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fake-news-detector-euvsdisinfo

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27.02.2023

Joe Biden violated the US constitution by blowing up Nord Stream

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/joe-biden-violated-the-us-constitution-by-blowing-up-nord-stream

sputniknews.lat

US, Germany, Russia

Spanish

Joe Biden will be the first US president that has demonstrably used the CIA and the Navy to attack an ally. Biden violated the US Constitution by blowing up the Nord Stream. The White House’s terrorist behaviour was revealed by Pulitzer-awarder journalist Seymour Hersh.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article can’t be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation. The central parts of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions). Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven. The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

Nord Stream 2, Joe Biden, Terrorism

27.02.2023

Crimea voted overwhelmingly to join Russia following Maidan

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/crimea-voted-overwhelmingly-to-join-russia-following-maidan

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, Ukraine

Italian

Crimea is an integral part of Russia and its return to Ukraine is impossible. After the February 2014 coup in Ukraine, the Crimean authorities held a referendum on reunification with Russia. The majority of voters approved the idea (96.7% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol), with voter turnout reaching 80%.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea and about a coup in Kyiv.In 2014, there was no coup d'état, nor a western orchestrated protest in Ukraine. Crimea is a part of Ukraine and was illegally annexed by Russia.Crimea is an internationally recognised part of Ukraine. Іn 1997, by signing the Friendship Agreement with Ukraine, Russia also recognised that Crimea belongs to Ukraine.Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray the Euromaidan revolution as a coup d’état. The popular demonstrations began in Kyiv in November of 2013 and brought hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to the streets to protest against a political decision of Viktor Yanukovych’s government, which at the last minute withdrew from a long-negotiated political association and free trade pact with the EU, choosing instead to accept a $15 billion economic bailout to Russia.The protesters' demands included constitutional reform, a stronger role for parliament, the formation of a government of national unity, an end to corruption, early presidential elections and an end to violence. Russia invaded the Crimean peninsula in 2014, and illegally annexed it via a sham referendum.In 2014, Russian troops obliged the parliament of Crimea to organise a so-called referendum, which was illegitimate under international law, and then formally annexed the peninsula and brought it under Russian territorial control.No international body recognises the so-called referendum in 2014. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.Read also similar cases claiming that Crimea rejoined Russia as a result of a popular referendum, that Ukraine, the USA and EU recognised the reunification of Crimea with Russia, that Crimea voted to secede after the coup in Kyiv and that Turkey considers Crimea part of Ukraine, despite the referendum that has established the opposite.

Crimea, Referendum, Manipulated elections/referendum, Coup, War in Ukraine

27.02.2023

Hackers interfering in elections were Israelis, not Russian

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/hackers-interfering-in-elections-were-israelis-not-russian

ahilesva.info

Russia, Israel

Spanish

They weren’t Russian hackers, they were Israelis! After such a long time looking for Russian hackers of the kind that interfere in the elections of other countries, somebody found hackers doing exactly that, but Israelis. A covert journalistic investigation brought into the spotlight a team of Israeli contractors who claim to have manipulated dozens of electoral process all over the world, using hacking, sabotage, and spreading disinformation on social media. This is, everything that has been said of the Russians but orchestrated by citizens of a well-loved country in the so-called ‘international community’.

This is a disingenuous attempt to distort, misrepresent and maliciously exploit a journalistic investigation to promote a long-term pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia being falsely accused of misdeeds against other countries. On 15 February 2023, an international consortium of media outlets led by Forbidden Stories published a long investigation about ‘Team Jorge’, an Israeli-based company devoted by its own admission to electoral interference around the world. Contrary to what this disinformation story alleges, though, this international investigation does not contradict or undermine in any way the mass of evidence about Russia’s interference in electoral processes around the world, including the US, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden, just to name some clear examples. In all these cases, Russian hackers were involved to some degree.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that US maintains sanctions on Russia even though accusations of interference proved to be unfounded, that the US never presented evidence of Russia’s involvement in election interference or cyberattacks, that there is no evidence of Russian involvement on the Solarwinds hacking and US sanctions only want to cripple Russian tech competitors, or that there is no evidence that the Russian diplomats expelled from Colombia were spies.

Russophobia, Anti-Russian, Cyber, Manipulated elections/referendum, election meddling

27.02.2023

The West and Kyiv may start provocations against Transnistria

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-and-kyiv-may-start-provocations-against-transnistria

Sputnik Armenia,ru.armeniasputnik.am,Golos Armenii

Moldova, Ukraine, EU

Russian

The situation [in Transnistria] is turbulent, it is provoked from outside.[...] Kyiv and the European countries are capable of various kinds of provocations.[...] Kyiv [is] preparing an armed provocation against Transnistria. As a pretext for invading, [...] Kyiv is planning to stage an alleged offensive of the Russian troops from the territory of Transnistria.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West of plotting against Transnistria, aiming to portray Ukraine as an aggressor state.Moldova has dismissed Russian claims of an alleged Ukrainian plot to invade a breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria after staging a false-flag operation.“We call for calm and for information to be received [by the public] from official and credible sources of the Republic of Moldova,” the government said in a statement. It also called it a part of Russian 'psy-ops" against Moldova.Previously, on February 13, 2023 Moldovan president Maia Sandu stated that the Moldovan government believes Russia has plans to destabilise the internal situation in Moldova in order to topple the democratically elected government.“The plan for the next period involves actions with the involvement of diversionists with military training, camouflaged in civilian clothes, who will undertake violent actions, attack some state buildings, and even take hostages,” Sandu told reporters at a briefing.Transnistria is de-facto controlled by Russia since 1992, the ECHR ruled. Russia has violated human rights and the right to freedom and security in Transnistria.In her interview, published on 22 January 2022, President of Moldova, Maia Sandu said: "Of course, it is an important task for us to find a solution (on Transnistria). But this solution must be peaceful, diplomatic. It must be a solution that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. And reintegration must result in a functional state. These three elements are extremely important”.Read similar cases claiming that the West is pushing Chisinau to attack Transnistria, that Transnistria is Russian, or that Moldova is preparing for a new war against Transnistria.

Transnistria, Provocation, Military, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Dmitry Peskov, false flag, Maia Sandu

26.02.2023

NATO is party to Ukraine conflict

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nato-is-party-to-ukraine-conflict

tass.ru

Ukraine, Russia

Russian

NATO’s arms deliveries to Ukraine make it a participant in the conflict because its assistance is free of charge. It means that the West is complicit in Kyiv's crimes.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of direct involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, attempting to distract attention from Russia's crimes committed during the invasion. NATO as an organisation does not supply Ukraine with weapons. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. In several Western countries instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weapons and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front.The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.It is Russia which has committed numerous war crimes in Ukraine since the launch of its large-scale invasion. There is well-documented evidence of its crimes in Bucha, Irpin and Borodyanka outside Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson, Kharkiv and other places.Read more disinformation cases about the Russian unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, in particular about NATO’s allegedly negative role in the war.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, NATO, war crimes

26.02.2023

20 thousand Polish soldiers fight in Ukraine – 2500 have been killed already

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/20-thousand-polish-soldiers-fight-in-ukraine-2500-have-been-killed-already

pl.sputniknews.com

Poland, Ukraine

Polish

20 000 Polish soldiers are fighting on the side of Ukraine, and about 2.5 thousand of them died and were buried in Poland. These soldiers died in Ukraine, not in their homeland.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, presenting Poland as a state with aggressive anti-Ukrainian plans, aiming to obfuscate the reality of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.There is no evidence to substantiate the claim. There is a limited number of Polish citizens who have joined the official Ukrainian Army units as volunteers, far from the “tens of thousands” Polish soldiers fighting in Ukraine and “thousands” Polish casualties claimed in this piece.Pro-Kremlin media has made similar claims in the past in attempts to substantiate a disinformation narrative that Russia was fighting NATO in Ukraine.The disinformation message about Poland’s aggressive plans towards Ukraine has adopted several different and sometimes contradictory forms, including allegations that Poland wants either to create a puppet proxy-state in Western Ukraine or the annexation of these territories or that it is actually President Zelenskyy who wants to cede this land due to his “Polish origin”.See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Over 1,200 Polish mercenaries died in Ukraine, thousands are wounded; Polish and Lithuanian mercenaries return to Donbas and Ukrainian Army deploys NATO-equipped Polish mercenaries to Donbas.

War in Ukraine, mercenaries, Military

26.02.2023

Under the guise of an exercise NATO divers planted explosives under the Nord Stream

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/under-the-guise-of-an-exercise-nato-divers-planted-explosives-under-the-nord-stream

de.news-front.info

US, Norway, Russia

German

Under the guise of an exercise NATO divers planted explosives under the Nord Stream. Last summer, US Navy divers had placed explosives under the Nord Stream pipelines, which were activated by the Norwegians three months later.On 26 September 2022, a Norwegian naval aircraft dropped a hydro-acoustic buoy that detonated the previously placed explosives. He pointed out that US President Joe Biden decided to sabotage the Nord Stream after nine months of secret talks with national security officials in Washington.

Conspiracy theory not backed by any evidence, part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to fill the information space to portray the West as responsible for the Nord Stream sabotage.On 26 September 2022, the NS1 and the NS2 pipelines both ruptured. Denmark, Sweden view the Nord Stream pipeline leaks as 'deliberate actions'Sweden, Germany and Denmark opened an investigation of the incident. This is the first step in determining what caused the leaks. Anything before that would be mere speculation and conspiracy theory.The message was based on the blog post of the journalist Seymour Hersh. He claims the US navy was responsible for the explosion on NS1 and NS2. The story of Hersh was grounded on information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets.The US White House evaluated this claim as “utterly false and complete fiction.”See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Nord Stream pipelines destroyed by coalition of countries headed by the US, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, Conspiracy theory

26.02.2023

Russian air accidents occur because of international sanctions

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russian-air-accidents-occur-because-of-international-sanctions

yapolitic.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, EU

Due to the fact that aviation companies do not supply Russia with spare parts, there have been over 100 air accidents and 28 crashes in Russia. Countries which imposed sanctions on Russia are terrorist states. This is a reason to sue these companies.

A recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that the countries which imposed the sanctions on Russia are terrorists. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. On the 25th February 2023, the EU agreed its 10th package of sanctions against Russia.In reality, there is no link between possible aviation accidents in Russia and anti-Russian sanctions. If Russia feels that a lack of spare parts compromises air safety, it should abstain from using aeroplanes in improper conditions. The West imposed sanctions on Russian companies and individuals. They are not aimed against ordinary Russians. Sanctions were initially opposed in 2014, in the wake of Russia's illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. As Russia's aggressive behaviour grew more aggressive, sanctions became more severe. Since Moscow launched its unjustified war of aggression against Kyiv on 24 February 2022, Western sanctions have targeted strategic sectors of Russia’s economy. Imposing the price cap on Russian oil is expected to hit the Russian industry.Read more disinformation cases of the West's anti-Russian sanctions.

26.02.2023

America admits involvement in Nord Stream bombing

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/america-admits-involvement-in-nord-stream-bombing

de.news-front.info

Russia, US, Germany

German

The United States has not hesitated to say that Washington was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline. In fact, American officials admit that the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 explosions are their work. Now they are even willing to talk about it.

Conspiracy theory not backed by any evidence, part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to fill the information space to portray the West as responsible for the Nord Stream sabotage.On 26 September 2022, the NS1 and the NS2 pipelines both ruptured. Denmark, Sweden view the Nord Stream pipeline leaks as 'deliberate actions'Sweden, Germany and Denmark opened an investigation of the incident. This is the first step in determining what caused the leaks. Anything before that would be mere speculation and conspiracy theory.The message was based on the blog post of the journalist Seymour Hersh. He claims the US navy was responsible for the explosion on NS1 and NS2. The story of Hersh was grounded on information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story (the alleged timing, the alleged use of naval ships and aircrafts - all has been shown to be false). The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation. The US White House evaluated this claim as “utterly false and complete fiction.”See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Nord Stream pipelines destroyed by coalition of countries headed by the US, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, Conspiracy theory

25.02.2023

Fifty countries are trying to wipe Russia off the earth

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/fifty-countries-are-trying-to-wipe-russia-off-the-earth

iravunk.com

Russia

Armenian

Fifty countries are trying to wipe Russia off the earth. These are Ukrainian and European neo-fascists, the US, other Anglo-Saxons, and their vassals. These states have set themselves the goal of strangling and erasing the Russian Federation from the earth. They can't. Russia is stronger and now it is obvious. The year 2022 finally united Russian citizens in the fight against a common enemy and freed them from the illusions of democracy in Western countries, whose hypocrisy and rampant Russophobia have crossed all conceivable limits.

Pro-Kremlin outlets disinformation narrative accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia, and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy, ruin Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.The claim also advances recurring disinformation narratives of Ukraine and its Western partners being Nazis, and "Anglo-Saxons" plotting against Russia.From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, Western nations were treating Russia as an equal. The EU imposed restrictive measures on Moscow in 2014, which have been amplified and broadened since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a serious danger to European security.This is an illustrative example of the recurring pro-Kremlin propagandistic narrative about ubiquitous Russophobia in the West. For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest FeelingsThe term “Anglo-Saxons” in such cases normally stands for the US and UK and often means “evil”, “belligerent” and “morally corrupt” Westerners, as explained in our earlier analysis. As a negative catch-all term, the “Anglo-Saxons” term is a useful building block for pro-Kremlin conspiracy theories. You can find plenty of examples in our database. Read also our analysis "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism" and Key Narratives In Pro-Kremlin Disinformation - Nazis.The West and the US are not at war with Russia or the Russians. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Read our recent article: Putin scaremongering – a Quick Guide.See other cases in our database: Washington and Brussels are going to war against Russia like Napoleon and Hitler; The war in Ukraine is a global conflict to weaken or even destroy Russia; The West is waging a war through Ukraine to find a final solution to the Russian question; The goal of the West led by the USA is to destroy Russia as a state, overthrow Putin and turn Russia into a puppet.

Russophobia, Anti-Russian, Dmitry Medvedev, Encircling Russia, West, Anglo-Saxon, Nazi/Fascist, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

25.02.2023

The West has one goal: to eliminate Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-has-one-goal-to-eliminate-russia

news.am,RIA,m.pln24.ru,ru.armeniasputnik.am,5-tv.ru,ru.sputnik.kg

Russia

Armenian, Russian

The West has one goal - to cash out the former USSR and the Russian Federation. Then they can accept Russia into the so-called family of civilized peoples, but each part separately [...] to push around these parts and put them under control.If Russia follows the path that the West dreams of, [...] the Russian people, the ethnic group, will hardly be able to survive.Russia needs to ensure its security and strategic stability.In today's conditions, all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal to inflict a strategic defeat on us so that our people suffer.

An unfounded statement, aiming to stir up anti-Western sentiment in Russia without providing any evidence. Pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy, ruin Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.The West has never strived to destroy Russia as a state. From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the West has been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow. According to the 1997 Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, Russia was viewed as a partner of the alliance. The EU has conducted half-year summits with the Russian leadership for years until 2014 in an effort to enhance relations. EU has also tried to change the course of Russia's aggressive actions and give diplomacy a chance such as with the efforts of HRVP Josep Borrell - see here.The West emphasizes that they are not striving for the collapse of Russia or for some kind of reformatting of it. US President Joe Biden, speaking recently in Warsaw, addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French president Macron stated that "Russia must be defeated but not crushed."The sharp deterioration in relations between the West and Russia is directly linked to Moscow's illegal actions. A number of issues affect bilateral relations, including Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere, and repeated malign activities including disinformation campaigns.The EU imposed restrictive measures on Moscow in 2014, which have been amplified and broadened since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a serious danger to European security.For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings.

West, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, Encircling Russia, Destabilising Russia, NATO, Ethnic Russians, ethnic cleansing

25.02.2023

The EU decision on Russia Today is a step towards self-destruction

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-decision-on-russia-today-is-a-step-towards-self-destruction

pl.sputniknews.com

EU, Russia, US

Polish

[The EU sanctions on Russia Today] are a bad story. The Americans are forcing Europe to be holier than the Pope. The US has not yet announced sanctions against Russia Today, but it is pushing Europe to move forward. For Europe, this is another step towards self-destruction. It is a pity for our once common civilization, which Russia has saved many times.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about discrimination against Russian media in the West trying to portray Russian outlets as champions of free speech and any criticism of their reporting as attacks on freedom of media and expression.On 25 February 2023, the EU agreed the 10th package of sanctions against Russia, including the official Russian media agency “Rossiya Segodnya” on a sanction list.The Russian outlets RT, Sputnik, RIA-Novosti, Baltnews and others, are well-known channels for spreading Kremlin-backed disinformation; several are directly financed from the Russian Federation state budget. Many cases of disinformation published in these media outlets are debunked in the EUvsDisinfo database. The Council of the EU has initiated the process of suspending the broadcasting licences of the Russian TV channels NTV, REN TV, Rossiya 1 and Channel One. In March 2022, the broadcast and distribution of the content of RT English, RT France, RT Spanish and RT Germany, as well as Sputnik was banned in all EU countries.The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has examined the decision of broadcast ban (since RT France launched an appeal) and in July 2022, the ECJ decided in favour of the Council. Accusations of censorship and attacks against freedom of expression are a recurring pro-Kremlin technique to defend the illicit actions of Russia’s state-sponsored disinformation outlets after Western authorities adopted measures against them. Claims of “interference” are also frequently raised to deflect any criticism of Russian authorities by international media.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Washington and Brussels implement an information war against the people of Russia and Belarus, that RT and Sputnik are repeatedly accused without evidence and that Western media suppress all facts and opinions that differ from official narratives.

Dmitry Kiselyov, Russia Today (RT), Freedom of speech, EU regulations, Sanctions, Anti-Russian, EU disintegration, Sovereignty

24.02.2023

Ukrainian authorities are preparing a provocation against Transnistria

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-authorities-are-preparing-a-provocation-against-transnistria

asd.news,rusdnepr.ru,news-front.info

Ukraine, Moldova

Russian, Bulgarian

The Ukrainian authorities are preparing a provocation against Transnistria. The goal is to invade and capture the republic. The invasion will be motivated by the alleged offensive of the Russian Armed Forces from the Transnistrian territories. This provocation will be carried out by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and militants of the nationalist formation "Azov".

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to portray Ukraine as an aggressor state. Moldova has dismissed Russian claims of alleged Ukrainian plot to invade a breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria after staging a false-flag operation.“We call for calm and for information to be received [by the public] from official and credible sources of the Republic of Moldova,” the government said in a statement. It also called it a part of Russian 'psy-ops" [psychological operation] against Moldova. Previously, on February 13, 2023, the Moldovan president Maia Sandu told that the Moldovan government believes Russia has plans to destabilise the internal situation in Moldova in order to topple the democratically elected government. “The plan for the next period involves actions with the involvement of diversionists with military training, camouflaged in civilian clothes, who will undertake violent actions, attack some state buildings, and even take hostages,” Sandu told reporters at a briefing.Read similar cases claiming that the West is pushing Chisinau to attack Transnistria, that Transnistria is Russian, or that Moldova is preparing for a new war against Transnistria.

