The world pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus has become not only a medical problem for the Russian Federation, and the “DNR” and “LNR” groups formed in the Donetsk and Lugansk territories by it, but also a propaganda opportunity - a tool for informational influence on slowing down the process of reintegrating Donetsk and Luhansk into Ukrainian and European space. The media of self-proclaimed “DNR” and “LNR” do not focus on helping people, but on spreading tendentious information about the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and efforts to overcome it.

1. COVID-19 in “DPR” and “LNR”’s Propaganda
Donetsk Institute of Information Memo
The world pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus has become not only a
medical problem for the Russian Federation, and the “DNR” and “LNR”
groups formed in the Donetsk and Lugansk territories by it, but also a
propaganda opportunity - a tool for informational influence on slowing
down the process of reintegrating Donetsk and Luhansk into Ukrainian and
European space. The media of self-proclaimed “DNR” and “LNR” do not
focus on helping people, but on spreading tendentious information about the
COVID-19 pandemic in the world and efforts to overcome it.
During the analysis of informational messages of the official sites of the proxy
administrations of the Russian Federation in Donetsk and Lugansk, an expert group
identified two types of messages. The first one is messages on COVID-19 prevention and
countermeasures. In messages of the second type, COVID-19 is used as a tool for
informational influence to form public opinion about the Ukrainian authorities and
European countries.
Messages of both types have appeared in the “DNR” media space since January 28, 2020.
At the same time, information about preventive measures in the media space under the
control of the LNR group appeared only on March 5, and the active information campaign
began on March 17.
Preventive measures "DNR" and "LPR" to combat the epidemic
Since late January, the content of “the DNR's Ministry of Health Care” website has almost1
entirely been devoted to the COVID-19 issue. Meanwhile, before March 16, there were only
a handful of reports on the site of “the Ministry of Health Care of Luhansk People's
Republic” concerning the problem. However, since March 17, almost all of the site's posts2
have been dedicated to combating COVID-19.
On March 5, the RF Administration in Luhansk launched measures to counteract the
spread of COVID-19. The beginning was the briefing of the chief physician of “the Lugansk3
Republican sanitary-epidemiological station” Dmitry Dokashenko, during which he
described the epidemiological situation in some parts of the Lugansk region as a "tense,
but stable" concerning COVID-19, and, at the same time, he claimed that the virus had not
been detected in the territory controlled by “the LNR” group” . However, reports on active4
quarantine measures, such as the termination of work of establishments, enterprises and
institutions, began to appear on “the LNR
MHC” website and other “LNR” sites only from March 17.
1
​Ministry of Health Care of the DPR ​http://mzdnr.ru
2
​Ministry of Health Care of the LPR ​ ​https://mzlnr.su
3
​Briefing with the chief doctor of the LPR SES
https://mzlnr.su/2020/03/05/brifing-glavvracha-luganskoj-respublikanskoj-ses/
4
​Ministry of Health Care of the LPR
https://mzlnr.su/2020/03/05/brifing-glavvracha-luganskoj-respublikanskoj-ses/

2. On January 28, “the Ministry of Health Care of the DPR,” as part of the implementation of
“the Action Plan for the Prevention of Infection Caused by the New 2019-nCoV
Coronavirus in the DNR,” started to publish daily briefings on the situation with COVID-19
in the People's Republic of China based on official statements by the State Health
Commission of the PRCa . This information is published there daily at 8:00 am Moscow5
time under the heading "About COVID-19 cases in the world". The latest update was dated
March 24, 2020, which stated that the epidemic situation in “the Donetsk People's
Republic” is stable and no cases of COVID-19 disease in the territory of the "republic" have
been registered . However, the information that “the Ministry of Health Care of the LNR”6
prepared medical institutions for hospitalization of patients with symptoms of coronavirus
infection COVID-19, and that there were no detected infected persons was provided by “the
chief sanitary doctor of the LNR” Dmitry Dokashenko only on March 5 .7
"Today, major and backup medical facilities have been identified and prepared in “the
LPR” for patients with suspected coronavirus infection. Main and backup medical staff
have been prepared. Traffic routes for ambulances have been determined," Dokashenko
said.
