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15.11.2022

The conflict in Ukraine was provoked by Washington

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-conflict-in-ukraine-was-provoked-by-washington

tlgrm.ru,m.dzen.ru,life.ru,Pravda.ru ,sev.tv

US, Ukraine, EU

Russian

Other countries are more and more convinced that the conflict in Ukraine was provoked by Washington. The EU and NATO have long been involved in a hybrid war in Ukraine which the West has unleashed, has been preparing for many years, starting from the moment when it supported the coming to power as a result of a coup d'etat of openly racist, neo-Nazi forces. Since then, NATO has been actively developing the territory of Ukraine, conducting exercises, supplying weapons.

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US' allegedly provocative actions in the run-up to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, claiming that the West (EU/NATO) is involved in war on the Ukrainian side. The aim is to deflect responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions and the nuclear threats made by the Kremlin. The claim also repeats narratives about Nazi Ukraine and Euromaidan. The war began in 2014 with the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas. 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 nations have always been calling for solving all problems with Russia in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. Moscow’s overall aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West. On the contrary, it is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe and created a serious danger to European security, while using nuclear threats.The EU or NATO as an organisation are not involved in fighting in Ukraine. In fact, Western actions adopted against Russia, such as sanctions or diplomatic measures, are a reaction to these actions including the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the long-term destabilisation of Ukraine or the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of this peaceful country.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West unleashes Nazi and Russophobic war against Russia and Russians, that Russia’s special operation in Ukraine is due to NATO’s persistent expansion, that the US and the West are fighting a hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine, that Ukraine is a proxy in the West's war against Russia, or that The West declared total war against Russia.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Sergei Lavrov, Provocation, Hybrid war, NATO, G20

15.11.2022

Hungarian politicians are on the Ukrainian secret service’s death list

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/hungarian-politicians-are-on-the-ukrainian-secret-services-death-list

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Hungary

Hungarian

The "Mirotvorec" database, which is linked to the Ukrainian security services and is known as the "death list", has been in operation since 2014 and lists Ukraine's enemies.Several Hungarian citizens are listed in the Ukrainian database, including Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and journalist Zsolt Bayer.

Recurring disinformation narrative, aimed at suggesting that Ukraine is an ultra-nationalist country run by a neo-Nazi regime. It claimes that the secret dervice of Ukraine operates a so-called Myrotvorets death list to show the enemies of Ukraine. Blaming people, groups or even states of being "Nazi" has been a cornerstone of Kremlin propaganda since 2014. Click here to learn more about the "Nazi Ukraine" narrative and how pro-Kremlin media outlets are justifying disinformation.In contrast to the claim above, the Ukrainian government is not associated with the Myrotvorets website. The State Security Service of Ukraine even launched an investigation into its operations. Ukrainian police also looked into its operations following an earlier request from human rights watchers.

Nazi/Fascist, Viktor Orban, Invasion of Ukraine, Secret services

15.11.2022

Ukraine-controlled Zaporizhzhya is overrun by thousands of foreign mercenaries

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-controlled-zaporizhzhya-is-overrun-by-thousands-of-foreign-mercenaries

RT English

English

Zaporozhye is being turned into something like Mariupol. There is a large number of foreigners there, in the thousands. Most of them are mercenaries.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that foreigners fighting for Ukraine 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.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."

15.11.2022

The US has biological military activity in dozens of countries

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-has-biological-military-activity-in-dozens-of-countries