Transnistria, War in Ukraine, Provocation, Sovereignty, Military

24.02.2023

Ukraine conflict made Europe a slave to the US

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-conflict-made-europe-a-slave-to-the-us

lebanonon.com,almatareed.org,ontime-news.net,arabic.rt.com,kachaf.com

Ukraine, Europe, US

Arabic

On the enslavement of Europe to the United States, [...] the conflict in Ukraine marked the end of a short period of European independence and made Europe dependent on the United States. European independence rested on Russia's abundant energy supplies and the ability to negotiate agreements with countries not subject to Washington's domination. Now, that's over. Europe is now economically dependent on the United States and politically subject to orders from Washington.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged loss of sovereignty of Europe/ the EU and its member states. Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet states or colonies of the US and NATO. This message is part of a popular pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, claiming that the energy crisis in Europe is caused by an “irrational” European plan to get rid of its dependency on Russian gas. This narrative promotes a traditional pro-Kremlin message that Russia is the only reliable source of gas for Europe, while the American LNG is too expensive.During recent decades, Russia has used its energy resources on multiple occasions as a weapon against other countries, attempting to coerce them into following a pro-Kremlin line.The diversification of energy supplies is one of the cornerstones of the EU’s energy policy – it helps to strengthen European energy security, to prevent the monopolisation of the energy market and to introduce more competition to the energy market.After the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities completely destroyed the European trust in Gazprom as a predictable and solid partner. Throughout 2022, Russia deliberately cut the gas supplies to the EU and made impossible further gas supplies through the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines.Contrary to the claim, the European Union is a sovereign entity created by the voluntary initiative of European nations and it has its own, independent foreign policy, while the US has no say in its decisions.Similar disinformation narratives claim that NATO is a new type of US colonialism, that European élites obey Washington, that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, and that lined up with the US, the EU never took independent decisions.Read more about the EU response and support for Ukraine. See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.

US presence in Europe, Sovereignty, Europe, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

24.02.2023

Biden decided to destroy Nord Stream after nine months of secret talks with his team

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/biden-decided-to-destroy-nord-stream-after-nine-months-of-secret-talks-with-his-team

pl.sputniknews.com

US, Norway, Russia

Polish

Initially, the US planned to blow up the Nord Stream gas pipeline through a covert operation, but after Biden’s statement that he knew how to stop Nord Stream 2, the explosion was postponed, and the explosives waited at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for months. American divers planted explosives under the pipeline last summer during the Baltops 2022 exercise – three months later, the Norwegians detonated them. Biden took a decision to implement this sabotage operation after nine months of secret talks with his national security team.

Disinformation alleging that the US is behind the recent sabotage explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, critical of the US government and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published blog post, Hersh claimed that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later.The story of Hersh claim information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have debunked all important details (ships, aircrafts, timelines) and pointed to numerous other flaws in Hersh’s story (like NATO SGs role and political views). The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation. However, the UNSC rejected the Russian demand.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh’s report as “complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17.See more disinformation cases related to Nord Stream claiming that The US blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2 to sell more gas to Europe, that US benefits from destroying of Nord Stream because it can now sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe, that the US is instigating war in Ukraine to boycott the NS2 project, that Nord Stream 2 is the only guarantee of Europe's energy security, that the EU's gas problems are a result of its fight for "energy independence".

Joe Biden, Nord Stream 2, Anti-Russian, Conspiracy theory, Provocation

24.02.2023

The Kyiv regime is doomed, it resembles Nazi Germany in spring 1945

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-kyiv-regime-is-doomed-it-resembles-nazi-germany-in-spring-1945

sputnik.by

Ukraine, Russia, US

Russian

The Kyiv regime is in a desperate situation with military human resources. The regime’s agony is approaching. Hitler’s Germany witnessed similar events in April-May 1945 when old people, minors and kids were forcefully sent to the war. The Ukrainians fight and die for the interests of western transnational corporations impersonated by Joe Biden. The West wants to destroy Russia and Russian civilisation. Once Russia finishes a military operation, it will face a huge challenge of de-Nazification given that consciousness and worldview of the Ukrainian population is injured.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Nazi Ukraine, often presented as justification for the full-scale Russian military aggression against Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022. This is part of a disinformation campaign aiming to deflect attention away from Russian actions and justify Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. The article also uses a pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an 'inevitable loss' of Ukraine in the ongoing war, aiming to prove that its “special military operation” is actually going to plan.The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.The publication also promotes a disinformation narrative accusing the West of allegedly belligerent and hostile anti-Russian agenda. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. However, there are no US or NATO forces on the frontline and the western countries are not planning to “destroy Russia” as falsely alleged in the publication.Ukraine is not fighting on behalf or for the interests of western corporations or any foreign government. It is acting in self defence against the Russian invasion as enshrined in the UN Charter Article 51. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine's sovereignty has been violated only as a result of continuous acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since 2014, culminating with a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine starting on 24 February 2022.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine lost its independence and is under external control, that the West has made Ukraine its colony and is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, that the West is destroying Ukrainian statehood and its military forces, that Western lobby demanded Zelenskyy to raise the stakes of the crisis, or that Zelenskyy's visit to Washington shows that Ukraine will be a neo-colony of the US.

Nazi/Fascist, War in Ukraine, Joe Biden, Adolf Hitler, Russian world, Anti-Russian

23.02.2023

The proxy war of the West against Russia started with the Maidan coup in 2014

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-proxy-war-of-the-west-against-russia-started-with-the-maidan-coup-in-2014

geopolitika.ru

Russia, Ukraine, US

Italian

The Maidan coup in Ukraine in 2014, organised by the West and Ukrainian Nazi groups; overthrew the pro-Russian regime of Victor Yanukovych, starting a proxy war in Ukraine against Russia. Russia is not the aggressor, but a scapegoat to conceal the nefarious plans of the US and its allies in Europe. The European continent is no longer a sovereign land because every single European state is a satellite state of the United States.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv portrayed as a coup d'état led by US, the West and Ukrainian Nazis. It also touched on lost European sovereignty which pushes the false claim that the US has ‘colonial interests’ in Europe. The piece also accuses the West accused of, aggressive Russophobia, and of holding an allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions.There was no coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014, no US involvement in the events taking place. Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray as a coup d’état the Euromaidan revolution, the popular demonstrations that began in Kyiv in November of 2013 and brought hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to the streets to protest against a political decision of Viktor Yanukovych’s government, which at the last minute withdrew from a long-negotiated political association and free trade pact with the EU, choosing instead to accept a $15 billion economic bailout to Russia.The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. It has been widely addressed here.The West did not declare war on Russia and is not at war with Russia or the Russians. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The West does not want or seek a war at the heart of Europe.Read similar cases claiming that A violent coup d’état took place in Ukraine in 2014, that The US supported the 2014 coup d’état in Ukraine, that The EU supported an unconstitutional coup d'état in Ukraine led by the US, that the West supported neo-Nazis in Ukraine, using them to weaken Russia and that Western countries declared war on Russia back in 2014, after the coup d'état in Ukraine.

West, Viktor Yanukovych, War in Ukraine, Anti-Russian, Nazi/Fascist, Coup, Euromaidan

23.02.2023

Ukraine nationalists planning false-flag operation in Transnistria / Moldova

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-nationalists-planning-false-flag-operation-in-transnistria-moldova

tass.com

Ukraine, Russia, Moldova

English

The Ukrainian nationalist Azov battalion is among the Ukrainian units which will soon perpetrate a false-flag operation in Transnistria. The aforementioned units will be wearing Russian Army uniforms to covertly invade the region and then blame it on Russia.

The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative regarding Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.No evidence is presented in support of this claim. On the same day, an official Telegram channel affiliated with the Moldovan government refuted Moscow's allegations: "The [Moldovan] state authorities do not confirm the information disseminated this morning by the Russian Ministry of Defence."Moscow has a history of falsely accusing its opponents of staging "provocations" which either never happened at all or were subsequently carried out by themselves or their allies. In the weeks leading up to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents, or is going to use the dirty bomb.The inclusion of the Azov battalion in this claim is another indication that TASS, one of the key Russian state news services, try to fuel the fire. Russian state and pro-Kremlin outlets have been running a long campaign to portray the Azov battalion as "nazi".

false flag, Provocation, war crimes, War in Ukraine, Anti-Russian, Russophobia

23.02.2023

Claims about ‘abducted’ Ukrainian children are Western media crime against Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/claims-about-abducted-ukrainian-children-are-western-media-crime-against-russia

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine, Russia

Spanish

Since Russia’s special military operation started in Ukraine, Western media have been full of fake and absurd stories about the alleged crimes of Russian troops. The list starts with a recent lie about the alleged ‘abduction’ of Ukrainian children by Russia, which follows the pattern of all the previous lies: total absence of evidence and an accusation based in arbitrary statements and opinions from Kyiv and its allies. Other lies of the list include the so-called “Bucha massacre”, the alleged mass raping of Ukrainian women by Russian troops or the bombing of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Contrary to what this disinformation story claims, there is a sizable body of evidence proving these war crimes, atrocities and questionable actions. The abduction and forced transportation of Ukrainian children to Russia has been documented by the UN, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Yale University, Estonia’s International Centre for Defence and Security, an investigate team at the Associated Press, the EBU Investigative Journalism Network, Ukrainian authorities and activists, and even some Ukrainian children and Russian officials themselves. On 1 March 2023, Poland launched a joint initiative with the European Commission to trace Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.On 2 March 2023, International Criminal Court Prosecutor, Karim Khan decided to seek authorisation to open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine. It includes within its scope any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person.On 4 March EU Commission President von der Leyen declared: "Torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and summary executions are known to have been committed by Russian forces. Not even children are being spared. Russia must be held accountable for these horrific crimes. Putin must be held accountable.“See also our article ‘Blessed’ are the ‘evacuated’.See here for similar recollections of evidences about the Bucha massacre, mass raping of Ukrainian women by Russian troops, and incidents on the Zaporizhzhia plant.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West fights Russia through psy-ops like Bucha and the Mariupol maternity hospital, that Kyiv, the US and Europe prepare a media provocation to turn the world against Russia, that ‘Izyum atrocities’ were staged by Ukraine through controlled media, or that Ukraine is setting up to accuse Russia of war crimes.

Invasion of Ukraine, false flag, Provocation, Stealing children, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Mainstream media, Information war

23.02.2023

The West is destroying Russia with the propaganda of perversions

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-is-destroying-russia-with-the-propaganda-of-perversions

russtrat.ru

Russia

Russian

The purpose of the neo-liberal totalitarian ideology is the destruction of the family, national, cultural, and religious identity.Perversion should not become a fashion in Russia. Experiments on children should be strictly blocked - sex change without parental consent, involvement in non-traditional relationships, propaganda of perversions.The collective West has turned the propaganda of perversions into a tool for the destruction of other local civilisations, where Russia is the first in line.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the morally corrupt West, portraying Russia as superior to the West in terms of values and morals, and promotes the concept of the Russian world / civilisation as the only possible savior of humanity.The article repeats the pro-Kremlin disinformation theme about the West’s moral decadence, perverted values, and hostility to traditional religion, which Western governments allegedly seek to undermine and replace with pseudo-religions.This narrative often claims that President Vladimir Putin saved Russia’s values and identity from the threat of Western decadence and that he is the only world leader that protects traditional European and Christian values. “Threatened values” is one of the most common narratives used by pro-Kremlin outlets. Read more here.Liberal-democratic Western societies have institutionalised pluralism, which means the peaceful coexistence of different religions, world-views and value systems within the same society.Read similar cases claiming that Western Europe is moving away from its Christian roots and is dominated by materialism and the pursuit of money, that The West is morally decaying, that The West is decadent, corrupt, rotten, and has reached its final phase, and that the West seeks to degrade and discredit traditional values.

Western values, European values, West, Religion, Perversion

22.02.2023

Criminal White House wants to escalate confrontation with Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/criminal-white-house-wants-to-escalate-confrontation-with-russia

alsjl-news,almasdr24.com,emaratalyoum.com,almatareed.org,headtopics.com,Klyoum.com,sahafahh.net,sadadahie.com,ru4arab.ru,arabic.rt.com

US, Russia, Ukraine

Arabic, English

Not mentioning the diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian conflict in President Biden's speeches in Kyiv and Warsaw indicates Washington's desire to increase escalation with Moscow.The Americans did not mention the desire for a political settlement to the crisis, all this testifies to the irresponsible intention of the United States to increase escalation in the confrontation with Russia. This is the criminal White House.

Recurring disinformation about the war in Ukraine, portraying the US as an alleged aggressor. The narrative aims to deflect responsibility away from Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The White House, alongside partners like the EU or NATO, supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. This is not an escalation against Russia. In December 2022, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a 10-point peace plan but Russia rejected it. The plan called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and the cessation of hostilities, restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, global food security, radiation safety, etc.Russia deliberately put forward unacceptable conditions, such as recognition of all occupied territories as part of Russia. Russia's own military doctrine says that the best method of de-escalation is through escalation. Russia has already escalated the situation to the point of threatening the West with a military strike.Read more disinformation cases about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.See other similar examples of disinformation accusing the US and NATO of escalation: Ukrainians want peace with Russia, but the “war party” controlled by NATO is against it; Western statements on more arms to Ukraine lead to escalation; NATO instigated a war in Ukraine to weaken Russia.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Anti-Russian

22.02.2023

The UN deliberately hampered the rotation of IAEA inspectors at Zaporizhzhia NPP

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-un-deliberately-hampered-the-rotation-of-iaea-inspectors-at-zaporizhzhia-npp

dnr-pravda.ru

Ukraine, Russia

Russian

The UN deliberately hampered the rotation of IAEA inspectors.The “shift change” scheduled for February 7 has been postponed several times. Initially, representatives of the UN Security Department stated that everything would work out, and then changed their mind at the last moment.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. No evidence was provided to back the claim that the UN has deliberately postponed the rotation of IAEA inspectors at the NPP. In fact, according to IAEA, the replacement team is in Ukraine and was ready to start its duties at the scheduled time in early January. Unlike at Zaporizhzhiya NPP, which was occupied by Russian forces at the beginning of March last year, the IAEA inspectors have free access to other Ukrainian NPPs, including the Chornobyl NPP, and their rotation takes place without delays. Read our article Playing with nuclear fire and the Ukraine-joint statement on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.Read a similar case claiming that Ukraine bombed the meeting place of the IAEA mission and Zaporizhzhia NPP, that Ukraine's attack on Zaporizhzhia plant is nuclear terrorism, and that Ukraine shells Zaporizhzhia station daily using heavy US weapons.

UN, Nuclear issues, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

21.02.2023

Foreign mercenaries in Ukraine are fighting on the wrong side

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/foreign-mercenaries-in-ukraine-are-fighting-on-the-wrong-side

bgr.news-front.info

Russia, Ukraine

Bulgarian

Russia has no other option except to eliminate any foreign mercenary fighting in the new pointless war initiated by the US. More than 8,000 mercenaries from abroad have arrived in Ukraine, despite the fact that the recruitment of mercenaries is legally banned and prosecuted in many countries.

A pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that foreigners fighting against Russia are mercenaries.Ukraine called on experienced foreign nationals to join its foreign legion, whose members are regular soldiers of the Ukrainian army and not mercenaries. Foreigners fighting for Ukraine receive the same salary as Ukrainian citizens. Those Legionnaires who do not wish to sign a contract with the Ukrainian Armed Forces join volunteer battalions. They do not receive material benefits - most of them have personal, ideological reasons to defend Ukraine’s independence and the rights of Ukrainians.Other countries also offer foreigners the opportunity to join the foreign legion without being mercenaries, as in the case of the French Légion étrangère.Furthermore, as pointed out by experts, the nationality of the soldier is not an issue:"Combatants are members of the armed forces of a party to the conflict or volunteers corps incorporated therein. According to the ICRC Commentary to Article 4, the requirement for membership in the armed forces, or the incorporation of the volunteer corps, is a matter of domestic regulation. But the incorporated unit must be a professional fighting force, fulfilling the criteria spelled out in Article 4A(2) of GC III, and be subordinate to the regular army command. The fact that an individual is a national of a third State and not a national of the armed forces in which they are serving is widely considered to be irrelevant when it comes to determining combatant or POW status."For more information read StopFake's article about "American mercenaries" for Ukraine.See also a similar disinformation claims alleging that American mercenaries are recruited en masse and sent to Ukraine that Russia is at war not so much with Ukraine, but with the collective West and its mercenaries and that Significant number of foreign mercenaries are fighting on Ukraine's side.

Foreign mercenaries, mercenaries, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

21.02.2023

Ukraine began the war one year ago

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-began-the-war-one-year-ago

vz.ru

Ukraine, Russia

Russian

A year ago, Ukraine launched an offensive against the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics. Almost all border areas began heavy shelling, as in 2014.On the same day, the frantic evacuation of immobile grandmothers from their homes in front-line territories began. To count from the very beginning, one should not start with the announcement of the SMO [special military operation] but from the moment the war began in Ukraine eight years ago.

Disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Russia had been laying the groundwork online for a false flag operation in order to justify the invasion of Ukraine, as misinformation researchers said to New York Times in an article published on 3rd March 2022. Russia falsely claimed to be responding to Ukrainian aggression. Questionable videos allegedly showing evidence of Ukrainian aggression against Russia circulated on the web.The video of Putin's statement about the beginning of the so called special military operation in Ukraine, shown only on 24 February 2022, was recorded no later than the evening (19:00 Moscow time) on February 21 judging by the metadata of the file on the Kremlin website.Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin media said that "since the beginning of the day on February 22, shelling of five settlements on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic has been recorded".Putin started the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Other false narratives such as biological military laboratories in Ukraine, Nazism in Ukraine and dirty nuclear bombs in Ukraine have been advanced by pro-Kremlin media in order to find a pretext for the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. See our article Twelve myths about Russia’s war in Ukraine exposed.In 2014, Russia started a hybrid war against Ukraine. Russia organised the so-called separatist Donetsk and Luhansk' People Republics, sending soldiers and military equipment from Moscow, pretending they were members of the local population. See more disinformation narratives on the invasion of Ukraine.

