In the period of war, information acquires power that can become a decisive tool in the struggle. It can raise morale, consolidate society or, on the contrary, divide it and sow panic. Ukraine has been under the crosshairs not only of physical aggression, but also of information warfare for a long time. Enemy forces actively use fakes in order to destabilize the situation inside the country. Recently, one of such attempts was the story about the alleged renaming of women with the name Tatyana to Horpina.
A fake that went viral
It all started with a video on TikTok, which quickly gained widespread popularity. In the video, the woman said that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that obliges all women with the name Tetyana to change it to Horpin by January 1, 2025. In addition, fines or even imprisonment are provided for violation of this “law”. The woman who created the video did not provide any evidence for her claims. According to information from her account, she lives in Germany and supports Russian aggression.
However, the absurdity of the statement did not prevent the video from going viral. It has been viewed over 2.2 million times. Jokes on this topic began to appear on social networks. Some users invented new names to replace their own: Daria – Odarka, Lyubov – Yavdoha, Maria – Motrya, Oleg – Ofrim, Oleksandr – Lenko, Oksana – Stefa, Serhiy – Lunko, Maria – Yevdoha, Vasyl – Yomar, Ivan – Trach . Others were seriously indignant, believing that such a law could really exist.
Reaction of the Center for countering disinformation
The Center for Combating Disinformation, which works under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, promptly responded to this fake. In his messages Telegram states:
“Tatiana, don’t worry! The Verkhovna Rada has not yet renamed you Horpin. The activity of spreading fakes is impressive: videos on TikTok with this absurdity have already been viewed 2.2 million times.”
In addition, the Center for Combating Disinformation denied another fake, stressing:
“Information about the rallies announced in European cities “against human rights violations in Ukraine” is part of the information campaign of pro-Russian forces.
Accounts on the X social network calling for rallies in Cologne, Berlin and Paris belong to pro-Russian users or are linked to Russian propaganda. Some of them belong to allegedly “Ukrainians who fled the mobilization”, but their content is either almost inactive or openly pro-Russian.
The purpose of this provocation is to undermine Ukraine’s support abroad, to demonstrate Ukrainian dissatisfaction with the actions of the authorities, and to discredit the mobilization. This is a typical tactic of Russian propaganda to spread disinformation in Europe.”
This is another example of how quickly disinformation can spread, especially in wartime, when people are in a state of constant tension and ready to accept even absurd news.
The purpose of fakes
Information attacks like this one have several main goals:
- Sow distrust in the authorities. Even the most ridiculous fakes can create an impression of the inadequacy or absurdity of the actions of state bodies.
- Disunite society. Jokes, indignation, disputes – all this distracts people from real problems and creates internal conflicts.
- Reduce information hygiene. The more people believe in fakes, the harder it is for them to distinguish truth from fiction in the future.
How to protect yourself from misinformation
First, always check the source of the information. Official statements of government bodies, verified media and analytical centers are the basis for forming a correct picture of the situation.
Second, be skeptical of sensational news that has no real evidence behind it.
And, thirdly, tell your loved ones about how important it is to be critical of any information.
So fakes prove how powerful misinformation can be. In times of war, each of us is responsible for the information space. Only awareness, critical thinking, and joint countering of misinformation can be a reliable shield in this invisible but extremely important war.