sputnikarabic.ae

US, Russia, China

Arabic

The United States has spread biological military activity, within the framework of the Pentagon's programmes, to dozens of countries in all the world's regions, especially in Eurasia along the border with Russia and China.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about biological weapons being secretly developed by the US in countries bordering Russia. This narrative is a leitmotif in a yearlong disinformation campaign conducted by the Russian state and pro-Kremlin outlets and is currently deployed in an attempt to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The claim has been neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.The US biolabs are not for military purposes. In fact, biological laboratories are involved in preventing the risks of complex diseases and, together with other similar projects, counteracting bioterrorism. Such claims have traditionally focused on the presence of US biolabs in Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. In Ukraine, the claim often refers to the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), which is an intergovernmental organisation established in an international agreement in 1993. Its mission is to support civilian science, technology partnerships and collaboration through chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risk mitigation. The projects of STCU partners include research on adjuvant for improvement of cancer vaccines, detecting trace impurities in biological tissues, human vision diagnostics, and therapy among many others.In Georgia, it is the Richard Lugar Centre for Public Health Research, which is a facility of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC). It is a top-tiered institution in NCDC’s laboratory network and serves as a reference laboratory for Georgia’s public health system. Read more about the disinformation campaign surrounding the Lugar Laboratory on Myth Detector.As for Armenia, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Armenia is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia. The laboratories are not American, they belong exclusively to the Republic of Armenia. No other state or state structure has an impact on its activities or governance.For more on pro-Kremlin disinformation on the alleged development of bioweapons by the US, read here.

Biological weapons, Conspiracy theory

15.11.2022

The Kyiv regime is leading Ukraine towards total disappearance

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-kyiv-regime-is-leading-ukraine-towards-total-disappearance

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia, US

Hungarian

After the 2014 coup d'état, Ukraine lost its sovereignty. It became a colony of the United States. The country has been stolen, its industrial potential lost and corruption is rife. The interests of the people are not being taken into account, which is why 11.2 million inhabitants of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions have chosen Russia. Ukraine has lost 53.7% of its population since 2014. The Kyiv regime is leading Ukraine towards total disappearance.

In this article, several pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives are being used to paint Ukraine as a failing state.First, there was no coup in 2014 in Ukraine. The demonstrations which began in Kyiv in November 2013 – called "Maidan", or "Euromaidan" – were a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with the former President Yanukovych. After seven years of negotiation, he refused to sign the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and halted progress towards Ukraine's closer relationship with the EU due to Russian pressure. 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. The protest were a broad-based expression of popular discontent. Yanukovych decided to flee from Ukraine and take residence in Russia. Second, Ukraine is not controlled by the US, nor is it a colony of it. Ukraine is independent country, that has an independent foreign and security policy, which is not dictated by the United States. 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 fomenting tension between allies.The only country that actively tries to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence is the Russian Federation. The Kremlin attacked Ukraine in 2014, annexed Crimea, and launched a military invasion in February 2022 to topple the democratically elected government in Kyiv.Additionally, the mentioned regions of Ukraine, did not decide to join Russia, but were military occupied and illegally annexed by Russia, using sham referendums. These parodies of democracy were also condemned by NATO, G7, US, as well as Russia’ partners like Serbia and Kazakhstan (a member of CIS and CSTO), which also mentioned that they will not recognise their results.See also a similar disinformation claims alleging that Kherson residents want to join Russia in a referendum, Crimean people chose to be with Russia through the democratic procedure, Ukraine is a colony with a puppet regime, Ukraine has foreign overlords overseas, and The US is using the phantom of Ukraine for confrontation against Russia.

Invasion of Ukraine, Puppets, Ukrainian statehood, Manipulated elections/referendum, Crimea

15.11.2022

The US and Ukraine support Nazism

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-and-ukraine-support-nazism

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, US

Hungarian

Moscow submitted a similar resolution last year, before the start of the military operation in Ukraine, after a US-backed coup installed a government in Ukraine that allowed neo-Nazi groups such as the Azov battalion and glorified Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, whose Ukrainian Nationalist Organization was responsible for the massacre of tens of thousands of Poles and Jews during World War II. Only two states opposed Resolution 2021: the United States and Ukraine.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the role of the US in 2014 Euromaidan in Ukraine and claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi state, supported by the US.First of all, in 2014, there was no coup, nor a western orchestrated protest in Ukraine. The demonstrations which began in Kyiv in November 2013 – called "Maidan", or "Euromaidan" – were a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with the former President Yanukovych. After seven years of negotiation, he refused to sign the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and halted progress towards Ukraine's closer relationship with the EU due to Russian pressure. 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.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. Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2019 election cycle, falling short of the 5% minimum required to enter into parliament.A law passed in Ukraine in 2015 bans Nazi and Communist ideologies. The law prohibits the public use and propaganda of Nazi and Communist symbols. Far-right groups do exist in Ukraine, like in any other country, but they have a minor influence on politics and social life.Although it was just one among dozens of volunteer militias, Azov unit garnered controversy over the far-right politics of its initial founders, the use of neo-Nazi symbolism in some of its insignia, and the anti-Semitic views of some members. The unit was integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2015. Since its integration, Azov regiment members have repeatedly denied being a far-right political unit, although they acknowledge that it includes individuals with such views.Learn more about the reasons behind 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".