From that very day, “the LPR” has been intensifying other measures "to prevent the import
and spread of coronavirus" .8
On March 3, “the Decree of the LNR Chairman” “On the Introduction of the Regime of
High Readiness” was issued, which envisaged a wide range of measures to counteract and
prevent COVID-19, including restrictions on mass events, control of the health of citizens
crossing checkpoints, etc. .9
However, by March 25, there had been no information on COVID-19 on the website of “the
LNR cheif," and the coronavirus was mentioned only once and for the first time on "the
5
​As part of the implementation of the Action Plan for the Prevention of Infection Caused
by the New 2019-nCoV Coronavirus in the DNR, the DPR Ministry of Health Care provides
information on cases of pneumonia caused by the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the situation
registered at 09.00 (MSK), 27/01/2020.
http://mzdnr.ru/news/v-ramkah-realizacii-plana-meropriyatiy-po-profilaktike-infekcii-vy
zvannoy-novym-koronavirusom
6
​COVID-19 cases
http://mzdnr.ru/news/o-sluchayah-zabolevaniya-covid-19-po-sostoyaniyu-na-24032020
7
​The Ministry of Health Care of Luhansk People's Republic has prepared medical
institutions for hospitalization of patients with the symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19
infection.
https://mzlnr.su/2020/03/05/minzdrav-lnr-podgotovil-lechebnye-uchrezhdeniya-dlya-go
spitalizacii-pacientov-s-simptomami-zarazheniya-koronavirusnoj-infekciej-covid-19/
8
​ LPR intensifies measures to prevent the import and spread of the coronavirus in the
republic.
https://mzlnr.su/2020/03/05/lnr-usilivaet-mery-po-nedopushheniyu-zavoza-i-rasprostra
neniya-v-respublike-koronavirusa/
9
​Decree of the Head of Luhansk People's Republic of 13.03.2020 No. УГ – 160/20 On the
Introduction of High Readiness Regime.
https://glava-lnr.info/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ukaz-o-vvedenii-rezhima-povysh
ennoy-gotovnosti.pdf

3. LPR government" site on March 19 : “the Deputy Chairman of the People's Council of the10
LNR” Oleg Koval participated in the TV show Open Studio on Lugansk 24 channel on
March 13. In particular, he said, "It is very important to maintain adequacy. We
understand that we could forbid for everyone to leave home and stop the economy, but
then in 2-3 months there would be an economic collapse. It is very important to take
measures that are commensurate and adequate in the coronavirus situation. Of course,
measures should be taken to prevent the spread of this disease: stop flights to countries (to
which countries the flights were stopped was not mentioned – ​ed.​), where there is the
pandemic, cancellation of mass events, readiness of hospitals, etc." .11
On March 17, “SES LNR chief physician” Dmitry Dokashenko ​announced​,“The Republic is
ready to fight COVID-19” . On the same day, a ​message​ appeared that "the Republic has12
promptly adjusted the release of protective masks at one of the factories" .13
On March 17, a message appeared on “the LNR Government” website that “the Republican
Job Fair had been ​canceled , and probably due to that on March 31 the work on updating14
pensioners' data was ​canceled . On March 17, the LNR state TV and radio company15
website ​announced the suspension of events in “the establishments of culture” of Lugansk
till the end of March . At the same time, despite these restrictive measures, on March 18,16
information was published on “the LNR Government” website on holding three
“​Subbotniks" (​volunteer ​unpaid work at weekends) ​ in the near future .17
However, on March 23, another, more stringent “Decree of the LNR Chairman” On Some
Issues Related to the Regime of High Readiness was released which provided for the
compulsory hospitalization of persons returning from the countries where COVID-19 is
spreading and those who have symptoms of the disease as well as forced observation for 14
10
​Official site of the head of the Luhansk People's Republic. ​https://glava-lnr.info
11
​Oleg Koval in Open Studio program (video).
