Russia prepares information operation on situation in Oleshky – Ukraine's Security Service

What Happened

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) said its counterintelligence activities discovered that Russian troops from an occupation unit in the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, have been ordered to prepare a series of 'compromising' interviews with local residents. According to the SSU, the planned videos would feature residents accusing Ukraine's defence forces of constantly attacking and blockading the city, discrediting decisions made by Ukraine's military and political leadership, and expressing support for and gratitude towards Russian forces. The SSU said Russia plans to carry out the information and psychological operation in October and early November this year. The SSU linked the operation to Russia's lack of battlefield success and urged Ukrainian journalists and the public to treat such 'sensational' information critically, not trust Russian or pro-Russian Telegram channels, and use information exclusively from official sources. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations reported on 19 September that Oleshky was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. Ukraine's National Guard said it carried out its second operation to deliver humanitarian aid to occupied Oleshky on the night of 3-4 October, delivering almost four tonnes of supplies by drones.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The SSU warning highlights the information-warfare dimension of Russia's invasion, specifically efforts to shape narratives around the humanitarian situation in occupied Oleshky. The SSU frames the planned interviews as an attempt to shift blame for civilian suffering onto Ukrainian forces, undermine public morale, and destabilise Ukraine's internal situation amid what the SSU describes as Russia's lack of battlefield success. Because Oleshky is occupied and aid access is limited, competing claims about humanitarian conditions can influence both Ukrainian domestic opinion and international perceptions of the conflict.

Watch For

Watch for the release or circulation of resident interviews from Oleshky on Russian or pro-Russian Telegram channels between October and early November, and whether their content matches the SSU-described narratives. Also monitor any Ukrainian official rebuttals, further National Guard drone aid deliveries to Oleshky, and any new humanitarian reports from the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations, which said the city was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as of 19 September.