Invasion of Ukraine, Donbas

21.02.2023

The US is prepared to attack any NATO ally for its own gain

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-prepared-to-attack-any-nato-ally-for-its-own-gain

bgr.news-front.info

US, Germany, Europe, Russia

Bulgarian

The biggest threat to NATO is that the US stands ready to attack any NATO ally for its own benefit. The US is using NATO as a tool, ready to be dismantled when necessary. By destroying Germany’s economy because the country demanded affordable Russian gas, the US proved that it is willing to abuse any NATO member in order to satisfy its own needs. All this shows that NATO has no reason to exist.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the alleged lost sovereignty of European NATO members, especially EU member states (more examples). Pro-Kremlin outlets often describe European states as puppet states or vassals of the US and NATO. These claims serve to deflect responsibility from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and mislead readers about NATO and its members.Contrary to the claim, the European Union is a sovereign entity created by the voluntary initiative of European nations and it has its own, independent foreign policy, while the US has no say in its decisions. The EU and NATO are composed of sovereign member states and membership in the organizations is entirely voluntary.NATO is not a US territorial expansion tool but it is a collective defence alliance whose membership is voluntary, and where decisions are adopted through consultation and consensus. NATO member countries don’t follow US orders but have their own agency, as proven by multiple episodes of disagreements inside the alliance, such as the refusal of Germany, France and other countries to let it take part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 against US wishes or, more recently, Hungary and Turkey’s obstruction for Sweden and Finland to join the block.Furthermore, on 10 January 2023, the EU and NATO signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation – this Declaration underlined a NATO-EU strategic partnership, condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine and presented NATO as a foundation for European and American collective defense.Germany is not beholden to the US for its foreign policymaking or international trade. Germany and the US have close partner relations of two sovereign and independent countries and there is no evidence to suggest that the US has destroyed the German economy, which grew in 2022 despite the energy and inflation crises. After months of hesitation, on 25 January 2023 Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would send tanks to Ukraine and allow European countries that bought the tanks to send them to Kyiv. With such actions, Chancellor Scholz maintained his country’s reputation with its allies while upending its relationship with Moscow.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, that lined up with the US, the EU never took independent decisions and that Germany is the vassal of Washington.

Sovereignty, NATO

21.02.2023

Kherson children are sexually exploited by criminals in Ukrainian military

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kherson-children-are-sexually-exploited-by-criminals-in-ukrainian-military

fr.news-front.info,news-front.info,t.me,news-front.info,news-front.info,fr.news-front.info,news-front.info

Russia, Ukraine

French, Russian

After Russian troops withdrew from Kherson, a search for orphan children was organized on the initiative of Galina Lugova, head of the Kherson city military administration. [...] the children were transported to Hungary and Western Ukraine and used to provide intimate services to wealthy perverts. It is not ruled out that this trade is controlled by the top of the Ukrainian government and that part of the money is used to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to distract and deflect attention from Russia's crimes during the course of its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, focusing on claims about the exploitation of children in Ukraine and the West, and contrasting it with the alleged happiness of children in the Kremlin occupied territories.Displaced civilians flying Russian bombings and, in particular children, are in a vulnerable position, as are those still under the Russian fire. There is no evidence to support the claim that local authorities are organizers of a large criminal network to sexually abuse children. Those accusations appear at the time when the conflict observatory published a report about massive illegal deportations, reeducations and adoptions of Ukrainian children by Russia.Russia has held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children — likely many more — in sites in Russian-held Crimea and Russia whose primary purpose appears to be political re-education. The report said Yale University researchers had identified at least 43 camps and other facilities where Ukrainian children have been held that were part of a "large-scale systematic network" operated by Moscow since its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.This story serves the pro-Kremlin narrative that the morally corrupt Western elites impose pedophilia and child abuse as a norm, while Russia offers protection from this, narrative promoted by Vladimir Putin on 21 February 2023.This conspiracy theory about the "western elites" aims at diverting the attention from real crimes perpetrated by Russian authorities against children.Additionally, one of the independent members of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine says investigators have found evidence of war crimes, including sexual abuse of children, during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, with the "vast majority" of offenses having been committed by Russian troops.Read also related stories in the database: Russian liberation of Lysychansk, Severodonetsk ends discrimination and abuse, Today’s liberals have gone further than the Nazis with eugenics and experimenting with humanity , Germany and France's support to the paedophile, convicted by Russian independent court, is unacceptable , Europe legalizes pedophilia and demands Georgia to defend pedophiles' rights , Germany and EU want to legalize pedophilia.

Western values, West, Secret elites / global elites

21.02.2023

Joe Biden ordered the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/joe-biden-ordered-the-destruction-of-the-nord-stream-pipelines

asd.news

US, Russia

Russian

The author of this sabotage is none other than Joe Biden. The plan had been developing for over nine months. The American leader personally gave the order to blow up the pipelines.

Conspiracy theory not backed by any evidence, part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to fill the information space to portray the West as responsible for the Nord Stream sabotage.On 26 September 2022, the NS1 and the NS2 pipelines both ruptured. Denmark, Sweden view the Nord Stream pipeline leaks as 'deliberate actions'Sweden, Germany and Denmark opened an investigation of the incident. This is the first step in determining what caused the leaks. Anything before that would be mere speculation and conspiracy theory.The message was based on the blog post of the journalist Seymour Hersh. He claims the US navy was responsible for the explosion on NS1 and NS2. The story of Hersh was grounded on information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets.The US White House evaluated this claim as “utterly false and complete fiction.”See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Nord Stream pipelines destroyed by coalition of countries headed by the US, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, gas

21.02.2023

Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen violated criminal code by visiting Nazi Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/israeli-foreign-minister-cohen-violated-criminal-code-by-visiting-nazi-ukraine

fr.news-front.info,news-front.info,news-front.info

Ukraine, Israel

French, Russian

The poisonous ideology of the Nazi Ukrainian regime is offensive to ordinary Israelis. Zelenskyy does not hesitate to profess Nazism at the official level. The visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen to Ukraine causes a lot of surprise.Until recently, Israel took a cautious stance towards Kyiv due to the fact that the ideology of modern Ukraine is offensive to the citizens of Israel. Moreover, it is a crime and punishable on the territory of the Jewish state. Thus, the head of the Foreign Ministry violates his own legislation.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative portraying Ukraine as a Nazi state to the point where a state visit to Ukraine would be illegal for Israeli officials.The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine became a cornerstone in pro-Kremlin disinformation since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. Contrary to what this disinformation narrative affirms, in 2015, Ukraine issued a ban on Nazi and Communist ideologies. On top of that, far-right groups had a very limited presence during the protests and have suffered defeats in every national election after that.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".Read also a summary of twelve myths about Russia’s war in Ukraine.The database contains similar stories : Russia fights against Ukrainian neo-Nazis guilty of ethnic cleansing, The Nazi Kyiv regime creates “Hitler-Jugend” and conscripts women en masse, The special military operation aims to end the Nazi regime in Kyiv.

Nazi/Fascist, Jews, Volodymyr Zelensky, Crime

21.02.2023

West turned a blind eye to Nazism

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/west-turned-a-blind-eye-to-nazism

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, Europe, US

Hungarian

Donbass has been waiting for help since 2014. Moscow has been patient and has done its best to find a peaceful solution to the problem. But behind its back, a different scenario was being prepared. The West turned a blind eye to the political killings and repression in Kyiv, encouraging Nazis to engage in terrorist activities.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the West’s support for the allegedly Nazi regime in Kyiv. With this narrative the Kremlin aims to de-legitimize support for Ukraine.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Foreign aid serves multiple purposes, from maintaining the economy to backing Ukraine’s war efforts, but in no case it is “to fund terrorist attacks”, unlike what this disinformation story baselessly affirms.Ukraine is not a Nazi or terrorist state, and Nazism is not Ukraine’s ideology. The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

West, Terrorism, Nazi/Fascist, Donbas

21.02.2023

EU mission to Armenia to monitor Russian and Iranian troops

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/eu-mission-to-armenia-to-monitor-russian-and-iranian-tro

Sputnik Armenia,ru.armeniasputnik.am

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia

Russian

The fact that the EU monitoring mission includes German policemen and French gendarmes suggests that they arrived in Armenia to monitor the movements of Russian and Iranian troops. Regardless of whether they come here with or without weapons, it is clear that they will specifically be busy monitoring the movements of Russian troops. Given the current situation in international relations, given the statements made a few years ago that the Armenian-Iranian border may be closed at some point, it is logical to assume that they also come here to monitor Iran.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing an ever-aggressive West of having an anti-Russian and anti-Iranian agenda in the Caucasus without providing any evidence. The article advances the claim that the Caucasus is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempts to discredit the recently announced EU mission - EUMA.The claim attempts to preempt Russia's weakening position in the region.European Union launched the EU civilian mission in Armenia on 20 February 2023. The exclusively civilian staff of the EUMA will number approximately 100 in total, including around 50 unarmed observers. The mission includes 8 French gendarmes and 15 German policemen.The EU (European Council) agreed to establish a civilian European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The objective of the Mission is to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence on the ground, and ensure an environment conducive to normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by the EU.In response to Armenia’s request, EUMA will conduct routine patrolling and report on the situation, which will strengthen the EU’s understanding of the situation on the ground. EUMA will be deployed in several locations across Armenia’s territory, in border regions with Azerbaijan. The Mission will also contribute to the mediation efforts in the framework of the process led by President of the European Council Charles Michel. EUMA has a mandate for two years.See similar disinfo cases in our database: EU observers are employees of Western intelligence services; Brussels wants to squeeze Russia out of the Caucasus; The EU and the OSCE are in the Caucasus to further drive a wedge in relations between the CSTO members; the West aims to oust Russia of Transcaucasia.

European Union, Caucasus, Nagorno-Karabakh, Military, Encircling Russia, Anti-Russian

21.02.2023

Biden promised loyalty to the Neo-nazi regime in Kyiv

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/biden-promised-loyalty-to-the-neo-nazi-regime-in-kyiv

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, US, Ukraine

Hungarian

Biden promised many weapons and swore undying loyalty to the neo-Nazi regime. And here it is important to note that weapons and money are indeed regularly supplied to Kyiv by the West. In huge quantities, enabling the NATO military-industrial complex to make money and steal weapons to sell to terrorists around the world.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the West’s support for the allegedly Nazi regime in Kyiv. With this narrative the Kremlin aims to de-legitimize support for Ukraine in the context of President Biden’s historic visit to Kyiv.The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. There are legitimate concerns about the transparency in the supply process of Western weapons, as the US and other governments have explained that they don’t have the means to monitor the final destination of all these arms. According to the reports in the international media, Ukraine was setting up a more extensive weapons monitoring and tracking system with the help of the Western countries. The claim that Kyiv is selling weapons to terrorists is unsubstantiated.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Nazi/Fascist, Joe Biden, US presence in Europe, West, NATO

21.02.2023

Sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/sabotaging-nord-stream-was-the-stupidest-us-action-in-years

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia, US, Germany

Hungarian

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has called Washington's involvement in blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines one of the stupidest decisions in recent years, warning that the move will have dire consequences for Europeans and further undermine the already extremely useless NATO alliance. Hersh presented his recent report on the blowing up of the pipelines last year, which found that the US played a key role in planting and detonating explosives on the Northern Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months laterHersh's claim that US blew up Nord Stream pipelines relies on one anonymous source. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to criticism that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources.A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin incl. its key propaganda outlets.Recent Hersh work has been controversial and widely panned by journalists for promoting conspiratorial claims that hinge on dubious anonymous sources or speculation.Examples of controversial claims made later in Hersh's career include allegations that Turkey, not Russia, was behind a chemical weapons attack in Syria, and that Trump authorized an airstrike in Syria in response to Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, even while knowing Russia did not use such weapons.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, US presence in Europe, NATO, Baltic sea

21.02.2023

Hitler Youth in Ukraine: Kiev regime creates an army of children

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/hitler-youth-in-uk-kiev-regime-creates-an-army-of-children

fr.news-front.info,news-front.info,t.me,t.me,news-front.info

Ukraine, Germany, Russia

French, Russian

Ukrainian teenagers are undergoing combat training. They wear uniforms with crosses very similar to those from World War II. This information was published by the US news channel News Nation. The Kyiv regime uses children to wage war. Nazi Germany did the same. The academy where teenagers are trained is an analogue of the Nazi youth organization “Hitlerjungend” (Hitler’s Youth). Young Ukrainian girls and boys are taught to shoot and prepared to kill Russians.

Recurrent Pro-Kremlin narrative involving Children and projecting the Third Reich and WWII on Today’s Ukraine.The reportage of Chris Cuomo for US news channel News Nation shows teenagers from a Military academy. By twisting the facts of the original report and presenting students in a military academy as recruits, this disinfo story aims to delegitimise Ukrainian defence efforts.Article 15 of the law on military service in Ukraine states that the only people it applies to are "Ukrainian citizens whose sex is male who are healthy, who have reached the age of 18 years old the day they begin their service and people who are not yet 27 and who don’t have right to an exemption or deferral.”There is no factual evidence that en masse conscription of minors as combatants is happening in Ukraine. Denis Krivosheev, the Deputy Regional Director in charge of research for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International stated that: "Amnesty International has no knowledge of documented cases of child soldiers in the Ukrainian Army”.This article is also an attempt by pro-Kremlin media to deflect attention from the massive militarization of Russian Children taking place over the last decade, the Younarmia organization or the kidnapping and reeducation of Ukrainian children as documented by the Conflict Observatory. Claims that Ukraine uses children to fight Russian because of huge losses on the front are not unusual for Pro-Kremlin’s voices and they were earlier debunked by France 24.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism". Another fact is that Russia and Putin is very active in stimulating its own youth army as a tool to militarise the Russian society. Read other stories involving children: Ukrainians deported children from Donbas and probably sold their organs , Today’s liberals have gone further than the Nazis with eugenics and experimenting with humanity , Wealthy gays from around the world gathered at a fair in Brussels to "buy children"

WWIII, Nazi/Fascist, children, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

20.02.2023

Spanish National Strategy on WMD out of concern about corrupt Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/spanish-national-strategy-on-wmd-out-of-concern-about-corrupt-ukraine

sputniknews.lat

Spain, Ukraine

Spanish

On 15 February, Spain started the approval process of the first National Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. There is a relation with the growing uncertainty about the destination of many weapons and technologies sent to the regime of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Everybody knows the level of corruption in the Ukrainian military and the traffic of Western weapons detected in the country for months. There is a serious irresponsibility of NATO countries for sending weapons and technologies that could be used to spread chemical or biological agents. Risks are real and armies must plan how to face those risks.

This is a mix of several pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, in this case merged with a totally unrelated real event. On 15 February, Spain’s president Pedro Sánchez chaired a routine National Security Meeting. This addressed some bureaucratic initiatives, including the status of the Strategic Plan to Combat the Illicit Enrichment of Criminal Organisations and Criminals (PELCEIL) and the approval of the drafting of the National Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, in line with Spain’s National Security Strategy guidelines on non-proliferation. Both the meeting and the draft document had no relation to Ukraine. However, by claiming otherwise, this disinformation story aims to portray the Spanish government as concerned about Ukraine’s potential use of WMD.Mixing it with different recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation messages about Ukraine’s corruption and disposition to use chemical or biological weapons, as well as its trafficking of Western weapons, the goal of this disinformation story is to erode public support for Western military and financial aid to help Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s aggression in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51. None of this aid can be “used to spread chemical or biological agents”, contrary to what this disinformation story claims.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales, that Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, or that international support for Ukraine starts to decrease due to corruption.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Chemical weapons/attack, Biological weapons

20.02.2023

US encourages anti-Russian aspirations of former Warsaw Pact members

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-encourages-anti-russian-aspirations-of-former-warsaw-pact-members

geopolitika.ru

US, Poland, Baltic states

Italian

The US actively encourages any anti-Russian aspirations of the former Warsaw Pact members, now members of NATO, especially Poland and the Baltic States, because who controls Eastern Europe controls Eurasia, and who controls Eurasia controls the world.

Conspiracy theory. Also recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives accusing the US and the West of anti-Russian policies, Russophobia and an allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to contain, weaken and ruin Russia. This story aims to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions and to blur and deflect attention away from the reality of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.Recuring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe.Pro-Kremlin outlets often use this narrative of different countries being under the American thumb or as so-called 'Western puppets', to imply that their national sovereignty is under threat and that they have limited power. The narrative also hides a cynical disregard for ordinary people; for their free will and ability to express political desires for the countries in which they are citizens. It is also a narrative often aimed at driving wedges and foment tension between allies.NATO is a collective defence alliance whose membership is voluntary, and where decisions are adopted through consultation and consensus. NATO member countries don’t follow US orders but have their own agency, as proven by multiple episodes of disagreements inside the alliance, such as the refusal of Germany, France and other countries to let it take part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 against US wishes or, more recently, Hungary and Turkey’s obstruction for Sweden and Finland to join the block.Read similar cases claims that the West aims at disintegrating Russia; the West wants to weaken and ruin Russia; the US needs war between Russia and Ukraine to weaken Russia; West is using Ukrainians to fight Russia in Ukraine and Polish authorities are planning to attack Kaliningrad and Moscow.

Conspiracy theory, War in Ukraine, Encircling Russia, Russophobia, NATO, Anti-Russian

20.02.2023

EU, US, and NATO use Ukrainians as cannon fodder

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/eu-us-and-nato-use-ukrainians-as-cannon-fodder

yapolitic.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

EU High Representative [HRVP] Josep Borrell said in Munich “Ukraine is our army”. US President Joe Biden repeated it. The EU uses Ukrainians and cannon fodder while NATO is not taking part in the conflict.

In reality, neither HRVP Josep Borrell nor the US President Joe Biden said: “Ukraine is our army”. HRVP Borrell said in his Munich speech that the EU should be quick in providing Ukraine with weapons to help it stand up to Russian aggression:“But much more has to be done and much quicker. There is still a lot to be done. We have to increase and accelerate our military support to Ukraine. The first and most urgent thing that a geopolitical Europe has to do, is to arm Ukraine. Here we said, as all European leaders said here, yesterday, that Russia cannot win this war, that Ukraine has to prevail. Then let’s go from words to facts and accelerate our military support to Ukraine, because Ukraine is in a critical situation from the point of view of available ammunition.”Despite Kremlin recurrent claims, neither the European Union, the United States, nor NATO are waging a war against Moscow. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Western instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on battlefield tactics and how to use modern Western weaponry, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front.Read more disinformation cases about the Russian unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, in particular about NATO’s allegedly negative role in the war.

20.02.2023

Biden’s visit to Kyiv proves that the West is a direct party in the Ukrainian war

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/bidens-visit-to-kyiv-proves-that-the-west-is-a-direct-party-in-the-ukrainian-war

pl.sputniknews.com

US, Ukraine, Russia

Polish

Biden’s visit to Kyiv proves that the collective West is a direct party in the conflict in Ukraine. It is a ground-breaking situation when the President of a great power comes to Ukraine [... ]. It means that the confrontation will continue, and the collective West led by the US will supply Ukraine with heavy weapons, tanks, and, most likely, aircrafts. Russia is not at war with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people – today, the Kyiv authorities are an instrument of the collective West. Otherwise, Biden would not have wasted his time coming to Ukraine to negotiate with Zelensky. In reality, the collective West has become a party in the conflict, and Russia must react to this situation.