https://nslnr.su/news/89933oleg-koval-v-peredache-otkrytaya-studiya-video/
12
​SES chief physician Dmitry Dokashenko: “Republic is ready to fight COVID-19”
https://mzlnr.su/2020/03/17/glavvrach-ses-dmitrij-dokashenko-respublika-gotova-k-bor
be-s-covid-19/
13
​The Republic promptly launched the production of protective masks on the basis of one
of the factories
https://mzlnr.su/2020/03/17/respublika-operativno-naladila-vypusk-zashhitnyx-masok-
na-baze-odnoj-iz-fabrik/
14
​CONDUCTING THE REPUBLICAN JOB FAIR WAS POSTPONED FOR AN UNLIMITED
TERM
https://sovminlnr.ru/novosti/21173-provedenie-respublikanskoy-yarmarki-vakansiy-pere
neseno-na-neopredelennyy-srok.html
15
​THE REPUBLIC SUSPENDED THE WORK ON UPDATING PENSIONERS' DATA
https://sovminlnr.ru/novosti/21171-v-respublike-priostanovlena-rabota-po-aktualizacii-d
annyh-pensionerov.html
16
​Events in the capital's cultural institutions canceled till the end of March - City Hall
https://gtrklnr.com/2020/03/17/meropriyatiya-v-stolichnyx-uchrezhdeniyax-kultury-otm
eneny-do-konca-marta-meriya/
17
​THREE SPRING SATURDAY SUBBOTNIKS PLANNED IN LUGANSK
https://sovminlnr.ru/novosti/21198-v-luganske-planiruetsya-provedenie-treh-vesennih-s
ubbotnikov.html

4. days of all people arriving to the territory controlled by "the LNR" . A meeting dedicated18
to COVID-19 was held in the profile committee of the "People's Council of the LPR," with
its participants being called to take measures to combat and prevent the disease, as well as
"not to panic" . On March 24, a temporary suspension of personal reception of citizens19
was announced .20
Information on the epidemiological situation in “the DNR," with the number of reported
cases of influenza and ARVI, is published on the website of “the Ministry of Health Care of
the DPR” at the end of each week. Overall, since mid-February 2020, the number of
reported cases of influenza and ARVI has increased dramatically almost twice compared
to previous periods (highlighted in red):
Information on the epidemiological situation in “the DPR" for the period from
December, 2019 to March 5, 2020 ("DNR’s" information):
29.11.2019 по 05.12.2019 ​ 6571 — number of registered cases of flu and ARVI in “DPR”
06.12.2019 по 12.12.2019​ 6493
13.12.2019 по 19.12.2019​ 5978
20.12.2019 по 26.12.2019​ 5484
27.12.2019 по 30.12.2019​ 2671
09.01.2020 по 16.01.2020​ 4343
17.01.2020 по 23.01.2020​ 5052
24.01.2020 по 30.01.2020​ 6637
31.01.2020 по 06.02.2020​ 8357
14.02.2020 по 20.02.2020​ ​ ​10 842
21.02.2020 по 27.02.2020​ ​8385
28.02.2020 по 05.03.2020​ ​10 442
13.03.2020 по 19.03.2020​ ​9757
Currently, according to “the DNR” data, 589 people are being monitored in the part of the
Donetsk region under the control of the Russian Federation. Of these, 87 persons are in
hospital, 502 are in self-isolation at home. Cases of getting the virus infection were not
reported.
