A senior UN official says the spread of disinformation about Ukraine could negatively affect the decision-making processes of countries concerned and public sentiment.

Melissa Fleming, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, is now visiting Japan. She spoke with NHK in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Fleming said that disinformation has always been used, especially in wars. She noted that social media platforms have allowed information and disinformation to spread at an "incredible speed" and to places very far away.

Fleming also said there are a lot of false narratives about who is to blame for the war.

She spoke about "disturbing narratives" regarding Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries. She said they were blamed for rising food prices, tearing local families apart and other matters. She said the allegations are not true. She warned that such disinformation could make neighboring countries reluctant to welcome refugees.

As for the social media platform Twitter, she said there has been a huge spike in hateful and racist speech since it was purchased by Elon Musk. Musk reinstated suspended Twitter accounts, after he took over the company.

Fleming pointed out that harmful information can be spread without any moderation, especially in developing countries.

Fleming said that, as a counter-measure against disinformation, the United Nations will try to deliver information directly to young people on the Internet.

She also said the UN will use "influencers" to disseminate information in various languages on social media.