LUGANSK, April 26. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s office has ordered the heads of military-civilian administrations on the territories controlled by the Kiev regime to take measures on discrediting Russia, LPR People's Militia retired Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Marochko told TASS on Wednesday, citing Russian intelligence.

"Due to increasingly negative attitudes in society, the Ukrainian president’s office has sent out a document to the heads of military-civilian administrations demanding to increase patriotic awareness as well as to carry out work on discrediting Russia in the opinion of their citizens," he said.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry repeatedly reported the Ukrainian side’s attempts to stage provocations in order to discredit Russia and its armed forces. For instance, on April 16, Battlegroup East Spokesman Alexander Gordeyev reported the arrival of a group of French journalists in Gulyaypole in the Zaporozhye Region in order to film staged footage about alleged strikes by Russian troops on civilian infrastructure and residential areas.