Puppets, Nazi/Fascist, Stepan Bandera, Azov Battalion, Coup

15.11.2022

Missiles falling in Poland are trying to create conflict and avert negotiations with Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/missiles-falling-in-poland-are-trying-to-create-conflict-and-avert-negotiations-with-russia

actualidad-rt.com

Poland, Ukraine, Russia, US, EU

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

Poland affirms that the missiles that fell on its territory are of Russian manufacturing. It’s a very strange situation, because the US and Russian government are having contacts in order to see whether a diplomatic negotiation process can start. If one digs deeper, it gives the impression that there are two sectors in contradiction in the West: those who wish peace and those interested in conflict. That’s why those media immediately announced to the world that the responsible of the incident was Russia. It seems that this “false positive” aims to create conflict instead of pacification.

Conspiracy theory not backed by any evidence. In fact, the response of Western authorities to the explosion that killed 2 people on the Polish village of Przewodow on 15 November 2022 was very cautious and transparent. Instead of calling for an escalation, those leaders urged to wait for the results of a full investigation, and quickly released the resulting information to the public. Early misreporting about a “suspected Russian missile” could be easily explained because at the same time Russia launched over 100 cruise missiles against cities in neighbouring Ukraine.Based on initial information of the incident, Polish president Andrzej Duda stated the explosive was “most likely Russian-made”, but in less than 24 hours later, more information became available and he said it was “very likely” that the missiles were from Ukraine’s air defence. “Absolutely nothing indicates that this was an intentional attack on Poland. It’s very likely that it was a rocket used in anti-missile defence, meaning that it was used by Ukraine’s defence forces”, he explained. US president Joe Biden affirmed that it was unlikely that the missile had been fired from Russia given its trajectory, and told NATO and G7 partners that the blast was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that there was no indication that it was a deliberate attack although “Russia bears ultimate responsibility, as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine”.The term “false positive”, widely known among Spanish-speaking audiences, refers to a scandal involving the Colombian army, which between 1988 and 2014 executed thousands of people falsely presented them as guerrilla fighters, as proven by Colombia’s transitional peace court. In this regard, it is used here with a similar meaning as “false flag” or “provocation”.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine wants to drag NATO into the conflict through the provocation in Poland, that Poland could annex Western Ukraine, that the US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales, or that Kyiv shelled its own soldiers using US-supplied HIMARS rockets.

14.11.2022

Russia will not negotiate with the Kyiv regime, represented by war criminals

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-will-not-negotiate-with-the-kyiv-regime-represented-by-war-criminals

baltnews.com

Ukraine, Russia

Russian

Russia will not agree to negotiations the end of the conflict on Ukraine’s terms. It is impossible to negotiate with war criminals, representing the Kyiv regime. In the best way, it could be only technical negotiations on Russia’s terms.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation accusing the Ukrainian authorities of committing war crimes, and representing Kyiv as an outpost of Nationalists.The Ukrainian political regime is not a Nationalistic dictatorship. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected during free democratic elections in 2019. He supported more than 73 per cent of voters.Ukraine continues to resist Russia's armed aggression. Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014. Russia is also responsible for the outbreak of the conflict in 2014, after having illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula and engineered the creation of rebel militias in Donetsk, Luhansk and other places, with its army actively participating in military clashes. Finally, on February 24, 2022, Russia started unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine.Russia also should take responsibility for war crimes on the territory of Ukraine. There is plenty of evidence connecting the Russian armed forces to war crimes. See more about it here.See other examples of when Russia tried to shift the blame for the war crimes to Ukraine: Ukrainian authorities intend to create a “dirty” bomb; Armed forces of Ukraine have committed war crimes and genocide in Donbas; Bucha is fabrication only used to interrupt negotiations.

