freedom.” #RussiaUkraineWar #RussiaIsATerroristState

💥 Russian UAVs destroyed the home of the editor-in-chief of the Vorskla newspaper in the Sumy region On March 12, Russian “Molniya”-type drones struck the home of Oleksii Pasiuha, editor-in-chief of the Vorskla newspaper, in the village of Velyka Pysarivka (Sumy region), located just a few kilometers from the #Russian border. This was reported by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI). 🏠 In a comment to an IMI representative, Pasiuha said that the first UAV destroyed part of the house, while the second one flew inside the home and completely burned it down. “The second ‘Molniya’ burned the house and everything inside. We took almost nothing with us when we left. We thought we would return soon. The main thing we managed to take were our photo albums. Although our daughter called us and complained that we didn’t take her graduation dress,” Oleksii Pasiuha said. According to him, the house destroyed by the Russians had originally been started by his father, who was also a journalist. Together, they built the family home over the course of 20 years. #RussiaUkraineWar #RussiaIsATerroristState #UkraineWar

44% of Ukrainians verify the accuracy of information. Meanwhile, 30% never check media content. The findings come from the new 🇺🇦 Index of Media Literacy, prepared by @DetectorMediaEn with support from @UNDPUkraine and @JPEmbUA. go.undp.org/SSs

🇪🇺 The EU has imposed sanctions on Graham Phillips and three other Kremlin propagandists This was reported on the website of the Council of the EU. Sanctions have been imposed on Graham Phillips, Adrien Bocquet, Ernest Matskevichus, and Sergey Klyuchenkov. “Through their activities the designated individuals are responsible for supporting the actions and policies of the #Russian government, which undermine democracy, the rule of law, stability, and security in the European Union and #Ukraine,” the Council of the EU stated. The sanctions include asset freezes and a ban on entry into the territory of the European Union. #RussiaIsANaziState #RussiaUkraineWar

📵 Telegram Faces Full Block in Russia 🇷🇺 In #Russia, where Telegram has long experienced disruptions, authorities have now begun a full-scale block of the messaging app, according to both pro-Kremlin and opposition media. Widespread complaints about the lack of access started appearing on international and #Russian monitoring platforms on Saturday, March 14, and doubled the following day. Reports came from multiple regions across Russia, with the highest number from Moscow and its suburbs, as well as Saint Petersburg. Users experienced issues in both the mobile app and the desktop version. Initially, #Telegram became inaccessible via mobile networks, and in recent days, access has also been blocked through fixed-line internet providers. Experts believe this is due to Russian state authorities applying different restrictions in different regions, possibly as part of a testing phase.

🔥 On the Sloviansk Direction, Ukrainian Forces Eliminated #Russian Propagandist and Fighter Yevheniy Nikolaev (Hayduk) The Ukrainian media center IPC-Pivden reported that Yevheniy Nikolaev, who commanded the “Rodnya” battalion and co-authored several pro-Russian Telegram channels, including WarGonzo, was killed by Ukrainian forces. Born in Moldova in 1980, Nikolaev lived in Moscow. In the 2000s, he was a member of Eduard Limonov’s National-Bolshevik Party and served time in a Russian prison. From 2014, he fought alongside pro-Russian militants in eastern #Ukraine. After #Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nikolaev arrived in Kherson, where he presented himself as a “volunteer” but primarily worked as a freelance journalist for several Kremlin-aligned outlets and collaborated with Russian propagandist Zakhar Prilepin. In May 2022, Nikolaev wrote on his Telegram channel that Russia would “remain in Kherson forever.” By autumn, his statements had changed, acknowledging that Russian forces might leave the right-bank part of the region, blaming local residents who resisted the occupation, according to IPC-Pivden. After Russian troops withdrew from Kherson in November 2022, Nikolaev claimed he was “the last to leave the city” and even dedicated several poems to the event. He later spoke about “returning to Kherson” after its liberation, though he provided no evidence to support this. #RussiaUkraineWar #RussiaIsATerroristState

🇺🇦 Sean Penn won his third Academy Award, but missed the ceremony due to a trip to Ukraine. According to The New York Times, citing two anonymous sources, the actor had been planning a visit to #Ukraine as of the end of last week. The sources did not specify the purpose of the visit or details of Penn’s travel itinerary. #Oscars #OscarNoms #Oscars2026

🕯️ Environmentalist, animal rights activist, and director of the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center Volodymyr Boreiko has died in a road accident near Kyiv. The news was reported by his wife, journalist Olha Musafirova. The circumstances of the tragedy are currently unknown. The family will announce the time and place of the funeral later. Volodymyr Boreiko was the director of the NGO Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center, an environmentalist, animal rights advocate, writer, and one of the leading activists of Ukraine’s nature conservation movement. He authored more than 200 books and over 700 scientific articles dedicated to environmental protection and was among the initiators of several environmental laws in #Ukraine. In 2010, Volodymyr Boreiko was awarded the honorary title “Honored Environmental Protection Worker of Ukraine.” Detector Media expresses its sincere condolences to Ms. Olha, as well as to the family, friends, and colleagues of Volodymyr Boreiko.