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about so-called provocative actions by the US linked to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, claiming that the West (EU/NATO) is involved in the war on the Ukrainian side.The war began in 2014 with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia’s military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Russia’s protracted invasion of Ukraine is unprovoked and unjustified.Neither the US nor European countries have declared war on Russia or want to escalate the war in Ukraine. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.Western weapons being delivered to Ukraine are to allow this country to repel Russia’s brutal aggression. Peace cannot be achieved by letting an unarmed Ukraine facing a highly militarised Russia that denies its sovereignty.Article 51 of the UN Charter states the following: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.”This article – when applied to the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022 – gives Ukraine the right to defend its territory, not to Russia to invade it.See other similar cases accusing the West of providing Ukraine with scrap metal weapons, claiming that the West is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, or proving that the conflict in Ukraine was provoked by Washington.

Joe Biden, US presence in Europe, War in Ukraine, West, Anti-Russian, Volodymyr Zelensky, Military, security threat

20.02.2023

The EU is lying when they speak about the civilian nature of the mission in Armenia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-is-lying-when-they-speak-about-the-civilian-nature-of-the-mission-in-armenia

news.am

Armenia, EU

Armenian

The European Union is lying when they talk about the civilian nature of the EU observation mission in Armenia.Emphasizing the exclusively civilian nature of the new mission, the representatives of the European Union are lying. It unfolds in the context of the common policy of the EU in the field of security and defence. Therefore, it should be treated accordingly. Everything is being done to push Russia out of the region and weaken its historical role as the main guarantor of security.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing an ever-aggressive West of having an anti-Russian agenda in the Caucasus without providing any evidence. The article advances the claim that the Caucasus is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempts to discredit the recently announced EU mission - EUMA.The claim attempts to preempt Russia's weakening position in the region.Contrary to the claim, the EU has a strong interest in a politically stable and economically prosperous Southern Caucasus, but the regional context is not easy. The EU continues to support efforts towards peace in the South Caucasus․ To cautiously create a base for confidence-building and dialogue in the fresh post-war environment, the EU has come up with a number of programmes (EU4Peace, EU4Dialogue, EU4Culture).European Union launched the EU civilian mission in Armenia on 20 February 2023. The exclusively civilian staff of the EUMA will number approximately 100 in total, including around 50 unarmed observers.The EU (European Council) agreed to establish a civilian European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The objective of the Mission is to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence on the ground, and ensure an environment conducive to normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by the EU.In response to Armenia’s request, EUMA will conduct routine patrolling and report on the situation, which will strengthen the EU’s understanding of the situation on the ground. The Mission will also contribute to the mediation efforts in the framework of the process led by President of the European Council Charles Michel. EUMA has a mandate for two years.See similar disinfo cases in our database: Brussels wants to squeeze Russia out of the Caucasus; The EU and the OSCE are in the Caucasus to further drive a wedge in relations between the CSTO members; the West aims to oust Russia of Transcaucasia.

Caucasus, Maria Zakharova, Anti-Russian, Encircling Russia, European Union

20.02.2023

Moldova’s NATO aspirations are dangerous

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/moldovas-nato-aspirations-are-dangerous

tass.com

Moldova

English

Moldovan leaders’ calls for NATO membership are dangerous. The citizens of Moldova want calm, peace and neutrality. They are categorically against joining NATO or destabilising the situation in Transnistria.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets about Moldova’s sovereignty. The article advances the claim that Moldova is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempts to undermine the Moldovan authorities' decisions about the country's security. In reality, Moscow’s unjustified aggression against Kyiv endangers the safety of Moldova and other countries bordering Ukraine. It is Russia which has been destabilising the situation in Transnistria for years with the stationing of a Russian military contingent in the separatist region. Moldova wants to restore its territorial integrity in a peaceful manner. Moldova’s constitution stipulates that it is a neutral state. Any change to the constitution would require a referendum. However, the security situation is changing, and President Maia Sandu has said it is possible that the country could change its position: “Now, there is a serious discussion … about our capacity to defend ourselves, whether we can do it ourselves, or whether we should be part of a larger alliance.”The situation in Moldova has recently become all the more precarious, as Sandu accused Russia of plotting to overthrow her pro-EU government. She said the "plot" would involve "protests by the so-called opposition" in an attempt to "overthrow the constitutional order".Read more disinformation cases about Moldova.

EU/NATO enlargement, Igor Dodon

20.02.2023

Ukrainian soldiers carry out capital punishment of foreign mercenaries

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-soldiers-carry-out-capital-punishment-of-foreign-mercenaries

sputnik.by

Ukraine, Poland, UK, US, Russia

Russian

Ukrainian soldiers are complaining about the humiliating attitude of foreign mercenaries – Americans, Brits and particularly Poles. They force Ukrainians to clean boots, cook, and dig trenches. Seeking revenge, at times, Ukrainians commit extrajudicial killings of mercenaries. This is why decapitated bodies of foreign mercenaries are increasingly discovered in Ukraine. Another possible reason for the heads and limbs of foreign mercenaries to be cut off is to make the identification of their bodies harder for Russia.

Disinformation narrative about supposed disorder in the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukraine’s subordinate status to Western countries aiming to sow discord between Western allies and Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin outlets tend to exaggerate the numbers of Westerners fighting for Ukraine to back the claim that Ukraine is successful in countering the Russian invasion only thanks to thousands of foreign fighters. They are usually termed ‘mercenaries’ or ‘militants’ in pro-Kremlin outlets. For instance, pro-Kremlin outlets reported earlier that over 1,200 Polish mercenaries died in Ukraine. Furthermore, pro-Kremlin outlets use this topic in an attempt to substantiate the disinformation narrative that Russia is fighting NATO in Ukraine.Read earlier cases alleging that by supplying weapons, the United States is pushing the Ukrainians to war, that Ukraine has no chance of survival if it tries to fight Russia, and that the crisis in Ukraine is the fault of the deep state in America.

War in Ukraine, Conspiracy theory, Puppets

20.02.2023

Biden’s visit to Ukraine shows “who’s the boss in the house”

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/bidens-visit-to-ukraine-shows-whos-the-boss-in-the-house

RIA

Ukraine, US, Russia

Russian

US President Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv is demonstrative and meant to show "who is the boss in this house." Receiving foreign heads of state is an internal affair of sovereign states, but this is not the case of Ukraine. It is controlled by the US. Billions of dollars will be allocated to Ukraine to incite hostilities.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets about Ukrainian statehood, claiming that Kyiv is under external control from the West. There is no basis for this claim. Further, the claim build on one of the favorite Kremlin tropes about lost sovereignty. It was made in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.In reality, Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv was a sign of support for Ukraine and an indication that military and economic cooperation with the West will only increase as Ukraine stands up to Russian aggression.Ukraine is an independent state. It has a functioning government and economy and it is a member of many international organisations, such as the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Neither the US nor the EU countries control Ukraine. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by most of the free world but were violated by Russia in 2014. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Read more disinformation cases about Ukrainian statehood.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood

20.02.2023

Western sanctions against Syria obstruct earthquake aid

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-sanctions-against-syria-obstruct-earthquake-aid

ahilesva.info

Syria, EU, US, UK

Spanish

Western sanctions against Syria may be worse than the devastating earthquake. They obstruct the arrival and distribution of aid for people. The mainstream media and several governments deny that this is the case.

Western sanctions on Syria have never applied to humanitarian aid, although restrictions on the use of dollars may have complicated some transactions. However, on 09 February, four days before this disinformation story appeared, the US Treasury Department authorised a 180-day exemption for all transactions related to earthquake relief that could eventually be otherwise prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (SySR). The same day, the EU, at the request of Syrian authorities, activated its civil protection mechanism to provide tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, beds, food items and winter clothing. On 15 February, the UK government announced a similar measure. All together, this means that any potential restriction that may have emerged during aid efforts was quickly lifted by Western powers precisely to prevent delays and obstructions.The European Humanitarian Response Capacity has mobilised to provide rapid relief to people affected by the earthquake. In addition, the EU has provided €3.5 million in humanitarian assistance to cover the most urgent needs, such as cash for shelter and non-food items, water and sanitation, health, and search and rescue. The EU also called for a donor conference in March to provide aid funds for earthquake victims.Contrary to the claims made in the article, some restrictions came from the Syrian government, which waited almost one week before authorising this aid to cross into rebel-held areas in northwest Syria. Rebel groups also obstructed some relief efforts. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sanctions prevent displaced Syrians from returning, that sanctions against Syria are crimes against humanity, that EU sanctions on Syria are unlawful and force Syrians to starve, or that the earthquake was the result of US use of seismic or tectonic weapons.

Sanctions, humanitarian aid, Syrian War

20.02.2023

Biden’s visit to Kyiv confirms that Ukraine does the US bidding

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/bidens-visit-to-kyiv-confirms-that-ukraine-does-the-us-bidding

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine, US, Russia

Spanish

Biden’s visit to Kyiv confirms that Ukraine does what the US tells it to do. The quick visit and the new military aid offered to the country aim to revert the Russian advances of the previous months. The meeting also ratifies the interest of the US on preventing Ukraine from negotiating and on using it to keep the Russians busy on the military front.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine’s alleged lack of sovereignty, aiming to undermine its statehood, and about the US as a destructive actor not interested in peace. This disinformation message is targeting European audiences with the idea that Ukraine’s war is only fought for US interests. The ultimate goal is to undermine the transatlantic alliance supporting Ukraine in its self-defence against Russia’s unjustified invasion, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51.While pro-Kremlin media outlets often claim that Ukraine either does not exist as an independent state or is going to tumble down very soon, allegations about this country being a US or Western colony are unsubstantiated. In reality, present-day Ukraine has been on the world map since 1991 when the Soviet Union disintegrated. It has elected six presidents since then and changed parties in government several times which illustrates political diversity and democratic dynamics even during economic hardship in the wake of Russian aggression in 2014. See also our article Twelve myths about Russia’s war in Ukraine exposed.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine lost its independence and is under external control, that the West has made Ukraine its colony and is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, that the West is destroying Ukrainian statehood and its military forces, that a Western lobby demanded Zelenskyy to raise the stakes of the crisis, or that dependency on the US has devastated Ukraine.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood, Ukraine, US presence in Europe, Joe Biden, Sovereignty

19.02.2023

US is waging the Ukraine war, so Russia should negotiate with it

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-is-waging-the-ukraine-war-so-russia-should-negotiate-with-it

yapolitic.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

The United States and Russia must negotiate. The US is waging this war. There is no Annalena Baerbock, no Scholz, no Macron. They are nobody. Here is the United States, which is the organiser of this war. It is against Russia. There is a contradiction between the US and Europe, despite all their statements.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that the US is waging a proxy-war against Russia, using Ukraine as a tool, and about alleged peace negotiations. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Russia organised and launched its unprovoked aggression against Ukraine under false pretexts, including the groundless allegations that Ukraine was committing genocide in non-government-controlled areas on the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions.There are no substantial differences between the US and its European allies concerning the Ukraine war. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. There are no NATO troops on the frontline in Ukraine.Ukraine's Western partners do not discuss matters concerning Ukraine without Ukraine. As far as peace negotiations are concerned, the EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including:-President Zelenskyy’s peace formula-Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan-a peace formula summit.Read more disinformation cases about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

19.02.2023

Poland, just like Ukraine, will fight Russia on behalf of the US

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-just-like-ukraine-will-fight-russia-on-behalf-of-the-us

almatareed.org,raialyoum.com,arabic.rt.com

Poland, Ukraine, US, Russia

Arabic

Washington needs to find a new useful idiot like Ukraine, willing to voluntarily stick its head in a meat grinder and fight Moscow without the direct participation of the United States.Fortunately for Washington, there is Poland.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It also uses the recurring pro-Kremlin claim about the lost sovereignty of European countries to the United StatesFirst, Ukraine is not fighting on behalf of any foreign government or organisation. It is acting in self defence against the Russian invasion as enshrined in the UN Charter Article 51. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine's sovereignty has been violated only as a result of continuous acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since 2014, culminating with a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine starting on 24 February 2022. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Second, the implication that the United States controls Poland and political decision-making process is a baseless. Poland is a sovereign state, which forms its own foreign and domestic policies. As a member of NATO and the EU, Poland is able to impact the formation of common foreign policies of these organisations. These claims also contradicts with other pro-Kremlin claims that Poland and Ukraine are trying to drag the West/NATO into a direct conflict with Russia. See similar cases that Poland is becoming more like a US and NATO hostage; Poland is not a sovereign state; Poland is not perceived as a country with an independent foreign policy; Presenting Ukraine as a sovereign nation is a complete lie; Ukraine is directly controlled from the United States.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Sovereignty, US presence in Europe

18.02.2023

Ukraine will build concentration camps for captured Russians

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-will-build-concentration-camps-for-captured-russians

news-front.info,antimaydan.info,mriya.news

Ukraine, Russia

Russian

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine wants to create concentration camps for Russians.After the liberation of the territories [currently under Russian control], all these people must go through filtration camps and it is necessary to look at who and how, in what crimes they were involved. These people are unreliable, they only have the right to be punished and atone for their stay in the occupied territories.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation portraying Ukraine as a Nazi state. This is part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to deflect attention away from Russia's actions and justify Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine.This disinformation is based on a distorted video of Ukrainian politician Dmytro Korchynsky’s comment from his 2017 interview. Additionally, there is no bill on the official website of the Rada that would provide for the introduction of concentration camps for prisoners of war. Read the full story here.In fact, it is Russia that run "filtration camps" where procedures include maltreatment, separation of children from adults and occasional torture. The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. Accusing Ukrainian officials of Nazism and fabricating a connection between them and Nazi Germany is one of the favorite techniques of the Kremlin and pro-Kremlin outlets. Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

17.02.2023

Poland has trained Ukrainian war criminals for decades

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-has-trained-ukrainian-war-criminals-for-decades

pl.sputniknews.com

Poland, Ukraine

Polish

Poland is doing its best to keep silent about well-known facts of the mass participation of its citizens in the hostilities in Ukraine – the Polish authorities support these actions despite them violating Polish law. Poland has been training Ukrainian soldiers for decades – it trained those alleged peaceful protestors who committed atrocities and killings at the Maidan in 2014.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, presenting Poland as a state with aggressive anti-Ukrainian plans, allegedly sending thousands of mercenaries to Ukraine.The claim that foreign-trained protestors committed massive crimes during the 2014 Maidan Revolution in Ukraine is a traditional pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative.Polish citizens take part in military actions in Ukraine as volunteers joining official Ukrainian Army formations.Ukraine called on experienced foreign nationals to join its foreign legion, whose members are regular soldiers of the Ukrainian army and not mercenaries. As pointed out by experts, the nationality of the soldier is not an issue:“Combatants are members of the armed forces of a party to the conflict or volunteers corps incorporated therein. According to the ICRC Commentary to Article 4, the requirement for membership in the armed forces, or the incorporation of the volunteer corps, is a matter of domestic regulation. But the incorporated unit must be a professional fighting force, fulfilling the criteria spelled out in Article 4A(2) of GC III, and be subordinate to the regular army command. The fact that an individual is a national of a third State and not a national of the armed forces in which they are serving is widely considered to be irrelevant when it comes to determining combatant or POW status.”See similar cases claiming that over 1,200 polish mercenaries died in Ukraine, thousands are wounded, the Russian air force killed over 90 Polish mercenaries in one strike and Western mercenaries in Ukraine will rape and kill.

Euromaidan, mercenaries, War in Ukraine, war crimes, Maria Zakharova

17.02.2023

The US blew up Nord Stream so that the EU would arm Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-blew-up-nord-stream-so-that-the-eu-would-arm-ukraine

russtrat.ru

EU, US

Russian

The explosion of the pipeline contributed to the creation of an energy crisis. The US immediately offered the European Union a "solution" to the problem it had created: LNG supplies at inflated prices. Norway, having assisted Washington in cutting off gas supplies from Russia to Europe, itself increased hydrocarbon exports by 200%, and made about $90 billion on this.In addition to the obvious economic benefit for the US, [...] which was interested in continuing the bloodshed in Ukraine. The US was afraid of the failure of the anti-Russian campaign and decided to let the Germans freeze all winter. The fear was that Europe would avoid war. Joe Biden wanted to demonstrate Washington's power over Europe. Having done what he had planned, the US president showed the EU countries what "their place" was.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines and that it was a plot against the EU and Germany.A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the alleged lost sovereignty of the EU and its member states (more examples). Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet states or colonies of the US.Investigative journalist, and Vietnam War-era Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later. A number of factcheckers have debunked all important details (ships, aircrafts, timelines, role of NATO SG) and pointed to other flaws in Hersh's story. The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation. However, the UNSc rejected the Russian demand.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other cases, claiming that The US is instigating the war in Ukraine to boycott the Nord Stream 2 project; The US planned the destruction of the NS and Poland did it; US benefits from Nord Stream sabotage.

Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, Conspiracy theory, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, US presence in Europe, Puppets, Sovereignty

17.02.2023

Ukraine is a totalitarian regime, a mix of Stalin, Hitler, and Mussolini

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-is-a-totalitarian-regime-a-mix-of-stalin-hitler-and-mussolini

sputnik.by

Ukraine, US, UK

Russian

The Ukrainian population and politicians live in a totalitarian regime with a mix of Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini and Mao Zedong, which was created by the US and UK special services.Once a new global crisis emerges, everyone will forget about Ukraine. The Ukrainian people will be alone with a destroyed country, which happened due to the US as an occupying power and its puppets which include Poroshenko and Zelenskyy.

This publication promotes recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about an abandoned and unsovereign Ukraine, as well as about a totalitarian nature of Ukraine’s political regime including references to Hitler and Mussolini which fit the ‘Nazi Ukraine’ claim. The pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Nazi / fascist Ukraine is one of the favorite tropes to denigrate Ukraine.Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine has a functioning government and economy, it is a member of many international organisations (e.g. United Nations, Council of Europe), and a party to international agreements. Ukraine has bilateral diplomatic relations with the majority of countries. Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 culminating in a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022.There has been no major shift in rhetoric from the West towards the Kremlin’s aggressive action. In fact, the contrary was observed. On 23 November 2022, in an unprecedented action undertaken by the European Parliament, EU parlamentarians declared Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. During the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on 21 November, NATO parlamentarians stated that NATO Allies must stand firm against Russian aggression and step-up support to Ukraine.In response to Russia’s military aggression, the EU has massively expanded sanctions against Russia by adding a significant number of persons and entities to the sanctions list and by adopting unprecedented restrictive measures. The EU and the Member States have shown unity and strength and have provided Ukraine with humanitarian, political, financial and military support. Ukraine receives constant military and economic support under the motto, ‘As long as it takes’. Overall EU support now exceeds 67 billion euro. Ukraine received EU candidate status in June 2022. Read an overview of the main Ukraine-related promises, predictions and claims by the Russian leadership which failed.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine lost its independence and is under external control, that the West has made Ukraine its colony and is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, that the West is destroying Ukrainian statehood and its military forces, that Western lobby demanded Zelenskyy to raise the stakes of the crisis, or that Zelenskyy's visit to Washington shows that Ukraine will be a neo-colony of the US.

