Full Breakdown
Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets Uman Pilgrimage
By Drooid · · How we work
Background of the Narrative
The annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman, a holy site for Hassidic Jews, drew a record 49,000–52,000 visitors by the morning of September 11 2026, according to the Cherkasy Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Israeli estimates. In May 2019, Russian presidential adviser Sergey Glazyev published a text proposing mass resettlement of Israelis and other Middle-Eastern residents in southeastern Ukraine; Israel’s Foreign Ministry labeled the proposal conspiratorial and antisemitic. Seven years later, the same theme resurfaced through AI-generated videos on Russian-controlled TikTok accounts, a tactic Nikk described as “All you need is AI and TikTok.” “All you need is AI and TikTok,” — Ukraine. Nikk
Official Responses and Fact-Checking
The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), a Ukrainian government body within the National Security and Defense Council, called the TikTok videos “entirely disinformation,” stating there is no Ukrainian program paying foreigners to settle permanently and that the pilgrimage is a temporary religious visit. Nikk noted that while Ukrainian and Israeli police jointly patrolled pilgrim areas on September 5, this security cooperation does not indicate preparation for mass resettlement. The outlet added that a Ukrainian state program does provide a payment of exactly 200,000 hryvnias, but it is unrelated to Hassidic pilgrims or any resettlement scheme.
Data & Statistics
- Pilgrim count: 49,000 (Cherkasy CDC) – 52,000 (Israeli figures) by September 11.
- Non-Ashkenazi Jews (Sephardim and Mizrahim) comprised up to 50 % of visitors, according to Ukrainian Jewish media.
- A Russian-language Telegram channel Fikrat Shabanov is scheduled to publish on August 17 a claim that roughly 30,000 Hassidim will arrive as a “rehearsal” for future mass resettlement.
- An AI-generated pilgrim video is scheduled for release on September 14, alleging receipt of 200,000 hryvnias and intent to remain in Ukraine.
Verbatim Quotes
- “All you need is AI and TikTok,” — Ukraine. Nikk
- “There is no need even to invent one enormous fake story; it would quickly collapse,” — Ukraine. Nikk
These statements illustrate how real-world elements—actual pilgrim numbers, joint police patrols, and a legitimate Ukrainian payment—are woven into fabricated narratives that lack any governmental basis for permanent settlement.