On ​10.03.2020​, the heading "Operational information on the counteraction to the
COVID-19 coronavirus in the Donetsk People's Republic" appeared on the website of “the
Ministry of Health Care of the DNR” for the first time. The first report of March 10 referred
18
​Decree of the LNR Chairman On Some Issues Related to the Regime of High Readiness #
УГ–181/20 of 23.03.2020
https://glava-lnr.info/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ukaz-o-nekotorykh-voprosakh-s
vyazannykh-s-rezhimom-povyshennoy-gotovnosti.pdf
19
​A regular meeting was held in the profile committee of "the LPR people's council" - Ivan
Sanaev
https://nslnr.su/news/v-profilnom-komitete-ns-lnr-proshlo-ocherednoe-zasedanie-ivan-s
anaev/?sphrase_id=244805
20
​Announcement of the temporary cessation of personal receptions of citizens
https://nslnr.su/news/obyavlenie/?sphrase_id=244805

5. to the hospitalization of a woman suspected of having a coronavirus infection, that
happened in “the DPR” appeared on March 9 .21
03/13/2020 in "Operational information about an epidemic on the coronavirus in
Donetsk People's Republic", it is reported that the woman, hospitalized on March 9, was
not infected with COVID-19; other cases were not registered, and the "republic" has
everything necessary for "examination, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 . The same22
day similar ​information was published on “the DNR Government” website. No information
on the coronavirus was found on the website of “the ​People's Council of the DPR​.” In
another ​message​, “the DNR” denied the information released by the Minister of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov about COVID-19 in Gorlovka .23
Similar information was published on “the DPR” official site”.
On ​March 15, 2020​, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation published
information on prevention, diagnostics and treatment , and since March 5, 2020, a24
number of orders, probably related to anti-epidemiological measures, have appeard in the
Documents​ section of “the DPR Ministry of Health Cra” website.
On ​March 11, 2020​, the ​information on “the establishment of the coronavirus prevention
headquarters in the DNR” was published on “the DNR” official website, and on March 14,
2020, the ​information was posted on the same site that “the DNR chairman” had
introduced "high alert mode in connection with the threat of the spread of the coronavirus
infection in “the republic." A similar ​message appeared on “DNR chairman” Denis
Pushylin’s site that day.
On ​March 17, 2020​, “the DNR” closed the intersection of the contact line for citizens and
opened​ a hotline for coronavirus issues.
Much of the above information was also duplicated on the websites of “DNR” settlement
administrations (for example, on “​the Donetsk city administration” or t​he administration
of the town of Kirovske ), as well as on “the DNR” propaganda media, represented by the
four largest propaganda TV channels (​Oplot, Novorossiya, First Republican and Union​), a
number of propaganda Internet publications and print propaganda media (the list of print
propaganda media is compiled at the bottom of the site "​State Enterprise “Republican
Media Holding"​).
21
​Operative information on combating COVID-19 coronavirus in the Donetsk People's
Republic
http://mzdnr.ru/news/operativnaya-informaciya-o-koronaviruse-covid-19-v-doneckoy-na
rodnoy-respubliki
22
​Operative information on coronavirus epidemic in the Donetsk People's Republic
http://mzdnr.ru/news/operativnaya-informaciya-ob-epidsituacii-po-koronavirusu-v-done
ckoy-narodnoy-respublike-0
23
​Operative information on coronavirus epidemic in the Donetsk People's Republic
http://mzdnr.ru/news/operativnaya-informaciya-ob-epidsituacii-po-koronavirusu-v-done
ckoy-narodnoy-respublike
24
​Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a new COVID-19 coronavirus infection COVID-19
http://mzdnr.ru/news/profilaktika-diagnostika-i-lechenie-novoy-koronavirusnoy-infekcii-
covid-19

6. March 18. ​A memo appeared on “DPR Healthcare Ministry” site, it claimed that “DPR
head” Denis Pushylin had conducted a meeting of “coronavirus operational headquarters”,
and that there were no coronavirus cases reported on “the territory, the situation was
under special services control and all educational insitutions were to switch to distance
learning mode starting from March 19.
March 27. ​“DPR” authorities reported partial restrictions on the work of restaurants,
cafes, other establishments that offer food and entertainment centres.