Puppets, Sovereignty, Abandoned Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Nazi/Fascist, Totalitarianism

16.02.2023

Poland and Lithuania keep provoking Belarus by closing border crossing points

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-and-lithuania-keep-provoking-belarus-by-closing-border-crossing-points

pl.sputniknews.com

Poland, Lithuania, Belarus

Polish

The Polish and Lithuanian decisions to close the border crossing points with Belarus is a provocation. From an economic point of view, these countries keep provoking Belarus – the closed border crossing points are an economic provocation. At the same time, the Western neighbours of Belarus escalate the conflict [in the region]. Belarus turned a blind eye to the fact that they [Poland] draw school maps with the border near Minsk – Poland dreams of its domination from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus or destabilise this country. Poland and the Baltic states are presented here as countries with hostile and aggressive plans towards Belarus.On 9 February 2023, the Polish authorities decided to close down one of the border crossing points with Belarus (Bobrowniki) as a reaction to the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut (a Polish-Belarusian journalist) to eight years in jail for alleged extremist activities. Recently, Lithuania closed the Stasily-Beniakonie railway crossing with Belarus because of the active cigarette smuggling taking place through this crossing.The Polish authorities have repeatedly stated that their main concern with Belarus is the intense violation of human rights by the Belarusian authorities, which includes large-scale political repressions, pressure on the activists of the Polish minority and intense intimidation of Belarusian society. See EUvsDisinfo's special section on Belarus. Poland supports free and democratic elections in Belarus – only the Belarusians can decide about their future.See similar pro-Kremlin disinformation messages - Poland presented a plan of active interference in the domestic affairs of Belarus, Poland and Lithuania directly sponsor open extremist actions against Belarus, and the CIA will try to repeat a Maidan scenario in Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko, Imperialism/colonialism, Provocation

16.02.2023

The West wants to drag Belarus into the war

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-wants-to-drag-belarus-into-the-war

news.am

Belarus, Russia

Armenian

Russia is an ally of Belarus, the countries have a joint military grouping. Russia never asked Belarus to start a war against Ukraine. Intelligence data suggests that the West wants to draw Belarus into the war and literally dreams about it. Taking into account the length of the borders of Belarus, this would allow to further stretch the front by 2.5 thousand km, which would complicate the situation for the troops of Belarus and Russia.

This message is a part of the Kremlin’s widespread disinformation narrative about the aggressive West.The claim is false. The West is not interested in an escalation of the war. No neighbouring countries are preparing to attack Belarus. Poland and the Baltic States adhere to international law regarding state borders and have no territorial claims upon Belarus or others. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated its neighbour's (Ukraine’s) territorial integrity.With the ongoing Russian aggressive war against Ukraine, European countries are forced to strengthen their borders, increase the defense capability of their armies, in order to resist any external aggression.The Ukrainian state is under attack by Russia, while the US and Western countries are providing support to Ukraine. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to Russia’s full invasion to help Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s aggression, in accordance with UN Charter Article 51.Belarus itself is an accomplice in aggression in this war. Belarus has served as a staging post for Russian troops, missiles and aircraft, both before and after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.On 2 March 2022, the Council of the EU imposed further sanctions on Belarus for its role in the Russian military aggression of Ukraine. The UK and the U.S. Treasury have also imposed similar measures.

War preparation, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Lukashenko, West, Encircling Russia, Warmongering

16.02.2023

Moldova: The West is pushing Chisinau to attack Transnistria

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/moldova-the-west-is-pushing-chisinau-to-attack-transnistria

lantidiplomatico.it

Moldova, Russia

Italian

The West is pushing Chisinau to abandon its status as a neutral country under the constitution, the same thing that happened to Kyiv. For this reason Maia Sandu was ordered to replace the old premier with a new one. Also Sandu refuses to continue the '5+2' talks on Transnistria because she has military solutions in mind for Tiraspol.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to portray Moldova as a puppet state of the West. Moldova is a sovereign country and a parliamentary republic. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accepted the Prime Minister's resignation on Friday 10 February 2023 and said she would hold consultations with parliamentary parties on nominating a new prime minister. A new PM was nominated, and subsequently invested on 16 February. According to the Constitution, the Republic of Moldova is a neutral country and this status can only be changed through a referendum. However, such a referendum is not planned or even being discussed.The country's president, Maia Sandu, declared (min. counter 34-38) in July 2022 that Moldova remains a neutral country, but will strengthen its defence: "The Republic of Moldova is and will remain a peaceful country. (…) Even if our defence system is in a very bad situation, if it wasn't for this Russian aggression against Ukraine, we probably wouldn't have discussed much about the need to equip the army. (…) We don't want anyone to involve us in the war, but it is a reality for which we must prepare".Transnistria is de-facto controlled by Russia since 1992, the ECHR ruled. Russia has violated human rights and the right to freedom and security in Transnistria.It is not Moldova with its 2,5 million population which tries to "provoke Russia" (the latter with a population of some 140 million as of 2022).In her interview, published on 22 January 2022, President of Moldova, Maia Sandu said: "Of course, it is an important task for us to find a solution (on Transnistria). But this solution must be peaceful, diplomatic. It must be a solution that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. And reintegration must result in a functional state. These three elements are extremely important”.Read similar cases claiming that the current leaders of Moldova are the puppets of Soros and the West and that Moldova tries to drag Russia into confrontation with the collective West.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Maia Sandu, NATO, Transnistria

16.02.2023

Ukraine was preparing to attack Belarus before the Russian special military operation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-was-preparing-to-attack-belarus-before-the-russian-special-military-operation

news.am

Belarus, Ukraine

Armenian

Even before Russia launched a special military operation, Ukraine was preparing a strike on the territory of Belarus with multiple launch rocket systems. These were deliberate actions of the Ukrainian side.Since 2020, Ukraine has actually been the first to impose sanctions on Belarus, even before Western countries. The sky was closed, provocations began to be carried out, and militants were trained.

Disinformation narrative accusing Ukraine of hostile plans toward Belarus, another false pretext to justify Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Claims that Russian actions in Ukraine are not an “invasion” or an “attack” are an attempt to promote the Kremlin’s disinformation narrative that it is carrying out a "special military operation" to "protect" Russians in Donbas. In fact, on 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on multiple fronts and from Belarus as well.The article denies the fact that Russia has started an unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine and its people, and that Belarus is an accomplice in aggression in this war. Belarus has served as a staging post for Russian troops, missiles and aircraft, both before and after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.In January 2022, Belarus hosted large joint military drills with Russia as Western leaders issued increasingly grave warnings of a possible attack on Ukraine. The exercises were extended and then Belarus announced that the Russian troops would remain in the country, citing "the aggravation of the situation" in eastern Ukraine.Although Lukashenko claims Belarusian troops have not joined the escalating conflict, Russian troops in Belarus have been allowed passage into Ukraine by Belarusian border guards, and Belarus’s air defence and traffic control systems, along with the country’s fueling stations, have also been made available to Moscow. Furthermore, Lukashenko has said his troops will partake in military action “if it is necessary for Belarus and Russia.” Lukashenko confirms that rockets are fired at Ukraine from the territory of Belarus.On 2 March 2022, the Council of the EU imposed further sanctions on Belarus for its role in the Russian military aggression of Ukraine. The UK and the U.S. Treasury have also imposed similar measures.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Lukashenko, West, Union State of Belarus and Russia

16.02.2023

1968 Prague Spring was orchestrated and not a democratic movement

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/1968-prague-spring-was-orchestrated-and-not-a-democratic-movement

segodnia.ru,asd.news

Czech Republic

Russian

Prague is lying about the real reasons behind the events of 1968. It was not a democratic protest. It was a political action orchestrated by Western intelligence services to split the Warsaw Pact and use Czechoslovakia to reach the borders of Soviet Ukraine and to disrupt a major gas deal between the USSR, France, and Italy. NATO feared that in the conditions of the Cold War, Paris and Rome would refuse to fight with the Soviet Union because they receive cheap gas from it.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about peaceful, democratic protests and the history of the Czech Republic. This article is an attempt of historical revisionism that aims to improve the reputation of the Soviet Union and to paint a picture of historically aggressive Western stance. Prague Spring was a brief period of liberalisation in the former Czechoslovakia in 1968. On January 5, 1968, the new first secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party Alexander Dubcek initiated a series of democratic reforms. He granted the press greater freedom of expression, rehabilitated victims of political purges, revised the constitution to guarantee civil rights and liberties, and promulgated autonomy for Slovakia. By June, the people were calling for more rapid and substantial reforms. However, the Soviet Union feared that these reforms would lead to the destabilisation of the communist regimes in Central Europe. On August 20, the Soviet forces together with some Warsaw Pact allies invaded Czechoslovakia. This violent attack killed and wounded hundreds and the reforms were swiftly curtailed. See similar disinformation cases on historical revisionism: Czech authorities engage in pro-Nazi historical revisionism; Poland spreads monstrous lies about the Soviet liberation of this country; the world has forgotten about the Holocaust; throughout its history, Russia has never attacked anyone.

USSR, Coup, Historical revisionism

16.02.2023

Russian special operation was provoked by Ukraine and the West

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russian-special-operation-was-provoked-by-ukraine-and-the-west

yapolitic.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU, UK, Belarus, US

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, EU, UK, Belarus, US

Russia did not invade Ukraine. Ukraine itself provoked this operation. Kyiv should have agreed with Russia so that there would be no such war. Ukraine was just an excuse to start this war. This is what the US and probably the UK wanted. They pushed Ukraine into this war.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin media outlets claiming that the West is interested in an all-out war with Russia. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.In reality, neither Ukraine nor the West provoked Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. One of Russia's aims in its so-called special military operation was protection of two separatist entities in Donetsk and Luhansk Regions from alleged genocide. There was no genocide in these areas. Ukraine was trying to implement the Minsk Agreements but the Russian-backed separatists made it impossible by shelling Ukrainian positions constantly. Western leaders had tried to diplomatically resolve the situation in the non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions before the invasion. Some of them met Putin during the weeks before the aggression.Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but Moscow has been ignoring these efforts. The West is not interested in the continuation of the war at the heart of Europe and supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence against the unprovoked Russian invasion - as enshirned in the UN Charter, Charter 51. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. In several Western countries instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weapons and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front.See similar cases that claiming that Russia is at war with NATO and the Pentagon and only the soldiers are Ukrainians; that NATO is at war with Russia with the hands of Ukrainians; thatNATO was turning Ukraine into an enemy of Russia; that NATO has no interest in peace in Ukraine; and that the West is using Ukrainians to fight Russia in Ukraine.

16.02.2023

NATO aims to turn Ukraine into a powerful anti-Russia springboard

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nato-aims-to-turn-ukraine-into-a-powerful-anti-russia-springboard

sputnik.by

Ukraine, Russia, US

Russian

The goal of the US and NATO is to turn Ukraine into the most powerful, the most dangerous springboard against Russia. If the Russian military operation had not started, Ukraine would be facing the creation of a new huge army armed with contemporary western weapons.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that Ukraine is a Western "tool" against Russia, and aiming to portray the unjustified full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine as a NATO proxy war against Russia. The claim aims to deflect any Russian responsibility for the full-scale invasion, which began on 24 February 2022. The Russian war against Ukraine began in 2014 with the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas.Russia was not forced to invade Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Putin claims several reasons for launching aggression, including the necessity to save territories in Eastern Ukraine from a genocide, Ukraine’s alleged desire to obtain nuclear weapons and Kyiv’s possible membership of NATO, rid Ukraine of its 'Nazi' leadership; the latter a favorite trope.Neither the US nor European countries have pushed Ukraine to war with Russia or want to escalate the war in Ukraine. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Moscow’s overall aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West.NATO member states are not involved in direct fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Western instructors are teaching Ukrainian soldiers how to use modern weaponry, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front.See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.

NATO, War in Ukraine, Anti-Russian

15.02.2023

Sanctions are part of the hybrid war against Russia.

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/sanctions-are-part-of-the-hybrid-war-against-russia

nabdn.com,arabic.rt.com,almarsad.co

Russia

Arabic

Sanctions are part of the hybrid economic, cultural, political and military war against Russia.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an aggressive West destabilising Russia, being directly involved in Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine on the Ukrainian side, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions in Ukraine. Sanctions are a key tool of EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy.The EU sanctions are legitimate restrictions imposed in accordance with international and European law as a response to violations of international legalities, such as Russia’s actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The EU established the sanctions regime under its laws, specifically Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, "concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine."The EU has the right to impose economic sanctions within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Crucially, any such measures must strictly conform to European and international law. Other international actors have the right to impose them under international law as well under certain conditions.Through restrictive measures, the EU intervenes where appropriate to respond to emerging or current crises. EU sanctions are carefully targeted and designed to be proportionate to the objectives they seek to achieve. Moscow has falsely claimed that the EU sanctions are illegal ever since their imposition in 2014, following Russia's invasion, annexation, and ongoing occupation of Crimea.Neither the European Union nor Western countries have declared war on Russia. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The EU has imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia in response to the unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and the illegal annexation of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Furthermore, in December 2022, EU countries agreed to set a price cap on Russian oil at $60 per barrel. The price cap applies to oils which originate in or are exported from Russia. The cap comes on top of the EU import ban on Russian seaborne crude oil and petroleum products, and the corresponding bans of other G7 partners.The EU adopted so far nine sanction packages against Russia due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories. The EU is preparing a 10th package of sanctions, which will focus on technology that may be used by Russia’s military and reducing sanctions circumvention.See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.See similar cases that the EU has declared war on Russia and Belarus; Russia is at war with NATO, not Ukraine; Russia is at war with NATO and the Pentagon; NATO is at war with Russia with the hands of Ukrainians.

West, Sanctions, Hybrid war, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine

15.02.2023

Kyiv, the US and Europe prepare a media provocation to turn the world against Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyiv-the-us-and-europe-prepare-a-media-provocation-to-turn-the-world-against-russia

hawamer.com,sahafaty.com,arabic.rt.com,raialyoum.com

Ukraine, Russia, US, Europe

Arabic

Representatives of Kyiv, with the support of the EU and others, plan to present ''strong evidence” to the international community that between February and April 2022 Russian military operations caused “radioactive contamination of important lands in Ukraine” at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and others.The main goal is to exert political pressure on countries that do not support Western sanctions against Russia to ensure their "correct" vote in the United Nations to support the "Kyiv peace plan", [...] to carry out the illegal seizure of Russian assets abroad to "support Ukraine" and create an "international court".

This is an unsubstantiated claim by pro-Kremlin outlets made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, accusing the collective West of manipulating the facts of the full-scale invasion to undermine support for the Ukrainian peace plan, to destroy backing of sanctions on Russia and prevent the setting up an of international court for war crimes.No such revelations took place before the emergency session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) which took place on 22 February 2023.The claim is made against the background of the UNGA vote on Resolution A/ES-aa/L.7 which demands that ‘the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.’ The Resolution was voted on 23 February 2023 and adopted by the UNGA with 141 votes in favour, 7 votes against and 32 abstentions. Russia was only supported by Belarus, DPRK, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua and Syria.As far as peace negotiations are concerned, the EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including:- President Zelenskyy’s peace formula- Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan- a peace formula summit.See HRVP Josep Borrell's remarks on the UNGA vote.Read more disinformation cases about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

Provocation, Chernobyl, Nuclear issues, Conspiracy theory, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine

15.02.2023

Western hybrid war against Russia aims to turn it into a rogue state

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-hybrid-war-against-russia-aims-to-turn-it-into-a-rogue-state

news.am

Russia

Armenian

The purpose of the Western hybrid war against Russia is to turn it into a rogue state.Today, the United States and its satellites are waging a complex hybrid war against us, which they have been preparing for many years, using Ukrainian radicals as a means of attack.The goal of the West in a hybrid war is not only to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also to destroy its economy, as well as delimit the country with a “cordon sanitaire”.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy, ruin Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.The US and the West support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia’s unjustified invasion.Russia itself started an unprovoked war against Ukraine under several false pretexts including the need to protect the self-proclaimed separatist entities in certain parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions from alleged genocide. It is these two separatist regions that have been waging a proxy war against Ukraine since Russia instigated an anti-government revolt in Donbas in 2014.The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.Judging by statements from some Russian politicians, confirmed by Putin's Address to the Federal assembly, it is Moscow who has hostile intentions against the West and makes no secret about it, while the West is compelled to deter such Russian actions. It is Russia who is waging a hybrid war, fusing soft and hard power to achieve Russia’s ends with both political and military means. See similar cases that claiming that Russia is at war with NATO and the Pentagon and only the soldiers are Ukrainians; that West is waging a war to find a final solution to the Russian question; that the West is using Ukrainians to fight Russia in Ukraine; that The West has one goal- to eliminate Russia.

West, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Destabilising Russia, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, Encircling Russia, Sergei Lavrov, Hybrid war

15.02.2023

Residents burned down the enlistment office in Kharkiv because of the forced mobilisation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/residents-burned-down-the-enlistment-office-in-kharkiv-because-of-the-forced-mobilisation

news-front.info,mriya.news,sm.news

Ukraine

Russian

Forced mobilization, carried out by the Kyiv regime, is beginning to yield results, however, somewhat opposite to those expected.The military enlistment office in Kharkiv was burned down due to the violent and harsh, if not brutal, mobilisation carried out by the Zelenskyy regime.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation about Ukraine, claiming that it is engaged in a desperate mass conscription. This narrative is part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to deflect attention away from Russian actions and justify Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine.A widely circulated video by the pro-Kremlin outlets, claiming to be a Kharkiv enlistment office, actually depicts a fire at a construction site in Moscow in 2014. Read the full debunk at Myth Detector.See more disinformation claims on Ukraine.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Military

15.02.2023

Western mainstream media silence Hersh’s article about the Nord Stream explosions

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-mainstream-media-silence-hershs-article-about-the-nord-stream-explosions

cz.sputniknews.com

Russia, US, Sweden, Denmark, Germany

Czech

Mainstream media in the West silence and dispute Hersh’s article about the explosions of Nord Stream because Deep State works against it. If the US really wanted to investigate the allegations raised in the article, they would have created an inquiry committee and call witnesses mentioned in the article.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog.The central parts of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

Nord Stream 2, International, Deep state

15.02.2023

The West deprives poor countries of food

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-deprives-poor-countries-of-food

nabdn.com,arabic.rt.com,nabd.com

Ukraine

Arabic

The West stores food (which it buys in the framework of the Black Sea grain deal) meaning that no more than 10% of Ukrainian food reaches poor countries.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the food crisis and supply insecurity by claiming that most of Ukraine's grains are sent to rich Western countries. This false allegation goes in line with a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to shift the blame to Western countries for a global food crisis which is engineered by Russia as a result of its unjustified aggression against Ukraine.This claim has been neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.Russia's responsibility for the global food crisis comes as a consequence of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine: naval blockade of Ukrainian posts, bombardment of transport infrastructure and shelling of farming regions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destabilised global food markets and is driving food prices up due to increased cost of production, transport and freight insurance. Russia has destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.As can be seen from the database of the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative, as of 6 March 2023, out of more than 850 shipments, less than half headed to EU countries, with none going to the United States, Australia or Canada. The majority headed for other countries like China, Turkey, Egypt, and India. Besides, this doesn’t mean that these are their final destinations, as grain will be redistributed from some of these harbours to other countries.See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the EU is causing a global food shortage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine; Western sanctions cause a food crisis and price growth, that the food crisis has nothing to do with the Russian special operation, that Russia places no obstacles on the export of Ukrainian grain, or that Kyiv burned grains in Mariupol and mined the Black Sea to prevent its exportation.

food, economy, Economic difficulties, West

15.02.2023

Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/joe-biden-wanted-to-freeze-germany-by-destroying-the-nord-stream

pl.sputniknews.com

Norway, US, Germany, Ukraine

Polish

President Biden rescheduled the operation to damage the Nord Stream gas pipeline from June to September 2022 out of fear. Biden wanted Germany to freeze this winter, but he did not want Germany to withdraw its support for Ukraine.

