Russia spreads false claims about "disappearance" of Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief in light of tensions in Bakhmut

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, has said that Russia is spreading false claims about the "disappearance" of Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi due to increased tension in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Hanna Maliar on Telegram

Quote from Maliar: "The Russians have launched a new campaign concerning the alleged disappearance of our Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He is still here. He’s doing his job. I’ve just talked to him.

This [campaign] is a classic example of an informational strategy aimed at demoralising our troops. [Such campaigns are] short, lasting between several hours and a day, because it’s easy to confirm or deny the information, but it can achieve the desired effect if it is shared widely and at an opportune moment."

Details: Maliar said that Russia was spreading fake claims about Zaluzhnyi because of the current situation in Bakhmut.

"The timing is clear: tension in Bakhmut is at its peak, and demoralising even a handful of our soldiers would make things easier for them. This is also why they’re sharing all those premature reports about ‘seizing’ Bakhmut," the Deputy Defence Minister said.

Previously: Earlier on 20 May Maliar said that the situation in Bakhmut was "critical", but the Ukrainian forces continued to hold their positions in the Litak district in southwestern Bakhmut, where they control several industrial and infrastructure facilities and a private residential neighbourhood.

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