Coronavirus as a means of information influence
“DPR” and “LPR” propaganda internet mass media which are controlled by the Russian
Federation are actively using the COVID-19 pandemic theme to informationally oppose the
process of the reintegration of the territories. This theme is actively used by both, relatively
temperate propaganda internet MM, namely Donetsk Republic News or DPR 24, which
mostly just show a selection of real news presented in an enormous quantity and in a
biased way, which help to create a necessary informational background with the help of
informational spam, and openly propaganda videos which do not only control the audience
mood but also massively post absolutely disinformational content.
It can be said that the main messages posted on “DPR” MM within the context of the
coronavirus infection ​are trying to use the coronavirus factor to show the
advantages of the “DPR”and the Russian Federation in fighting against
COVID-19 and Ukraine and Western countries’ institutional failure to
prevent, cure and combat the pandemic.
“Italy’s “friends” in the European Union ignored Rome’s call for help while Russia sent its
specialists to help the country which has suffered the most because of the virus”, reports
one of media resources which support the “DPR”.
On March 18, DAN posted an address of “DPR head” Denis Pushylin where he claims that
the situation with COVID-19 is under constant control in the “republic”.
At the same time, one day earlier, on March 17, Dan posted disinformation from the
so-called “DPR intelligence” saying that there are more than 50 suspected COVID-19 cases
reported in the 92nd Brigade of the UAF which is located near Donetsk.
Simultaneously, media of the “separate districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions”
spread unconfirmed information about the situation on the territory controlled by
Ukraine. A piece of news saying that about 70 Ukrainian servicemen with suspected
COVID-19 cases had been hospitalized in Lysychansk and Rubizhne appeared on Luhansk
Information Centre on March 19.
LITS Site also posted unproved information about ​Ukrainian civil servants trying to
enrich themselves by selling safety masks intended for spreading among
servicemen.
“The remarkable thing is that disposable individual safety masks produced by Ukrainian
factories are going to be used several times. This means Ukrainian civil servants are trying

7. to earn fortunes at the expense of ordinary soldiers who will use these safety masks many
times”, says the news report with reference to “a representative of the LPR people’s
militia”.
The news on DAN site attracted attention to alleged the fact that the Ukrainian authorities
are not able to arrange efficient disease prevention and treatment for the citizens, unlike
the authorities of the Russian Federation and separate districts of Donetsk and Luhansk
regions who can do it. Special attention was paid to the problem of evacuating Ukrainian
citizens from China to Novi Sanzhary for observation and the local community protested
against that decision. “DPR calls the actions of Ukrainian authorities a shame”, - that was a
typical DAN heading of the end of February 2020.
The Ukrainian authorities’ decision to temporarily suspend crossing the demarcation line
by citizens who are registered on the uncontrolled territory and want to go to the
controlled one through entrance-exit checkpoints was also reported about in a biased way.
To neutralize the negative influence the Ukrainian authorities and executives
can:
1. To take into consideration all recommendations of human right organizations
concerning the improvement and possible changes in the work of checkpoint
during the quarantine period. Checkpoints can also serve as information centres
for residents of separate districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions ;
25
2. Demand that the epidemiological situation on the uncontrolled territory should
be independently monitored with the help of international organizations and test
systems should be delivered;
3. Detected cases of “LPR” and “DPR” disinformation should be refuted by the TV
broadcast system for separate districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
4. Current situation concerning prevention and combating coronavirus on the
territory which is controlled by the Ukrainian authorities should be reported to
the residents of uncontrolled territories;
5. Useful information concerning the symptoms and course of the disease,
recommendations concerning its prevention and its consequences should be
reported to the residents of uncontrolled territories taking their location into
account;
6. Residents of uncontrolled territories should be explained the necessity and
regulations of the quarantine with the help of media channels.
25 ​THE STATEMENT CONCERNING IMPOSED RESTRICTIONS FOR CROSSING THE DEMARCATION LINE
https://www.vplyv.org.ua/archives/465s