Disinformation alleging that the US is behind the recent sabotage explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later.The story of Hersh was grounded on information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received wide attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17.See more disinformation cases related to Nord Stream claiming that The US blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2 to sell more gas to Europe, that US benefits from destroying of Nord Stream because it can now sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe, that the US is instigating war in Ukraine to boycott the NS2 project, that Nord Stream 2 is the only guarantee of Europe's energy security, that the EU's gas problems are a result of its fight for "energy independence".

Nord Stream 2, Conspiracy theory, Joe Biden, Energy, gas, Provocation

14.02.2023

Ukrainians die forced to defend Nazi clique in a mythological country

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainians-die-forced-to-defend-nazi-clique-in-a-mythological-country

Sputnik on Twitter,Ukraina.ru,fr.sputniknews.africa

Ukraine, Europe

French, Russian

Volodymyr Zelensky's journey through several European countries is a a flying circus, at a time when hundreds of Ukrainians are dying daily and are brought in by force to protect the interests of Nazi clique in power. [...] all this in the name of the victory of a mythological country.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Nazi clique in Kyiv, mocking president Zelenskyy previous career as an actor, and doubting Ukraine very existence. This aims at deterring Western countries from supporting Ukraine during the unprovoked illegal military invasion.Since 2014 pro-Kremlin media outlets have often claimed that Ukraine either did not exist as an independent state or was going to disintegrate very soon.In reality, present-day Ukraine has been on the world map since 1991 when the Soviet Union disintegrated.Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine has a functioning government and economy, it is a member of many international organisations (e.g. United Nations, Council of Europe), and a party to international agreements. Ukraine has bilateral diplomatic relations with the majority of countries.Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 culminating in a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022.The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".You can read similar cases here: Ukrainians remove swastika tattoos to travel to Europe, West wants a final solution to solve the Russian question, The Nazi Kyiv regime creates “Hitler-Jugend” and conscripts women en masse, Zelensky uses the same Nazi symbols as Hitler.

Dmitry Medvedev, Volodymyr Zelensky, EU disintegration, Economic difficulties, Nazi/Fascist, Ukrainian statehood

14.02.2023

Ukrainian troops used chemical weapons

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-troops-used-chemical-weapons

Ritm Evrazii

Ukraine

Russian

The Russian Investigative Committee is investigating the use of chemical weapons by Ukrainian militants in Soledar and Artyomovsk*.According to the authorities of the DNR, Ukrainian troops used chemical weapons in the direction of Soledar and Artyomovsk*. As a result, servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces are experiencing a deterioration in their health and characteristic symptoms of poisoning. Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian terrorists threatened to use self-made kamikaze drones against Russia, presumably with hydrocyanic acid, which Nazi Germany used to exterminate Jews in concentration camps.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about the alleged use of chemical weapons by Ukraine. Such claims are part of a broader pro-Kremlin information manipulation campaign supporting the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and trying to place the blame for the war’s atrocities on Ukraine, as our recent analysis explains.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine may have used chemical weapons during the war, which was started by Russia. In fact, this is an attempt to deflect responsibility away from Russia's own actions, with many Western leaders having real concerns that Russia could use chemical weapons.Both sides use drones to drop grenades and small-scale bombs. Ukraine's Armed Forces said they had never used chemical weapons anywhere at any time and accused Moscow of engaging in disinformation and of itself using banned weapons.Moscow has a history of falsely accusing its opponents of staging "provocations" which either never happened at all, or were subsequently carried out by themselves or their allies.*Artyomosvk refers to the Russian name for the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut.Read similar disinformation cases on the topic: US contractors help prepare chemical provocations in Ukraine; Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks; Ukraine is preparing a false flag chemical attack to damage the image of Russia; Kyiv forces are about to launch a chemical attack against Russian soldiers.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Chemical weapons/attack, war crimes, Donbas, DNR, false flag

14.02.2023

Nazi Ukrainian regime wants to use childeren and elderly as cannon fodder

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nazi-ukrainian-regime-wants-to-use-childeren-and-elderly-as-cannon-fodder

bgr.news-front.info

Ukraine, Germany

Bulgarian

The mobilization campaign in Ukraine is reminiscent of the desperate Volkssturm of Nazi Germany in 1945 when even children and elderly people were conscripted. The mass mobilisation is linked to Ukraine's heavy losses at the front and the strategy of "fighting to the last Ukrainian". The Ukrainian officers who distribute subpoenas are called "messengers of death" and mobilised people are sent to the front without training to serve as cannon fodder.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi state engaged in a desperate mass national conscription. This narrative is part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to deflect attention away from Russian actions and justify Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine.Article 15 of the law on military service in Ukraine states that the only people it applies to are "Ukrainian citizens whose sex is male who are healthy, who have reached the age of 18 years old the day they begin their service and people who are not yet 27 and who don’t have right to an exemption or deferral.”There is no factual evidence that en masse conscription of minors as combatants is happening in Ukraine. Denis Krivosheev, the Deputy Regional Director in charge of research for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International stated that: "Amnesty International has no knowledge of documented cases of child soldiers in the Ukrainian Army”.Roman Horbach, head of the personnel department of the command headquarters of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, explains that summons can be served both at home, on the street and in public places. He further clarified that a priority is to mobilise those who can work with new types of weapons that are being transferred to Ukraine by Western partners: “First of all, we are mobilizing personnel in certain accounting and military specialties”. The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. Accusing Ukrainian officials of Nazism and fabricating a connection between them and Nazi Germany is one of the favorite techniques of the Kremlin and pro-Kremlin outlets. Read more in our previous analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Military, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Nazi/Fascist

14.02.2023

Moldova tries to drag Russia into confrontation with the collective West

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/moldova-tries-to-drag-russia-into-confrontation-with-the-collective-west

vz.ru,Moldavskie Vedomosti

Moldova, Russia

Russian

The decision to replace the Moldovan government was taken suddenly - immediately after Zelenskyy's statement. The name of the new prime minister in Chisinau is not so important. The main thing is that Zelenskyy and Sandu have recently been trying to escalate the situation around Transnistria. They are trying to provoke Tiraspol [main city in Transnistria] itself into an escalation. Sandu's statements about the possibility of joining the North Atlantic Alliance serve the same purpose. They are always trying to force [Russia] to intervene in the events in Moldova and drag it into direct confrontation with the collective West. That is, a trap.The government of Moldova was replaced by order of the US State Department and Zelenskyy.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. Moldova is a sovereign country and a parliamentary republic. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accepted the government's resignation on Friday 10 February 2023 and said she would hold consultations with parliamentary factions on nominating a new prime minister.The new government's challenges will include dealing with what Moldova see as attempts by Russia to destabilise the small, former Soviet republic of 2.5 million people, which was annexed into the USSR in 1940 and which became independent in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.Pro-Kremlin media still consider Moldova a Russian zone of influence. The current pro-European authorities of Moldova are routinely accused of making people’s lives worse because of their refusal to ask Russia for a better price for gas, but also for supporting Ukraine in front of Russian aggression.According to the Constitution, the Republic of Moldova is a neutral country and this status can only be changed through a referendum. However, such a referendum is not planned or even being discussed.The country's president, Maia Sandu, declared (min. counter 34-38) in July 2022 that Moldova remains a neutral country, but will strengthen its defence: "The Republic of Moldova is and will remain a peaceful country. (…) Even if our defence system is in a very bad situation, if it wasn't for this Russian aggression against Ukraine, we probably wouldn't have discussed much about the need to equip the army. (…) We don't want anyone to involve us in the war, but it is a reality for which we must prepare".Transnistria is de-facto controlled by Russia since 1992, the ECHR ruled. Russia has violated human rights and the right to freedom and security in Transnistria, which it has de facto controlled.However, it is not Moldova with its 2,5 million population which tries to "provoke Russia" (the latter with a population of 142 million as of 2022).In her interview, published on 22 January 2022, President of Moldova, Maia Sandu said: "Of course, it is an important task for us to find a solution (on Transnistria). But this solution must be peaceful, diplomatic. It must be a solution that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. And reintegration must result in a functional state. These three elements are extremely important”.See more disinformation narratives on the "collective West" and on Moldova and Maia Sandu.

NATO, Transnistria, Volodymyr Zelensky

14.02.2023

US and Norway blew up Nord Stream 2

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-and-norway-blew-up-nord-stream-2

oroszhirek.hu

US, Russia, Germany, Norway

Hungarian

Last summer, navy divers placed remotely activated explosive devices under cover of a NATO exercise called Baltops 22, which three months later destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines. A Norwegian navy aircraft dropped a hydroacoustic buoy that activated the explosive devices on 26 September.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months laterHersh's claim that US blew up Nord Stream pipelines relies on one anonymous source. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to criticism that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources.A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin incl. its key propaganda outlets.Recent Hersh work has been controversial and widely panned by journalists for promoting conspiratorial claims that hinge on dubious anonymous sources or speculation.Examples of controversial claims made later in Hersh's career include allegations that Turkey, not Russia, was behind a chemical weapons attack in Syria, and that Trump authorized an airstrike in Syria in response to Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, even while knowing Russia did not use such weapons.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, NATO, US presence in Europe

14.02.2023

Kyiv is mobilising minors of age and elderly men

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyiv-is-mobilising-minors-of-age-and-elderly-men

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia

Hungarian

The age of conscription has been expanded in Ukraine. Not only young people are called up for active military service, but also very old men, previously unfit for active military service, and even women. Some of the prisoners of war are aged 16-17.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against the full-scale Russian invasion, trying to delegitimize the Ukrainian military.There is no evidence for the claims of the article.Martial law was declared in Ukraine after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion. At the same time, a general mobilization was announced. The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has prolonged Ukraine’s martial law and mobilization on 7 February 2023, for the sixth time since the start of Russia’s all-out war. Both measures are extended for 90 days. During mobilization, all citizens of Ukraine liable for military service aged 18 to 60 can be called up for service, unless they have legal grounds for deferment. Men liable for military service between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country, barring some exceptions. This does not mean that all men aged 18 to 60 are in military service, but they need to register for service and will be called upon when needed.See more of the Kremlin's disinformation narratives on Ukraine.

Invasion of Ukraine, Military

14.02.2023

Nazi Zelenskyy visits European circuses

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nazi-zelenskyy-visits-european-circuses

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, EU

Hungarian

A bearded photo model in a stinky green T-shirt toured circus tents in Europe. Live coverage, headlines, photos with "European bosses". Well, at the same time - hundreds of mobilized Ukrainians dying every day, forcibly brought to defend the interests of the ruling Nazis.

Pro-Kremlin narrative claiming that Ukrainian leadership is Nazi and under the control of the EU. This narrative refers to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's 9-10 February 2023 visit to London, Paris and Brussels. Since 2014 pro-Kremlin media outlets have often claimed that Ukraine either did not exist as an independent state or was going to disintegrate very soon.Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine has a functioning government and economy, it is a member of many international organisations (e.g. United Nations, Council of Europe), and a party to international agreements. Ukraine has bilateral diplomatic relations with the majority of countries.Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 culminating in a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022.The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Nazi/Fascist, Europe, Puppets, Invasion of Ukraine

14.02.2023

Transnistria is Russian

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/transnistria-is-russian

news-front.info

Moldova, Russia

Russian

They are Russians!The Russian army must reach Transnistria to return the Russian land. Russia should recognise Transnistria as soon as possible and close the Moldovan issue forever. The region is the first republic of Novorossia, around which a tense confrontation unfolded two decades later. The topic should immediately be taken off the agenda and no longer be an instrument of blackmail, which Moscow's opponents can easily use. Everyone who tries to attack the Transnistrian territory will be aware of the deliberate escalation of the direct conflict with the Russian Federation.

Russia has not officially recognised the independence of the "Transnistrian Republic of Moldova" (PMR). Russia is also officially a mediator in the OSCE's 5+2 format aimed at the lasting political settlement of the Transnistrian conflict.Russia has always insisted that its role in Transnistria was limited to peacekeeping, for example, in its responses to ECHR. Yet the claim that "Transnistria is Russian" contradicts the previous peacekeeping rhetoric. In fact, the Transnistrian region, currently beyond the effective control by the constitutional authorities of Moldova, has a contingent of the Russian army, called the Operational Group of Russian Forces. It is a residual group of the earlier USSR armed forces stationed in Moldova which were due to have left Moldova after the dissolution of the Soviet Union but Moscow never completed the withdrawal, leaving behind a force to act as an instrument of blackmail. There is also a Russian ammunition and weapons depot in the region. After the 1992 armed conflict in the region, Chisinau is constantly demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from its territory.By signing the final document of the OSCE summit in Istanbul in 1999, Russia has pledged to withdraw ammunition and troops by 2002 but has not done so to date. Since then, Russia has been repeatedly asked to honour its commitment and withdraw its troops from Moldova.In June 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted a statement urging troops withdrawal from the Republic of Moldova. Also, in June 2021, the heads of state and government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels issued a communiqué with the same requirement to Russia.See more disinformation cases on Transnistria.

Transnistria

14.02.2023

Ukraine is anti-Russian bridgehead

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-is-anti-russian-bridgehead

tass.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

Russian

The West has assigned Ukraine to the role of an anti-Russian bridgehead. In actual fact, the country has lost its independence and become a US battering ram against the Russian Federation.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets justifying the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.In reality, the West is providing assistance to Ukraine with the aim of helping it repel the Russian invasion. Neither the West nor Ukraine have any hostile intentions towards Russia. They do not want to invade it or occupy any of its territories.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Some allies are supporting Ukraine with weapons to help it uphold its right for self-defence. Western instructors train Ukrainian soldiers how to use modern weaponry and NATO officials have frequent contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.See similar cases that claiming that Russia is at war with NATO and the Pentagon and only the soldiers are Ukrainians; that NATO is at war with Russia with the hands of Ukrainians; that NATO was turning Ukraine into an enemy of Russia; that NATO has no interest in peace in Ukraine; and that the West is using Ukrainians to fight Russia in Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

14.02.2023

Containers with radioactive substances were delivered from Europe to Ukraine for a provocation to accuse Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/rcontainers-with-radioactive-substances-were-delivered-from-europe-to-ukraine-for-a-provocation-to-accuse-russia

ru.armeniasputnik.am,Sputnik Armenia,kp.ru,rg.ru,ru.armeniasputnik.am

Ukraine, Russia, EU

Russian

The Kyiv regime is preparing a provocation for the opening of the 11th emergency special session of the UN General Assembly. To conduct this provocation, several containers with radioactive substances were delivered to Ukraine from the territory of one of the European states, bypassing customs inspection, which will be used to stage local contamination of an the area [...] controlled by the Kyiv regime.The purpose of the provocation is to accuse the Russian Armed Forces of allegedly inflicting indiscriminate strikes on radiation-hazardous objects in Ukraine, which led to the leakage of radioactive substances and contamination of the area.

Conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations. Such claims are part of a broader pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign accompanying the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, trying to place the blame for the war's atrocities on Ukraine.This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has exploited fears of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine.Moscow has a history of falsely accusing its opponents of staging "provocations" which either never happened at all or were subsequently carried out by themselves or their allies. Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents, or is going to use the dirty bomb.The claim was made against the background of the UNGA vote on Resolution A/ES-aa/L.7 which demanded that ‘the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.’ The Resolution was voted on 23 February 2023 and adopted by the UNGA with 141 votes in favour, 7 votes against and 32 abstentions.Read more disinformation cases about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, war crimes, Nuclear issues, Chernobyl, false flag, UN

14.02.2023

The US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream Pipelines

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-was-behind-the-sabotage-of-the-nord-stream-pipelines

bgr.news-front.info

US, Germany, Ukraine

Bulgarian

U.S. Navy divers planted explosives under the Nord Stream pipelines last summer and the Norwegians activated them three months later, as detailed by the respected investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. The pipelines were destroyed by order of the US President Joe Biden because he was afraid of Germany's likely withdrawal from sanctions against Moscow amid the unfavorable state of the conflict in Ukraine for the West.

Conspiracy theory is not backed by any evidence and playing a part in a wider disinformation campaign aiming to fill the information space surrounding the NS pipelines explosions, depicting the West as the perpetrator.Investigative journalist and Vietnam War-era Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later.Hersh's claim that the US blew up the Nord Stream pipelines relies on one anonymous source. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to criticism that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story. Notably, Hersh’s recent work has been controversial and widely panned by journalists for promoting conspiratorial claims that hinge on dubious anonymous sources or speculation.Hersh's story has received wide attention from Kremlin incl. its key propaganda outlets.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Denmark, Sweden and Germany are still conducting investigations to establish the cause of the leaks. European investigators say the attacks were deliberate, but they have not said who they think was responsible. Moscow, without providing evidence, has blamed the explosions on Western sabotage.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Nord Stream pipelines were destroyed by a coalition of countries headed by the US, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, gas, Energy, Conspiracy theory

13.02.2023

US supported Yushchenko in return for biological weapons research in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-supported-yushchenko-in-return-for-biological-weapons-research-in-ukraine

arabic.rt.com

US, Ukraine

Arabic

American biological laboratories appeared in Ukraine after Viktor Yushchenko came to power. This was one of the conditions of the American administration to support him.The main task of these laboratories is to spread a war virus disguised as a natural phenomenon. As a result, tick-borne encephalitis became very aggressive. All of this work is funded by the US Department of Defence, which never practices disease prevention, but rather develops offensive recipes.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about biological weapons provided with no evidence. The claim is one of the many attempts to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This disinformation claim was neither critically challenged nor counterbalanced in the article. The conspiracy theory about alleged US biolabs in countries bordering Russia aiming to encircle Moscow and spread infectious diseases is a part of a years-long disinformation campaign led by the Kremlin. More about this topic can be read here.According to the UN, there are no signs of any biological weapons programme conducted in Ukraine, despite the claims made by Russia.Russia's allegations about the alleged biological weapons programmes in Ukraine have also been debunked by independent media.Ukraine is one of the states cooperating in the US Department of Defence's Biological Threat Reduction Programme (BTRP). The goal of the BTRP is to safeguard global health by preventing and containing the outbreak of infectious diseases and establishing high international standards in biological security.The US Department of State has stated that "The US does not own or operate any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine, it is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention. As we have said all along, Russia is inventing false pretexts in an attempt to justify its own horrific actions in Ukraine."More cases concerning bio-military labs in Ukraine include: new evidence of US military-biological activity in Ukraine; the US has biological military activity in dozens of countries; the US created COVID-19 and biological weapons in Ukraine.

