In recent days, Ukrainian Telegram channels have been flooded with reports that Iran is allegedly preparing to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. As "proof," propagandists are sharing a screenshot they claim was taken from an Iranian television broadcast: it displays a map of Europe with Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa marked. The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has established that this is a complete forgery — the original broadcast did not mention any strikes on Ukraine at all.
What was actually shown on air
According to the CCD, the actual Iranian television broadcast displayed a completely different image, not a map with Ukrainian cities. The screenshot circulating online is falsified: a map of Europe highlighting Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa was superimposed onto it to create the appearance of an official threat. Thus, the link "Iranian broadcast — threat to Ukraine" has no relation to the actual content of the program.
The goal of the disinformation is panic, not information
The Center for Countering Disinformation emphasizes that such messages are aimed solely at spreading panic among the residents of Ukraine and creating an imaginary, non-existent threat. In other words, this is not an intelligence signal, but a tool of psychological pressure: the more panic there is, the more successful the disinformation campaign. Experts recommend not sharing such "screenshots from broadcasts" without verifying the original source.
Part of a series of manipulations
This disinformation effort fits into a series of recent information manipulations aimed at discrediting Ukraine. In particular, there were previous attempts to shift responsibility for the deadly strike on the Dnipro train station to "Ukrainian air defense operations"; the Air Force provided photographic evidence that completely refuted this version. Separately, information was circulated on social media about the alleged escape of two armed Russian prisoners and the shooting of a military vehicle in the Kharkiv region, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine promptly debunked as yet another fake.
Conclusion
Confirmed fact: there were no threats from Iran to launch missile strikes on Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa, and the screenshot from an Iranian TV channel used to argue for these "threats" is a fabrication. The CCD classifies the disseminated messages as a disinformation dump intended to manufacture panic. Readers are advised to rely on official statements and verify "sensational" footage against original sources.
