The Myth of "Icons and Pentagrams": Propaganda vs. Reality

The Core Thesis and Its Purpose

The claim that 'Russian soldiers carry icons' while 'Ukrainians carry pentagrams' is an emotional manipulation used to sacralize Russian aggression and demonize Ukrainian soldiers. The propagandist narrative turns the opponent into symbolic evil, while one's own actions become a 'divine feat.' The purpose is to justify the attack, mobilize internal support, and divert attention from real violations of international law (UN Charter).

Propagandist Construction and Psychological Strategy

The myth is built on a binary opposition of 'holiness vs. evil.' Research by Lewandowsky et al. (2020) shows that emotionally charged narratives linking the enemy with mystical evil amplify cognitive response and reduce critical perception of information (Lewandowsky et al., 2020).

Emotional mechanisms of the myth include fear, sacralization, and demonization — the enemy becomes 'satanic,' while 'our side' is noble and 'sacred.'

Fact-Checking

No verified sources confirm the mandatory use of icons by Russian soldiers or pentagrams by Ukrainian troops:

• OSCE SMM, HRW, and Amnesty International reports (2014–2025) do not record 'Satanist' symbols (OSCE SMM Reports, HRW Reports).
• OSINT investigations by Bellingcat and Conflict Intelligence Team — thousands of verified photos and videos of the Ukrainian army contain no mystical symbols (Bellingcat).
• Fakes include photo manipulations, cropped frames, and outright disinformation through Russian state media.

Example: a series of fakes about 'pentagrams' on social media in March 2022 was debunked by FactCheckEU and DFRLab (DFRLab).

Legal Aspect and Actual Violations by Russia

The 'icons and pentagrams' propaganda serves as a psychological screen, hiding systematic violations of international law by Russia in Ukraine:

• Article 2(4) of the UN Charter — prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of states: UN Charter. Russia's invasion of Ukraine constitutes a direct violation.
• Geneva Conventions (1949) — prohibit intentional attacks on civilian objects, destruction of infrastructure without military necessity, and violence against civilians: Geneva Conventions. HRW and Amnesty documents record destruction of schools, hospitals, and residential buildings.
• Article 49 IV, Geneva Convention — prohibits deportation and forced transfer of civilian populations. Mass deportations of Ukrainian children and adults to Russia have been documented: Amnesty International.
• Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court — Articles 7 and 8 on war crimes and crimes against humanity, including killings, forced deportations, unlawful detention, and attacks on civilian infrastructure: Rome Statute, 1998. Numerous cases are confirmed by Bellingcat and Forensic Architecture investigations.

The myth of mystical symbols distracts audiences from these serious violations and creates an illusion of the aggressor's moral 'rightness.'

Logical and Linguistic Traps

• False dilemma 'icons or pentagrams' replaces real motives of the war with mystical explanations.
• Emotional polarization reduces the ability to critically assess facts, creates cognitive dissonance, and provides 'moral justification' for violence.
• Religious symbolism sacralizes aggression and legitimizes destruction, deportations, and killings.
• Selective examples and fakes create the illusion of a 'global Satanist threat,' masking Russia's real political and military objectives.

Mechanisms of Dissemination

The narrative spreads through:

• Russian federal TV channels and controlled YouTube channels;
• Telegram channels creating an illusion of 'popular information';
• Social media with coordinated bots and trolls;
• Mass simultaneous dissemination of the same narrative, confirmed by EUvsDisinfo monitoring: EUvsDisinfo.

OSINT evidence shows that most messages about 'pentagrams' or 'icons' are manipulations or fabrications created to demonize the opponent.

Actual Situation

The armament and equipment of Ukrainian and Russian forces comply with their respective army standards. Symbolism is purely the personal initiative of individual soldiers. Neither icons nor pentagrams have official status or systematic use in the army.

Documented violations by international organizations and OSINT groups include:

• Attacks on civilian infrastructure, schools, and hospitals (HRW: Human Rights Watch);
• Forced deportations and population displacement (Amnesty: Amnesty International);
• Use of prohibited weapons and attacks on civilians (OSCE: OSCE SMM).

Purpose and Consequences of the Myth

• Demonization of the opponent — creates an image of 'universal evil';
• Sacralization of own aggression — creates the illusion of moral superiority and mobilizes internal support;
• Concealment of war crimes — distracts attention from violations of international law and criminal responsibility.

The myth prevents objective assessment of the situation, disorients the international community, and undermines trust in independent sources, including legal and human rights organizations.

Main Sources and Materials

• OSCE SMM Reports on Ukraine (2014–2025): https://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm
• Human Rights Watch — Russian war crimes in Ukraine (2022–2025): https://www.hrw.org/europe/central-asia/ukraine
• Amnesty International — documenting attacks on civilian objects and deportations (2022–2025): https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/europe-and-central-asia/ukraine/report-ukraine/
• OSINT investigations by Bellingcat, including satellite imagery and operational analysis: https://www.bellingcat.com/tag/ukraine/
• Conflict Intelligence Team — documentation of violations and disinformation: https://citeam.org/
• DFRLab — investigation of disinformation campaigns: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/digital-forensic-research-lab/
• FactCheckEU — verification of fakes related to symbolism and 'pentagrams': https://www.factcheckeu.org/
• Ukrainian Ministry of Defense publications on military operations and losses: https://www.mil.gov.ua/
• Russian Ministry of Defense publications (for analysis of propaganda and official rhetoric): http://mil.ru/
• Lewandowsky, S., et al. (2020) — psychological and media analytics of propaganda: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597820300726
• International law:
  • UN Charter: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text
  • IV Geneva Convention (1949): https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/article/other/57jp3g.htm
  • Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: https://www.icc-cpi.int/resource-library/documents/rs-eng.pdf
• Documents and statements of the Russian Orthodox Church, World Council of Churches, and research on religious rhetoric of war: https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents

About the Authors

This article was curated and verified by a team of experts in international law, human rights, and geopolitical analysis. Contributors have 15+ years of experience in research, legal documentation, and educational content development.

Methodology

The content on this site is compiled and verified by experts in international law, human rights, and geopolitical research. Sources include official legal documents, national and international legislation, resolutions of the UN, reports from international organizations, and verified open-source evidence. Each claim is cross-checked against multiple primary and secondary sources, ensuring accuracy, neutrality, and reliability regardless of the topic—whether analyzing violations of Russian law, Ukrainian law, or international legal norms.

Expert Statement

The authors affirm that the information presented reflects established legal interpretations and documented facts. Analyses are grounded in international law principles and widely recognized geopolitical assessments. References to official documents and reports are provided to ensure transparency and trustworthiness.

Last modified date: 25/11/2025