War in Ukraine, war crimes

14.11.2022

Ukrainians deported children from Donbas and probably sold their organs

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainians-deported-children-from-donbas-and-probably-sold-their-organs

odysee.com,rtd.rt.com,francais.rt.com,doc.rt.com

Ukraine

English, French, Russian

Ukraine stole hundreds of children from Donbas in 2014 and again in 2022. The people’s Republics of the Donbas authorities failed to locate those children who were transferred to western Ukraine and Poland. The possible fact that NGO Médecins sans Frontières, was present when children were evacuated, is a matter of great concern and explains why the Ukrainian authorities keep silent about the fate of those children.Ukrainians publicly call on the internet for the murder and torture of Donbas’s children. They also demonstrate with Nazi songs and mottos in the streets of Kyiv. A soldier in Donbas witnessed the rape and murder of a small girl by a group of Ukrainian Nazis which seemed to be a normal event. Human beings are not treated normally in the territories controlled by Ukrainians.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation deployed in the context of Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, aiming to portray the Ukrainians as monsters and creating a distinction between the inhabitants of Eastern Ukraine and Ukrainians. The use of crimes against children, massive deportations and organ trafficking are striking narratives to show the inhumane nature of Ukrainians at a time when Russian responsibility for the massive deportation of Ukrainian civilians including children and war crimes is being documented.The accusations of organ trafficking are not based on fact but on pure speculation, and the fact that the self-proclaimed People’s republics banned MSF for unclear political reasons. No material evidence or testimony corroborates this hypothesis. The documentary also mixes footage from demonstrations by far-right groups, hate speech in comments on the internet and archive songs from the Third Reich to portray Ukrainians as inhuman Nazi monsters.As declared by EU High Representative Josep Borrell:“We remind that forcible transfers of civilians is prohibited under International Humanitarian Law, notably the Geneva Convention. All cases of enforced disappearances must be duly investigated and those responsible therefore held accountable for war crimes.Let me finally underline the fate of persons in the most vulnerable situations in this context - namely women and children. They face risks which include sexual exploitation, trafficking, sexual violence, far from public eye. It is our common duty to focus on accountability and on widespread condemnation.”Read also related cases: Children's medical records found in Mariupol suggest an organ trafficking ring, Wounded Ukrainian warriors' blood is pumped out and internal organs sold, Ukraine’s Health Ministry allows dead Ukrainians to be sold for organs, According to a deserted fighter, Ukrainian soldiers are dismembered and... Ukrainian children being seized from refugee parents; British sex offenders arrive in Poland.

Stealing children, children, Donbas, Ukraine, Organised crime, Crime, Nazi/Fascist

14.11.2022

A biolab leak would benefit the US

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/a-biolab-leak-would-benefit-the-us

es.news-front.info

US, Ukraine

Spanish

A US outlet revealed that hundreds of incidents in US biolaboratories have taken place in the last 20 years, most of which have remained hidden to the public. An eventual pathogen leak from a biolaboratory would benefit the US, as it allows to sell medicines to an infected population. It is a lethal lottery where everybody wins. This revelation takes places amid an ongoing scandal around the US biolaboratories in Ukraine.

Conspiracy theory not based in any evidence. This disinformation story exploits an original series of articles published by the US outlet The Intercept about hundreds of previously undisclosed accidents in US biolabs throughout 18 years. However, pro-Kremlin disinformation distorts these findings to promote the baseless claim that “the US” may see a potential accident as a side benefit as it could extract profit of the crisis through drug sales. Not only there is nothing to back this assertion: this story also falsely portrays the US as a monolithic entity without any distinction between different government branches and between public and private institutions, which doesn’t make sense.The ultimate goal is to promote a wider disinformation campaign about US-funded biolaboratories in Ukraine for military purposes, which have been repeatedly debunked, including by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, but pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities continue promoting this disinformation narratives. These allegations are part of a years-old disinformation campaign conducted by the Kremlin, and is currently deployed in an attempt to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Russia presented evidence of US biolabs in Ukraine at the convention on biological weapons, that new evidence of US military-biological activity emerged in Ukraine, that disease outbreaks in Ukraine are linked to the activity of US biolabs, that Zelenskyy ordered the destruction of evidence regarding the development of biological weapons, or that bio-experiments in US labs turned Ukrainian soldiers into ‘most cruel monsters’.