🧑‍💻 A page for the video game Ukrainian Warfare: Gostomel Heroes by the Russian studio Cats Who Play has appeared on the digital store Steam. The game is dedicated to the events at the beginning of #Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine in 2022, particularly the battles for the airfield in Hostomel, Kyiv region. 🪖 According to the description, the real-time strategy game with six missions recreates events from the airborne landing at Antonov Airport in Hostomel to the withdrawal of #Russian troops in late March 2022. The developers claim they aim to “show what happened in Ukraine at the beginning of this war.” They present the events as a so-called “brilliant Russian airborne assault on the outskirts of Kyiv.” 🇷🇺 For the Russian market, the game is planned to be released under the title “Gostomel Bogatyrs.” At the same time, the Russian studio said that Steam allowed the game’s release on the international market but banned its sale in Russia. The release is scheduled for March 24, 2026. According to Suspilne, the Ukrainian gaming community has called on platform users to report the project. #RussianWarCrimes #RussiaTerrorist #StandWithUkraine

🇦🇺 Children under 16 in Australia are bypassing the social media ban This was reported by Bloomberg, citing the country’s digital regulator. According to #Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, children are using VPNs to deceive age-verification systems. 🗣️ “Like any age restriction or limit, there are people, particularly creative teenagers, that are definitely doing a good job at getting around these,” Grant said. The law banning social media for children under 16 has led to the closure of around 5 million accounts. The restrictions apply to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Snapchat. At the same time, messaging services and gaming apps were not included in the ban. #socialmediaban

🏚️ A Russian attack on Kherson damaged the apartment of journalist Yevheniia Virlych 💥 The blast wave destroyed part of the balcony, shattered all the windows, and damaged property inside the home. This was reported on the website of Kavun.City. The journalist’s apartment is located in Kherson’s “red zone,” where #Russian forces attack daily with drones, artillery, and other types of weapons. In January, Russian forces killed three local residents near Yevheniia Virlych’s building in a strike with multiple launch rocket systems. The journalist was not in the apartment at the time of the attack. None of her neighbors was injured either. #RussiaUkraineWar #StopRussia #UkraineWar

❌ Ministers from 22 Countries Oppose Russia’s Participation in the Venice Biennale Ministers from 22 countries have called on the Venice Biennale to reconsider #Russia’s participation in the international art exhibition. They believe that granting Russia such a prestigious international cultural platform sends a deeply troubling signal. This was reported on the website of Latvia’s Ministry of Culture. The joint letter was addressed to the President of the Venice Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, the Biennale’s Board of Directors, and Italy’s Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli. ✍️ The statement was signed by the ministers of culture and foreign affairs of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. “Culture is not separate from the realities societies face. It shapes how people understand the world, what they value, and how they choose to act. Cultural institutions therefore carry not only artistic significance but also moral responsibility,” the statement reads. #culture #RussiaIsATerroristState #UkraineNeverSurrenders

❗ Fake: Dubai police allegedly detained 19 Ukrainians for robbing jewelry stores In Polish-language social media (particularly on Facebook), a video styled as a news report from the European TV channel Euronews has been widely circulated. The video claims that Ukrainian gangs allegedly took advantage of the chaos following attacks by Iranian drones and began mass robberies of jewelry stores in Dubai. It also states that local police had already detained 19 suspects of Ukrainian origin. ❌ However, the report turned out to be fabricated. The fake was identified by experts from Demagog. 📸 Propagandists did use real footage from a Euronews broadcast to make the fake look credible. Fact-checkers found the original video on the outlet’s official Facebook page dated February 28. It indeed features the same reporter, Jane Witherspoon, but the content of her report is completely different. In the original video, the journalist only reports on an Iranian drone attack on a hotel in Dubai and notes that local residents remain vigilant. There is no mention of Ukrainians, gangs, or jewelry store robberies in the authentic report. There is also no confirmation of such an incident in any open sources. #disinformation #fakenews #Ukraine

🏆 Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Oleksandra Matviichuk have become laureates of the European Order of Merit The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, announced the names of the first laureates of the newly established European Order of Merit. Among them are two Ukrainians — President Volodymyr #Zelenskyy and human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk. This was reported on the European Parliament’s website. The laureates receive the award for their significant contribution to European integration and for promoting and defending European values. The official award ceremony will take place during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on May 18–21. #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

🇪🇺 The European Commission may deprive the Venice Biennale of grant funding if Russia is allowed to open a pavilion at this year’s exhibition. This is stated in a joint statement by the European Commission’s Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef. ℹ️ The officials condemned the decision of Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia to allow Russians to reopen their national pavilion, stressing that the European Commission has clearly expressed its position regarding #Russia’s illegal aggression against #Ukraine. “Culture promotes and safeguards democratic values, fosters open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression, and should never be used as a platform for propaganda,” the statement says. They also stressed that EU member states, institutions and organizations must act in accordance with EU sanctions and avoid providing a platform to those who supported or justified the war against Ukraine. #RussianWarCrimes #RussiaUkraineWar

French-Style Media Oversight: How Its Limits Fuel Russian Propaganda For the Kremlin, disinformation and media manipulation are full-fledged instruments of war. In response to #Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union significantly expanded its sanctions against Russia, adding several Russian media outlets and individuals involved in spreading propaganda and legitimising Russian aggression to its sanctions lists. The EU justified these measures as a necessary response to the use of propaganda as a tool of aggression, as well as a means to strengthen member states’ capacity to counter hybrid threats, including disinformation. The question remains, however: how effectively are these sanctions being implemented across EU member states, who is monitoring their enforcement, and by what methods do #Russian media continue to circumvent them? Detector Media has previously reported on the extensive network of pro-Russian activists, politicians, and media outlets that continue to operate in France despite all sanctions and bans (see our investigations here and here). This piece focuses on the institutional and legal challenges France faces in countering Russian #disinformation and propaganda, and on the shortcomings of its sanctions enforcement mechanisms. Read more: en.detector.media/post/french-st…