“Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, is dead.” Such was the false message spread by Russia’s propaganda machine in early May – even Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin joined in. Kyiv was quick to dispel the claim as an intentional effort to “demoralize Ukrainian forces” and undermine Ukraine’s budding counteroffensive, noting that according to Russian media, Zaluzhnyi had been “wounded twice and killed three times.” Weaponizing disinformation is a cornerstone