After the terrorist attack in Lviv on 22 February 2026, the city’s information space became a target for Russian disinformation networks seeking to intensify panic and a sense of danger among residents.
Almost immediately after the incident, a second wave of attack began — an information offensive. Social media and messaging apps were flooded with posts about supposedly “new terrorist threats”. Anonymous messages claimed that “the attacks will continue”, “schools are being put into lockdown”, “the police are hiding the real level of danger”, and that the city was allegedly “introducing total checks”.
None of these claims had any official confirmation, yet they spread actively thanks to emotional pressure and rapid circulation. To lend credibility to the fakes, those behind them used archive photos from other cities, footage torn from its context, old videos of emergencies, as well as anonymous “leaks” and voice messages that created the illusion of eyewitnesses “on the ground”.
Particular emphasis was placed on parents and young people. These groups are especially sensitive to information about schools, children and potential danger, so when they are anxious, people tend to share such messages more quickly than verified data from official sources. As a result, even a small number of fake injections can create the impression of a large-scale threat and constant danger.
The Lviv region police officially refuted reports about the introduction of any “special regimes” in schools or sweeping restrictions in the city. Despite this, the wave of rumours continued to circulate on social media for some time, fuelled by repeated reposts and emotional comments.
Debunking this campaign shows that modern hybrid threats are not limited to the act of violence or terror itself. The physical blow is only the first stage, followed by an information phase directed at society. Its aim is to create panic, spread rumours, undermine trust in official sources and foster a sense of permanent uncertainty.
In such an environment, people begin to doubt even verified information, which over time leads to emotional exhaustion and social tension. That is why, after emergencies, the information space effectively becomes another battlefield, where the speed at which fakes spread can be no less dangerous than the events themselves on which they feed.