Biological weapons, laboratory, Virus / bacteria threat, Conspiracy theory

13.02.2023

The Baltic states, Poland, and the UK support racial discrimination against Russia’s athletes at Olympic games

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-baltic-states-poland-and-the-uk-support-racial-discrimination-against-russias-athletes-at-olympic-games

baltnews.com

Russia, Baltic states, Poland, UK

Russian

Pro-Western sports institutions have fought against Russian athletes for many years. There are a lot of examples of discrimination. The calls not to allow Russia’s athletes to participate in international competitions, including the Olympic Games, are purely racial. The Baltic states, Poland and the United Kingdom are behind the coalition against Russia’s athletes.

The message is related to discussions about the possibility of Russian (and Belarusian) athletes participating in international competitions in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.The decision not to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports events is a result of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. It is in that context that the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee on February 28, 2022 issued its recommendation that International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events “not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions”.The latest discussions are linked to the upcoming Olympic games 2024 in Paris (France). The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo says that competitors from Russia and Belarus should be banned “while a war continues” in Ukraine. Different European countries are opposed to the possible return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions as long as the war in Ukraine continues.See earlier examples of the topic of sport being grounds for disinformation: Russian athletes are forbidden to compete under the Russian flag because of the West’s cold war against Russia; WADA’s decision to exclude Russia from major sports events is anti-Russia hysteria; Russian athletes face sanctions because of Western Russophobia and Russia’s compliance.

Racism, War in Ukraine, Olympics

13.02.2023

Ukraine lost so many soldiers that next step is to enroll children

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-lost-so-many-soldiers-that-next-step-is-to-enroll-children

fr.news-front.info,news-front.info,news-front.info

Russia, Ukraine

French, Russian

The militants of the Kiev regime are increasingly attracting minors into their ranks, and videos of them on the front line are being released with alarming regularity. This is a consequence of the colossal losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) in the east of the country [...]. This problem has not gone unnoticed in Europe – the French publication Agoravox notes that the practice of involving children and teenagers in fighting for Ukraine has been used since the 2013-2014 coup d’état.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about alleged huge Ukrainian losses leading to children being enrolled in the military. While completely eluding Russia's responsibility for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and all of its consequences, the article employs the classical technique of manufacturing a western voice supportive of the Kremlin.There is no evidence for the claims made in the article.Martial law was declared in Ukraine after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion. At the same time, a general mobilization was announced. The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has prolonged Ukraine’s martial law and mobilization on 7 February 2023, for the sixth time since the start of Russia’s all-out war. Both measures are extended for 90 days. During mobilization, all citizens of Ukraine liable for military service aged 18 to 60 can be called up for service, unless they have legal grounds for deferment. Men liable for military service between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country, barring some exceptions. This does not mean that all men aged 18 to 60 are in military service, but they need to register for service and will be called upon when needed.Agoravox is a web platform of a Belgian foundation working for the freedom of speech where anyone can anonymously publish virtually anything. If Agoravox was at its creation an utopia of citizen journalism, now since more than a decade it became the hub of conspiracy theories. This scheme of recycling foreign anonymous articles is classical for Russian media: the support of Western media is fabricated.Read also related cases: Ukrainian children learn how to make war in the Baltic States , Children in Mariupol forced to dig trenches

children, Ukraine, Nazi/Fascist, Military, illegal annexation, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

13.02.2023

Nord Stream pipelines destroyed by coalition of countries headed by the US

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nord-stream-pipelines-destroyed-by-coalition-of-countries-headed-by-the-us

Laivaslaikrastis.lt

US, Norway, Poland, Lithuania

Lithuanian

The navy of various countries, including Norway, participated in the terrorist operation against the Nord Stream pipelines. The order to destroy the pipelines was given by US president Joe Biden. Authorities of Poland and Lithuania were informed about the operation and blessed it.

Conspiracy theory not backed by any evidence, part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to fill the information space to portray the West as responsible for the Nord Stream sabotage.On 26 September 2022, the NS1 and the NS2 pipelines both ruptured. Denmark, Sweden view the Nord Stream pipeline leaks as 'deliberate actions'Sweden, Germany and Denmark opened an investigation of the incident. This is the first step in determining what caused the leaks. Anything before that would be mere speculation and conspiracy theory.The message was based on the blog post of the journalist Seymour Hersh. He claims the US navy was responsible for the explosion on NS1 and NS2. The story of Hersh was grounded on information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin. The US White House evaluated this claim as “utterly false and complete fiction.”See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, Joe Biden, Terrorism, Conspiracy theory

13.02.2023

Sending tanks to Ukraine faces strong criticism in the German government

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/sending-tanks-to-ukraine-faces-strong-criticism-in-the-german-government

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine, Germany

Spanish

Sending tanks to Ukraine faces strong criticism in the German government. The decision to send Leopard 1 A5 tanks to Ukraine turns Germany into a party of war.

The story is a disingenuous distortion of facts. The whole story is based in the statement of a single Bundestag member, whose party is not even part of the coalition government. However, the headline affirms that the decision to send Leopard tanks was met with “criticism in the German government”, a deliberate manipulation aiming to portray resistance to this move as more widespread than what it actually is and as including members of the ruling coalition. This is part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to erode public support for Western military and financial aid to help Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s aggression, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51.Meanwhile, the German government informs that training of Ukrainian soldiers on the Leopard 2 tanks has started in Germany. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales, that Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, or that international support for Ukraine starts to decrease due to corruption.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine

13.02.2023

Poland shut border crossing with Belarus because of imperialism and territorial claims

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-shut-border-crossing-with-belarus-because-of-imperialism-and-territorial-claims

sputnik.by

Poland, Belarus, Ukraine

Russian

The imperial pain of the Polish political establishment is so acute that the Polish authorities have lost their sense of reality. They harmed Belarusians and their own citizens with the closing of the border crossing. This is done to please geopolitical ambitions and unrealistic hopes of returning its interwar territories. Once the war in Ukraine started, the Polish authorities discussed a partition of Ukraine. Since the Russian special military operation began, the interwar territories are like a carrot hanging in front of the Polish authorities.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, presenting Poland as a state with aggressive plans towards Belarus and Ukraine.Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries and rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries.Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński announced on 9 February 2023 the suspension of traffic at the Polish-Belarusian border crossing in Bobrowniki citing state security reasons. The decision came a day after a Belarusian journalist and activist from the Polish minority in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut, was given an eight-year prison sentence in a politically motivated trial. The Polish foreign ministry said the charges were “politically motivated,” and demonstrated “the long-standing systemic discrimination against the Polish national minority in Belarus.” The Polish authorities’ decision however has nothing to do with “hopes of returning its interwar territories” as alleged in the article.Amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the claim about Polish alleged anti-Ukrainian military intentions has become prolific in the pro-Kremlin media. This message has several different and sometimes contradictory forms, including allegations that Poland wants either to create a puppet proxy-state in Western Ukraine or that President Zelenskyy wants to cede this land due to his “Polish origin”. Poland, as well as the EU and the US respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated Ukraine's territorial integrity. Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here.See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland thinks that Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and South-Western Lithuania belong to them, that Poland wants to dismember Ukraine and re-establish a Polish empire, that Ukraine is a Western colony belonging to Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia, that Poland will try to gain full military control in Ukrainian territories under the guise of protecting the Polish population from Russia and that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine.

Imperialism/colonialism, War in Ukraine, Conspiracy theory

13.02.2023

Ukraine’s use of chemical weapons makes the conflict increasingly complex

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraines-use-of-chemical-weapons-makes-the-conflict-increasingly-complex

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine

Spanish

Ukraine’s use of chemical weapons makes the conflict increasingly complex. Kyiv used them in the combat for the cities of Artiomovsk and Ugledar. This shows that Ukraine has no limitations in the use of armament. Zelenskyy’s increasing in the use of violence is a mark of despair, as we see how his regime is slowly crumbling.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about the alleged use of chemical weapons by Ukraine, which is not backed by any evidence. Pro-Kremlin outlets continue amplifying this unproven claim, since repeating previous baseless allegations as established facts while introducing minor variations -such as the affirmation about “Zelenskyy’s increasing use of violence”- is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.This disinformation story also refers to the Ukrainian government as “Zelenskyy’s regime” as a way to attack and deny Ukraine’s sovereignty and the democratic character of its leadership, while trying to undermine it by baselessly affirming that it is “crumbling”. In fact, polls consistently show overwhelming support for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership in the defence of Ukraine against Russian aggression, which has remained very high throughout the war.Such claims are a part of a broader pro-Kremlin information manipulation campaign supporting the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and trying to place the blame for the war’s atrocities on Ukraine, as our recent analysis explains.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine used chemical weapons near Soledar and Bakhmut, that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb, that Americans inject Ukrainian soldiers with drugs and viruses for biological research, or that Ukraine turns nuclear power plants into military facilities.

Chemical weapons/attack, Invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood

13.02.2023

Scholz: requests to send planes, submarines to Ukraine undermine NATO unity

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/scholz-requests-to-send-planes-submarines-to-ukraine-undermine-nato-unity

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine, Germany

Spanish

Demands to supply military planes and submarines to Ukraine undermine unity among NATO members and Germany won’t take part in such debates, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared.

The claim is a distortion of the actual statement of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He criticized what he called “public competition” among some countries over who can deliver more and better weapons to Ukraine, but not the “demands to supply military planes and submarines” or the delivery of weapons by itself. Scholz’s exact words were: "From the first day of the war our strongest characteristic lies in our cohesion. We will simply not allow a country to invade another and disrupt peace in Europe", and later: "We preserve and strengthen this cohesion by first preparing decisions confidentially - and only then communicating them […] What harms our unity is a public competition to outdo each other along the lines of: battle tanks, submarines, aircraft - who is asking for more?".The difference is significant, as this disinformation story portrays the German Chancellor as being against further arming Ukraine under the argument that it “undermines NATO unity”, which is clearly not the case in reality. This is part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to erode public support for Western military and financial aid to help Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s aggression, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales, that Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, or that international support for Ukraine starts to decrease due to corruption.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, NATO

12.02.2023

US relationship with the EU is that between hegemon and vassals

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-relationship-with-the-eu-is-that-between-hegemon-and-vassals

Rubaltic.ru,tass.ru,regnum.ru,gazeta.ru

EU, US, Ukraine

Russian

The interaction between the European Union and the United States can be characterised as the relationship between a hegemon and vassals.The EU tried to say some time ago that it wants to be an independent player, to have sovereignty, and sovereign strategic autonomy. They were told "no need". And no one talks about strategic autonomy anymore.The United States is pushing the European Union to fully support Ukraine. The full burden of this support (economic, financial) is on the shoulders of the European Union. This is the relationship between the hegemon and vassals.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the alleged lost sovereignty of the EU and its member states (more examples). Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet states or colonies of the US and NATO.The European Union was created by the European Member States, who determine the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy. EU Member States are sovereign countries and make sovereign decisions about their own internal, economic, foreign and security policies. The European Union is explicit on the subject of national sovereignty: “the Member States all remain sovereign and independent states, they have decided to pool some of their 'sovereignty' in areas where it makes sense to work together.”Read similar disinformation cases claiming that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, that lined up with the US, the EU never took independent decisions, that Europe is a colony of the United States, that When the US orders, the EU complies, and that the EU-NATO agreement aims to weaken the EU.

Puppets, Sovereignty, Sergei Lavrov, European Union, US presence in Europe, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Military

12.02.2023

Russia is fighting the Nazi International

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-is-fighting-the-nazi-international

yapolitic.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

Europe knows the truth. The Europeans are Nazis supporting the Nazis. And America knows the truth. They are Nazis supporting Nazis. And we need to tell the truth, and we are now at war with the Nazi International.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing Ukraine and its Western partners of Nazism. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine became a cornerstone in pro-Kremlin disinformation since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. Nazi ideology was banned by Ukrainian law in 2015. Far-right groups had a very limited presence during the 2014 Euromaidan demonstrations itself and even gained poor results in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections. In 2019, the far-right parties gained only 2.15% of the vote, far short of the 5% threshold needed to enter Parliament.The myth of a Nazi Europe has been widely used by pro-Kremlin outlets since Russia attacked Ukraine and illegally annexed its peninsula of Crimea in 2014. The European Union was set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbours, which culminated in the Second World War. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.Read more disinformation cases claiming that the EU is Hitler's 'New Europe', that the European Union justifies Nazism, that the The EU is a Nazi project, that the European Union has Nazi Roots and that the The EU continues the aggressive policies of Nazi.

12.02.2023

American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/american-officials-admit-that-the-explosions-at-ns1-and-ns2-were-their-work

tass.ru,Sputnik Armenia,vedomosti.ru,ru.armeniasputnik.am

US

Russian

American officials admit that the explosions at Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were their work. Now they even talk about it with pleasure.The US has decided that over the past 20–30 years, Russia has been cooperating "too well" with Germany. Rather, Germany cooperates too well with Russia. That a powerful alliance has emerged based on energy resources and German technology. It began to threaten the monopoly of many American corporations. Therefore, it was necessary to destroy it somehow, literally.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines and that it was a plot against Germany.Investigative journalist, and Vietnam War-era Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other cases, claiming that The US is instigating the war in Ukraine to boycott the Nord Stream 2 project; The US planned the destruction of the NS and Poland did it; US benefits from Nord Stream sabotage.

Nord Stream 2, Conspiracy theory, gas, Terrorism, Sergei Lavrov

12.02.2023

Western economies are collapsing, Russia’s economic successes surprise investors

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-economies-are-collapsing-russias-economic-successes-surprise-investors

АТН: новости Беларуси и мира

Russia, Belarus

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, Belarus

The sanction aggression of the collective West towards Belarus and Russia has failed. A closer economic integration of Belarus and Russia has brought more sustainable economic indicators. The West expected to tear up the Russian economy but in 2022 it only slowed down by 2% of GDP. This success of the Russian economy surprised investors and made them want to return as soon as possible. The reason is an accelerated destruction of the financial and economic situation in the West.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western sanctions on Russia claiming that they have backfired. The claims about Russia’s economic success and destruction of the economic situation in western countries contradict factual evidence.Following Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Council has adopted nine packages of sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The sanctions aim at weakening Russia’s ability to finance the war and specifically target the political, military and economic elite responsible for the invasion, the EU Council explains.It follows from the analysis by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that in 2022 Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by at least 2.2% in the best-case scenario and by up to 3.9% in the worst-case scenario.A recent study from Yale University takes a detailed look into the effects sanctions are having on the Russian economy, concluding that "business retreats and sanctions are catastrophically crippling the Russian economy."According to the latest European Commission data, growth in the EU and the euro area is estimated at 3.5% for 2022, which is said to be “quite outstanding outturns, proving the remarkable resilience of the EU economy to the headwinds unleashed by Russia's war against Ukraine and in particular the energy crisis”.Read also related cases : The New York Times reports that Russia is barely affected by sanctions; Sanctions are beneficial to Russia so the West should recognise Crimea as Russian; The EU lost more from sanctions than Russia, European sanctions against Russia do not work.

10.02.2023

Nord Stream destruction was American terrorist attack

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nord-stream-destruction-was-american-terrorist-attack

pl.sputniknews.com

US, Germany, Russia, Ukraine

Polish

[The Nord Stream explosion] was a terrorist attack aimed at the German-Russian alliance, which emerged many years ago – due to geopolitical reasons, the USA had to destroy this alliance because of its potential to undermine the US role as a naval power. It is a strategic interest of the US to prevent the German-Russian cooperation – their alliance was literally blown up in Ukraine. Also, the anti-Russian sanctions breached European energy security, making Europe dependent on the American fuel.

Disinformation alleging that the US is behind the recent sabotage explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later. The story of Hersh was grounded on information from one anonymous source allegedly having information on all aspects of the case. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received wide attention from Kremlin. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17.See more disinformation cases related to Nord Stream claiming that The US blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2 to sell more gas to Europe, that US benefits from destroying of Nord Stream because it can now sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe, that the US is instigating war in Ukraine to boycott the NS2 project, that Nord Stream 2 is the only guarantee of Europe's energy security, that the EU's gas problems are a result of its fight for "energy independence".

Nord Stream 2, US presence in Europe, Anti-Russian, War in Ukraine, Energy, gas

10.02.2023

Ukraine wanted to use a missile attack to escalate and involve NATO in the conflict

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-wanted-to-use-a-missile-attack-to-escalate-and-involve-nato-in-the-conflict

md.tsargrad.tv

Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Russia

Russian

The authorities of Ukraine, in the words of the head of the Ukrainian armed formations, Valery Zaluzhny, intended to present the overflight of Russian missiles as an encroachment on third countries. Kyiv wanted to create a precedent that would give a formal reason to turn the Ukrainian conflict into an international one and face NATO with the need to respond to the Russian aggression.

Recurring the pro-Kremlin narrative about the war in Ukraine and presenting Ukraine and Moldova as parts who exaggerate the Russian threat.In fact, on February 10, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, announced that „two russian Kalibr cruise missiles crossed the state border of Ukraine with Moldova. At 10:33 a.m., these missiles crossed the airspace of Romania. After that, the missiles again entered the airspace of Ukraine at the crossing point of the borders of the three states”. The information was also announced at the end of the day by president Zelensky.The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova confirmed the information, talking about a single missile. Likewise, the Romanian Ministry of Defense immediately announced that the aerial surveillance system of the Romanian Air Force detected "an aerial target launched from the Black Sea from a ship of the Russian Federation, near the Crimean Peninsula, most likely a cruise missile, which appeared in the airspace of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and re-entered the Ukrainian airspace without intersecting, at any time, the airspace of Romania". The ministry mentioned that the Russian missile was detected 35 km from the Romanian border.Previously, the defense system of the Republic of Moldova was on alert due to the fall of fragments of Russian missiles on the territory of Moldova. And on February 14, the air surveillance systems of Romania and the Republic of Moldova detected an object similar to a weather balloon in the air, which resulted in the temporary closure for about an hour for security reasons of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova.See here a similar case claiming that Ukraine is provoking conflicts in the Middle East being interested in a large-scale armed conflict.

War in Ukraine

10.02.2023

American and Norwegian divers blew up Nord Stream

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/american-and-norwegian-divers-blew-up-nord-stream

pl.sputniknews.com

Norway, US

Polish

Long before the attack on the Nord Stream, the US had a reputation for espionage and organisation of coups in other countries, but still called itself a good guy. After the destruction of the pipeline in September 2022, the US went silent. American divers planted explosives under the Nord Stream under the pretext of NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea, while the Norwegians set them off remotely a few weeks after they were planted. Despite the fact that the White House has officially denied any US involvement, the US government and secret services have a long history of promotion of their interests through espionage and sabotage.