Biological weapons, Capitalists

14.11.2022

The US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-is-prolonging-war-in-ukraine-to-benefit-from-weapons-sales

es.news-front.info

US, Ukraine

Spanish

The US has economic and financial interests to prolonging the conflict in Ukraine, because the US companies reap massive benefits from the weapons sales. The US also benefits from more European demand of US liquefied natural gas.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to undermine Western support provided to Ukraine for its defence against Russia’s unprovoked aggression. In fact, the opposite is true: US outlets such as The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal reported in early November 2022 that US officials privately asked Ukraine to open to the possibility of negotiating a diplomatic settlement. One of the reasons, according to The Wall Street Journal, is precisely the decreasing capabilities of US arsenals. “The U.S. and some of its allies are concerned that their stockpiles of weaponry, including some ammunition, are being depleted at an unsustainable rate”, the article states.Multiple US officials and experts have expressed concern at the depletion of US weapons arsenals by the war in Ukraine and warned that the current rate of use cannot be sustained unless defence production is ramped up, which is not easy. A similar trend is taking place in other NATO and European countries. Therefore, allegations about the US wanting to prolong the war to sell more weapons are not supported by facts.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that US companies promote war in Ukraine to sell weapons, that the EU mindlessly invests heavily in prolonging hostilities, that Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, and that the West can save Ukraine by stopping the weapon deliveries.

Invasion of Ukraine, Warmongering, Capitalists

14.11.2022

Poland could annex Western Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-could-annex-western-ukraine

baltnews.com

Ukraine, Poland

Russian

Poland plays a huge role in the crisis on the territory of Ukraine. It supports Kyiv with guns and accepts refugees from Ukraine. In reality, it is a secret for no one that Poland wants to back its historical lands. Warsaw could annex Western Ukraine.

Recurring conspiracy theory claiming that Poland plans to seize a part of Ukraine's territory.In reality, Russia is the only country that poses a danger to Ukraine's territorial integrity by continuous acts of aggression since 2014. Russia is also responsible for the outbreak of the conflict in 2014, after having illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula and engineered the creation of rebel militias in Donetsk, Luhansk and other places, with its army actively participating in military clashes. Finally, on February 24, 2022, Russia started unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine.Poland looks to relations with Ukraine as a strategic partnership and supports Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Poland also officially supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine.See other examples of disinformation claiming that Poland is trying to seize Ukraine, that Poland is absorbing Ukrainian territory with Zelenskyy’s consent, or that Poland plans to impose control on Ukraine’s agriculture and other sectors of economy.

Conspiracy theory, illegal annexation, War in Ukraine

14.11.2022

Kharkiv and other ancient Russian cities are to be liberated from Kyiv

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kharkiv-and-other-ancient-russian-cities-are-to-be-liberated-from-kyiv

Ukraine, Russia, Poland, US

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

Ukraine resembles a chessboard with Russia and the US as players. Russia continues to successfully destroy the pawns belonging to Washington and its partners. After an eventual full liberalisation of Donbas, the turn will come to ancient Russian cities Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv which are still under the Kyiv’s regime control. Military and humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine is a logical consequence of Kyiv’s pro-US strategy taken after the armed coup d’etat of 2014. Tens of billions of US dollars in military aid to Ukraine have been de facto spent on the complete destruction of Ukraine’s statehood.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Euromaidan, doomed Ukrainian statehood, the US as the mastermind of the Russo-Ukrainian war, and Polish aggressive plans towards Ukraine. Such claims are a 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 for the war on the US and other western countries. Groundless, inflated numbers of Poles allegedly fighting for Ukraine, and a false claim about the West’s intention to push Ukraine to a peaceful agreement with Russia on the latter’s terms are also promoted. Furthermore, the article contains the classic disinformation narrative about the Russian world by claiming that Ukrainian Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Poltava are “ancient Russian cities”.The claims regarding the Polish plans to take over Western Ukraine are false and groundless. Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and does not have any territorial claims against its neighbours. This disinformation message 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”. Read more about this type of disinformation here.Euromaidan was an organic reaction by numerous parts of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. It was not orchestrated by any foreign actors. Read more detailed debunk of US-related Euromaidan claims here.Russia started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and has created a serious danger to European security. 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.Technical remark: This disinformation was broadcast via Sputnik on 14 November 2022. Due to the EU decision to restrict the spread and dissemination of RT and Sputnik inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.

