Russian operatives have launched a fresh wave of disinformation targeting Ukrainian families of prisoners of war and the official bodies responsible for their welfare, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
The agency warned this week that hostile messaging is circulating through public chats and social media groups, urging citizens to interfere with government operations and take part in what officials described as destabilizing activities.
"The enemy has launched another wave of information attacks," the Headquarters stated on Facebook, adding that the campaign is aimed both at vulnerable families of captured and missing Ukrainians and at undermining the institutions that handle POW affairs.
Ukrainian officials say the tactics are part of a broader, systematic Russian effort to weaponize the prisoner of war issue — using it as a tool for psychological pressure, blackmail, and the coercive recruitment of Ukrainian citizens as collaborators. The ultimate goal, authorities contend, is to stoke internal social tensions and obstruct the prisoner exchange process.
The Coordination Headquarters urged the public to exercise caution online, avoid sharing unverified claims, and rely exclusively on official sources for information related to prisoners of war and missing persons.
