People in recently liberated towns and cities across eastern Ukraine are repairing and rebuilding, eager to move on with lives that were violently interrupted by the Russian invasion in February.
The physical destruction in some places is substantial, but many are finding it harder to deal with the emotional trauma and confusion Russian forces heaped upon them – particularly disinformation.
Russia fed a steady stream of propaganda into occupied areas, taking advantage of the information vacuum caused by their invasion. Their intention was to sow confusion and, above all, distrust in the Ukrainian authorities. They often succeeded.