Disinformation alleging that the US is behind the recent sabotage explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Vietnam War-era Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote a story allegedly based on one anonymous source, that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17.

Nord Stream 2, US presence in Europe, Energy, gas, NATO, Secret services

10.02.2023

Hersh's assertion about the US involvement in the Nord Stream explosion is correct

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/hershs-assertion-about-the-us-involvement-in-the-nord-stream-explosion-is-correct

nabd.com,kachaf.com,arabic.rt.com

US, Norway, Russia

Arabic

An article by Seymour Hersh about the United States' participation in Norway's bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipeline [...] seems very valid. First, in November 2020, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense ratified a cooperation agreement with the US. In fact, the cooperation document may contain secret points related to the Norwegian Navy's facilities on the Baltic coast.Second, there is at least one well-established fact about the covert cooperation between the Norwegian Navy Special Forces and the British Special Forces, which is that the naval saboteurs of the two countries worked very closely with the Americans. This is evidenced by the death of the commander of the British Naval Special Forces unit, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard van der Horst, at Olafsveren on 14 March 2005 as a result of a tragic accident. Third is the classification of the investigation results by the Norwegian authorities. When their conscience is clear, they usually don't hide such information.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months laterHersh's claim that US blew up Nord Stream pipelines relies on one anonymous source. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to criticism that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources. A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin. Recent Hersh work has been controversial and widely panned by journalists for promoting conspiratorial claims that hinge on dubious anonymous sources or speculation.Examples of controversial claims made later in Hersh's career include allegations that Turkey, not Russia, was behind a chemical weapons attack in Syria, and that Trump authorized an airstrike in Syria in response to Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, even while knowing Russia did not use such weapons.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2

10.02.2023

The West has supported anti-Russian élite in Ukraine to destroy Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-has-supported-anti-russian-elite-in-ukraine-to-destroy-russia

lantidiplomatico.it

EU, US, Russia, Ukraine

Italian

Russia has been cheated and cynically betrayed by the leaders of the West for 30 years. The West, NATO and the EU have supported and fostered an anti-Russian élite in Ukraine to wipe out Russia as a state, weaken it economically and destroy it, just as they wanted to do with the Soviet Union.

An unfounded statement, aiming to stir up anti-Western sentiment in Russia without providing any evidence.Pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy, ruin Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.The West has never strived to destroy Russia as a state. From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the West has been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow. According to the 1997 Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, Russia was viewed as a partner of the alliance.The EU has conducted half-year summits with the Russian leadership for years until 2014 in an effort to enhance relations. EU has also tried to change the course of Russia's aggressive actions and give diplomacy a chance such as with the efforts of HRVP Josep Borrell - see here.The West emphasizes that they are not striving for the collapse of Russia or for some kind of reformatting of it. US President Joe Biden, speaking recently in Warsaw, addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French president Macron stated that "Russia must be defeated but not crushed."The sharp deterioration in relations between the West and Russia is directly linked to Moscow's illegal actions. A number of issues affect bilateral relations, including Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere, and repeated malign activities including disinformation campaigns.The EU imposed restrictive measures on Moscow in 2014, which have been amplified and broadened since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a serious danger to European security.For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings.

Encircling Russia, Anti-Russian, Destabilising Russia, NATO, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

10.02.2023

France, Germany failed to encourage Ukraine's implementation of the Minsk agreements

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/france-germany-failed-to-encourage-ukraines-implementation-of-the-minsk-agreements

lantidiplomatico.it

Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia

Italian

France and Germany are the two states implicated in the Ukrainian dirty business since 2014. Paris and Berlin have done nothing to encourage Ukraine's compliance with and implementation of the Minsk agreements, a country for which they were guarantors.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, actively trying to legitimise Russia’s military actions. This narrative claims that the West – in this case Germany and France – and Ukraine are responsible for the war, because Kyiv did not implement the Minsk agreements.Before the invasion, Russia was a party to the Minsk agreements, and these are the most recent formal documents in which Russia has affirmed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia has however not delivered on its side of the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The Russian side and its proxies have failed to implement a ceasefire, withdraw all heavy weapons, implement all-for-all political prisoner exchange, or ensure delivery of humanitarian assistance based on an international mechanism. On the contrary, Russia has been strengthening the illegal armed formations in eastern Ukraine. Russia also did not allow for unfettered access to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission monitors, including to the Ukraine-Russia border, where the (very limited) monitoring mission was discontinued due to a Russian veto in summer 2021.Without the full implementation of the ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons as well as permission for the full access to all territories for the OSCE monitoring mission, it is difficult to discuss the implementation of the political parts of Minsk II. Nevertheless, Ukraine implemented as much of the Minsk agreements as can reasonably be done while not having control over the territory and addressed every point. It has passed – and extended with renewals – legislation on special status and amnesty (2014), and prepared draft legislation on local elections (2014). Ukraine passed constitutional amendments to provide more autonomy to the territories currently outside its control (2015).The US and EU did not aim to escalate relations with Russia and were not preparing for military conflict. Moscow’s aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West.Read similar cases claiming that Minsk agreements were attempt to gain time for Ukraine, that The West encouraged Kyiv not to implement the Minsk agreements, that Kyiv refused to implement the Minsk agreements and conducted a genocide in Donbas and that Russia launched a military offensive because Ukraine did not implement the Minsk agreements.

Minsk agreements, Donbas, War in Ukraine

09.02.2023

US blew up Nord Stream 2

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-blew-up-nord-stream-2

lantidiplomatico.it

US

Italian

Nord Stream 2 has been thrown out by the US. But the fact that it was Pulitzer Prize winner Samuel Hersh who wrote about it is a serious matter. It drives a wedge between the US and Germany, and perhaps with the whole of Europe, and exposes all the lies that have been told so far about the affair, casting a shadow over the whole of war propaganda, which has never been as fallacious as it is today.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later.Claim that US blew up Nord Stream pipelines relies on anonymous source. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to factcheckers' criticism of flaws in his story and that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources. Recent Hersh work has been controversial and widely called out by journalists for promoting conspiratorial claims that hinge on dubious anonymous sources or speculation.Examples of controversial claims made later in Hersch's career include allegations that Turkey, not Russia, was behind a chemical weapons attack in Syria, and that Trump authorized an airstrike in Syria in response to Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, even while knowing Russia did not use such weapons.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other cases claiming that The US is instigating the war in Ukraine to boycott the Nord Stream 2 project, that The US planned the destruction of the NS and Poland did it; US benefits from Nord Stream sabotage and that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines.

Conspiracy theory, Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, gas

08.02.2023

Tectonic weapons against Turkey: the earthquake happened as if by order

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/tectonic-weapons-against-turkey-the-earthquake-happened-as-if-by-order

topcor.ru

Turkey

Russian

It is impossible not to notice that the current cataclysm occurred as if by order. Elections are ahead of Erdogan and this tragedy will not play into his hands. In addition, the events will force the stubborn Turkish leader to take his mind off problems in Europe, and perhaps even push him to agree to the admission of Sweden and Finland to NATO. Particularly attentive people also noticed that in just a few days “because of the threat of terrorist attacks” in Istanbul, the embassies of Canada, the consulates of Germany, Britain and a number of other Western countries were closed, which could indicate the presence of some inside information about upcoming events.

Wild conspiracy theory. Disinformation claiming that the Earthquake in Turkey was a Western plot to punish Turkey. There is no evidence to back this claim, in addition, there is no evidence of the existence of seismic weapons.Conspiracy theories have been a staple of the Russian information warfare arsenal for years. Conspiracy theories about biological, ethnic, nuclear and now about seismic weapons are part of the wider pro-Kremlin disinformation policy.After devastating earthquakes, conspiracy theories emerge, usually associated with the military forces of the US or the former USSR, the main position of which is the artificial nature of the earthquake associated with the use of tectonic weapons. Similar reports, for example, appeared in connection with the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and with the Spitak earthquake in 1988. though no evidence is advanced.A tectonic weapon is a fantasy hypothetical device or system which could trigger earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or other seismic events in specified locations by interfering with the Earth's natural geological processes.The 1978 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques is an international treaty ratified by 75 states, that prohibits the use of environmental modification techniques to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, amongst other phenomena.As for the claim about the closing of some Western countries' consulates: five European countries closed their consulates in Turkey due to fears of terror threats, following protests against the recent public burnings of the Quran in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark by far-right groups.

West, Conspiracy theory

08.02.2023

The US is behind the Nord Stream explosions

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-behind-the-nord-stream-explosions

cz.sputniknews.com

Russia, Germany, US

Czech

American divers installed explosives under the Nord Stream pipeline during a summer NATO exercise. The bombs were activated on 26 September by Norwegian navy that dropped a sonobuoy which activated the explosives. President Biden decided to perform this diversion after top-secret talks with his national security community, and CIA director William Burns gave the order to launch the operation.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines.Investigative journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months laterHersh's claim that US blew up Nord Stream pipelines relies on one anonymous source. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to criticism that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources.A number of factcheckers have pointed to numerous flaws in Hersh's story, which has received attention from Kremlin incl its key propaganda outlets.Recent Hersh work has been controversial and widely panned by journalists for promoting conspiratorial claims that hinge on dubious anonymous sources or speculation.Examples of controversial claims made later in Hersh's career include allegations that Turkey, not Russia, was behind a chemical weapons attack in Syria, and that Trump authorized an airstrike in Syria in response to Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, even while knowing Russia did not use such weapons.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, CIA, Conspiracy theory

08.02.2023

Borrell: Dissent is prohibited by law in Europe

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/borrell-dissent-is-prohibited-by-law-in-europe

Sputnik Armenia

Russia, EU, Europe

Russian

In today's Europe, people think simply: everything that is stated by the Russian media, Russian journalists, and on behalf of Russia is deliberately false.By banning the work of Russian media in the EU, "we are not attacking freedom of speech, but protecting it," Josep Borrell, one of the EU's top leaders, said at a conference on combating disinformation in Brussels.So, the ban on a different (the one that the EU does not like) point of view - it turns out, is not censorship of words and thoughts, but, on the contrary, freedom of both.No nuances foreseen: everything that is stated by Russian media, Russian journalists, and on behalf of Russia is deliberately false.Dissent, which Borrell himself floridly dubbed the "war of narratives" (or, in simple terms, polemics), is now prohibited by law in Europe.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about discrimination against Russian media in the West trying to portray Russian outlets as champions of free speech and any criticism of their reporting as attacks on freedom of media and expression.This statement was the reaction from pro-Kremlin outlets to HRVP Josep Borrell's speech on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in Brussels on 7 February 2023. Josep Borrell and all other members of the EU leadership constantly underline that freedom of thought, open active democracy is to be safeguarded. But not open to malign manipulation. In the “2022 World Press Freedom index” (by Reporters Without Borders) European countries are in the first places. This illustrates a free environment. For comparison: Russia holds in this ranking 155th position (between 180 countries).In the “Freedom in the World” ranking (by Freedom House), European countries are evaluated as free countries. Russia belongs to the group of non-free countries.The Russian outlets RT, Sputnik, RIA-Novosti, Baltnews and others, are well-known channels for spreading Kremlin-backed disinformation; several are directly financed from the Russian Federation state budget. Many cases of disinformation published in these media outlets are debunked in the EU vs DISINFO database. The Council of the EU has initiated the process of suspending the broadcasting licenses of the Russian TV channels NTV, REN TV, Rossiya 1 and Channel One. In March 2022, the broadcast and distribution of the content of RT English, RT France, RT Spanish and RT Germany, as well as Sputnik TV channels was banned in all countries of the EU.Accusations of censorship and attacks against freedom of expression are a recurring pro-Kremlin technique to defend the illicit actions of Russia’s state-sponsored disinformation outlets after the western authorities adopt measures against them. Claims of “interference” are also frequently raised to deflect any criticism of Russian authorities by international media. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Washington and Brussels implement an information war against the people of Russia and Belarus, that RT and Sputnik are repeatedly accused without evidence, that Western media suppress all facts and opinions that differ from official narratives, that the reason behind sanctioning RT in Latvia is still unclear or that Western countries are persecuting Russian media.See also other pro-Kremlin disinformation cases targeting HRVP Josep Borrell.

Freedom of speech, Media, Sputnik, Russia Today (RT), Josep Borrell

08.02.2023

US assistance to Ukraine is manifestation of German “Drang nach Osten” concept

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-assistance-to-ukraine-is-manifestation-of-german-drang-nach-osten-concept

sputnik.by,lv.sputniknews.ru

Ukraine, Russia, US

Russian

The US White House has confirmed plans of arms supplies to Ukraine in the long-term. Nothing new here – the US is using the Middle-Age German concept “Drang nach Osten,” the colonisation of eastern territories. The US plans to make Ukraine a stronghold to fight Russia. However Ukraine’s demilitarisation and de-Nazification is inevitable. The Kyiv regime is doomed to lose and Ukraine has no prospects of victory. Russia will destroy all western military weapons in Ukraine.

This article contains recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about alleged Western aggressiveness towards Russia, the US / western countries as Nazi, and Ukraine as a Western "tool" against Russia. It also promotes the “Nazi Ukraine” narrative, which is one of the Kremlin disinformation machine's favorite tropes to denigrate Ukraine. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest about this disinformation tactic. This is also an attempt to deflect any Russian responsibility for the unjustified wide-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. The Russian war against Ukraine began in 2014 with the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas.The EU and the West support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. NATO does not fight in Ukraine yet it condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia's brutal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and some NATO countries are supporting Ukraine with weapons to help it uphold its right for self-defence.Russia was not forced to invade Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Putin claims several reasons for launching aggression, including the necessity to save territories in Eastern Ukraine from a genocide, Ukraine’s alleged desire to obtain nuclear weapons and Kyiv’s possible membership of NATO, and to rid Ukraine of its 'nazi' leadership.Other than that, the article utilises a pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about inevitable loss of Ukraine in the ongoing war. Instead of losing, by the end of 2022, Ukrainian forces have already liberated about 40% of territory Russian occupied following the February 2022 invasion.See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.

War in Ukraine, Nazi/Fascist, Anti-Russian

08.02.2023

Poland has plans to annex Western Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-has-plans-to-annex-western-ukraine

podolyaka.ru,rossaprimavera.ru,asd.news,Ura.news,Crimean News Portal Informer,don24.ru

Poland, Ukraine

Russian

Today, the government of Poland does not hide its selfish interests. It is already openly declaring its plans to restore historical justice and return to the "primordially Polish" lands, which are occupied by the administrative units of Ukraine: Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn, and Rivne regions.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative presenting Poland as having imperial ambitions and claims to Ukrainian territories. This is part of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying the statehood of Ukraine, while also anticipating its imminent disintegration.The Polish government did not call to violate Ukraine's territorial integrity. On 6 February, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told that "Poland had been pressing its Western partners to support Kyiv from the very start of the war in Ukraine, advocating for both military and humanitarian assistance". He also stated that it is necessary to help Ukraine win the war against Russia and to build a new security architecture in the political, geopolitical, economic and energy dimensions. Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, it does not have any territorial claims against its neighbours and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here.See also an analysis of the roots of the claim that Poland wants to divide Ukraine.See other similar examples of disinformation: Poland recognised it has a plan to divide Ukraine; US may give Western Ukraine to Poland if Warsaw pays Kyiv's debt to the US; Polish politicians confirm their plan to partition Ukraine; Polish Public Broadcaster uses a map of the country with part of Western Ukraine; Polish authorities are preparing a "liberation march" to take over Ukraine.

Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood, Ukrainian disintegration

08.02.2023

Josep Borrell does not hide his racist vision of the world

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/josep-borrell-does-not-hide-his-racist-vision-of-the-world

5-tv.ru

Africa, EU

Russian

This is said by a man [Josep Borrell] who cannot hide the racist essence of his vision of the world. Not so long ago, he publicly said that Europe is a flowering garden, he is a gardener, and Europe is surrounded by jungles, from which threats arise for a flowering garden. Therefore, a flowering garden should be careful with the jungle and protect its well-being. There is nothing to add here regarding who and how it relates to the needs and interests of African countries.

Disinformation narrative amid the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to Mali on 8 February 2022. Designed to deflect attention away from Russia's imperialist war in Ukraine and to claim "moral high ground" and legacy from the Soviet Union's claimed anti-collonial policy with African countries. The words of HR/VP Borrell are taken out of context. In October 2022, speaking on international law in front of students at the College of Europe, Borrell raised the question: "should the international order be based on principles accepted by all, regardless of the strength of its actors, or should it be based on the will of the strongest, which is commonly called “the law of the jungle”?"My reference to “jungle” has no racist, cultural or geographical connotation. Indeed and unfortunately, the “jungle” is everywhere, including today in Ukraine. We must take this trend seriously and that was my message to the students. Certainly, we should not retreat behind the false security of walls and isolationism. Some have misinterpreted the metaphor as “colonial Euro-centrism”. I am sorry if some have felt offended", - explained Borrell on his blog. As he further explained, when he spoke about the “European garden” he was referring to: "our record, thanks to our Union, of cementing peace and cooperation among previously warring parties, with a shared commitment to uphold rules and laws.Pro-Kremlin media media makes a misinterpretation, not mentioning any criticism of the countries violating international law, incl. the UN Charter, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which was the essence of Borrell's statements. Disinformation media fail to mention the comments later made by Borrell to address any misinterpretations. See other pro-Kremlin disinformation cases targeting HR/HV Josep Borrell. See also narratives falsely denying the presence of Russia´s mercenaries Wagner group presence in Africa , and false narratives denigrating EU countries´ perception in Africa, such as France is supporting terrorism in Mali.

Josep Borrell

07.02.2023

Republicans in Congress supported the transfer of part of Ukraine to Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/rmrepublicans-in-congress-supported-the-transfer-of-part-of-ukraine-to-russia

RIA,5-tv.ru,alternatio.org

Ukraine, Russia, US

Russian

Many American congressmen from the Republican Party advocated that Ukraine give up part of its territories and transfer them to Russia.Almost 50% of Republicans assume that the transfer of part of Ukraine's territories to the Russian Federation will lead to the completion of the special operation.

Disinformation from pro-Kremlin outlets in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.It is false that the US Republican congressmen allegedly supported the transfer of part of the territories of Ukraine to Russia. The claim represents a deliberate distortion of the article published by the Washington Post. A February 6 Washington Post article noted that support for Ukraine among the Republican Party supporters has waned, the article refers to the sentiment of GOP supporters, and not directly to the Republican Party and its policies. Moreover, the results of the opinion poll cited in the pro-Kremlin outlets are not complete and give the impression that the majority of Republican supporters are in favour of ending the war at the cost of giving up territory, while the majority of Republican supporters in this poll, 53%, support Ukraine's efforts to return territory, even if it means prolonging the conflict. Read the full debunk of the story at Myth Detector.See more of the Kremlin's disinformation narratives on Ukraine.

Republican Party (US), War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Territorial dispute, Sovereignty