(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The Russians are trying to exploit the relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) to incite domestic discontent in Ukraine.
That's according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.
ISW analysts said this was part of the wider "Maidan-3" Russian information campaign.
Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated on March 16 that unspecified Russian actors are calling relatives of Ukrainian POWs and claiming that Russia is ready to return Ukrainian POWs but that the Ukrainian leadership is preventing this. The Russian actors reportedly encourage the relatives to protest about this issue. However, Lubinets stated that Ukraine has never stopped POW exchanges.
These Russian information operations are likely part of the "Maidan-3" information campaign, which Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) previously reported intends to sow domestic discontent in Ukraine and drive a wedge between civilians and military and political leadership.
Analysts noted that Russia had successfully used information operations, including direct correspondence via cell phone to Ukrainian civilians, to foment violent protests in Ukraine before.
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