Russia Accused of Spreading Antisemitic Disinformation in Ukraine

While Russia refrained from missile and drone attacks on Uman during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, when tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim visit the city, it simultaneously conducted an extensive online campaign to inflame tensions between the pilgrims and Ukrainian residents, according to sources familiar with the matter. Russian-controlled accounts on X and TikTok disseminated messages with antisemitic motifs and content designed to incite unrest in Ukraine during the holiday. These messages falsely claimed that many Hasidim intend to permanently reside in Ukraine and that they receive special payments from the Ukrainian government. Other posts alleged a plan for Uman to secede from Ukraine and become an independent entity, claims which are untrue and serve Russia's objectives.

Another tactic involved exploiting the sensitive issue of draft evasion in Ukraine. Posts depicted Ukrainian men being forcibly conscripted for the front lines while Uman was celebrating, with Hasidic pilgrims flooding the city. One illustration showed Ukrainian soldiers arresting a draft dodger at a bus station while two Jewish men observed indifferently. This aimed to foster resentment among Ukrainians towards both the draft and the Hasidic community.

Furthermore, the Russian campaign sought to undermine Ukrainian support for joining NATO. One illustration depicted former U.S. President Donald Trump renaming Ukraine on a map as "Jewkraine." The Center for Combating Fake News, part of Ukraine's National Security Council, had warned of this Russian disinformation campaign before the holiday, stating its goal was to destabilize Ukraine and encourage antisemitism.