13.11.2022

EU countries seek to take control of part of the Ukrainian territories

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/eu-countries-seek-to-take-control-of-part-of-the-ukrainian-territories

eadaily.com

EU, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary

Russian

The European Commission's preparations for the transfer of military forces to the East, to the borders of Ukraine, suggests that EU countries seek to take control of part of the territories of Ukraine, pursuing their own economic interests. Poland and Hungary want to take control of specific territories of Ukraine. The rest of the countries of Europe also wondered why they should be on the sidelines. Therefore, now such a solution is being developed with all sorts of corridors and transfers.Also countries that do not have a common border with it Ukraine will benefit from this - Czech Republic, Germany, France would take some territories of Ukraine, preferably the most fertile, rich in minerals. And now such mechanisms are being worked out.

Recurring narrative presenting Poland, Hungary and other EU countries as states with imperial ambitions. This is a cynical attempt to indirectly draw other countries into Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.The assertion that Ukrainian territories will be taken by other EU countries is unfounded. EU member states adhere to international law regarding state borders, fully support the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, do not make any claims on Ukrainian territories and reject “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated Ukraine's territorial integrity. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world with Russia as the key exception. Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 and culminated in an aggressive attack on a neighbouring country on February 24, 2022.Earlier Russian propaganda attributed imperial ambitions only to Poland, now the geography of countries wishing to "chop off" Ukrainian territories has become larger - France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. EU member countries and the EU and the US respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is Russia that started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and has created a serious danger to European security.This statement was made in the context of the Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 and a Joint Communication on an EU cyber defence policy, which was put forward by the European Commission and the High Representative to address the deteriorating security environment following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and to boost the EU’s capacity to protect its citizens and infrastructure.In particular, the Action Plan on Military Mobility will help European armed forces to respond better, more rapidly and at a sufficient scale to crises erupting at the EU’s external borders and beyond. It will bolster the EU’s ability to support Member States and partners as regards transport of troops and their equipment. It works towards better connected and protected infrastructure while streamlining regulatory issues. It will reinforce cooperation with NATO and promote connectivity and dialogue with key partners. More about the Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 and a Joint Communication on an EU cyber defence policy can be read here.

Territorial dispute, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, European Union, illegal annexation, Visegrad, Imperialism/colonialism

13.11.2022

The conflict in Ukraine is a Western proxy war against Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-conflict-in-ukraine-is-a-western-proxy-war-against-russia

Sputnik Poland

US, Russia, Ukraine

Polish

In Ukraine, Washington unleashed one of the most powerful propaganda wars of our time. Many persons accuse Russia of propaganda, but in reality, propaganda is dictated by the US-funded think tanks and media. It was the US and NATO manipulations which pushed Moscow to a "direct response" in the form of a special operation in Ukraine. The USA constructed this scenario to weaken Russia – it had fuelled instability in the region since 2014 when the war in Donbas started. We will not be able to stop the conflict until we realise that the current situation in Ukraine is a proxy war of the West. The Western countries deliberately delay the start of the peace talks.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative presenting Ukraine as the puppet of the West and manipulating the topic of the war in Ukraine.Ukraine is a sovereign state. Western countries are not responsible for the war. Western leaders have continuously called for talks and a peaceful solution to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but Moscow has been ignoring these efforts. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to Russia’s full invasion.The US, the EU and some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.See more similar cases of disinformation: EU leaders gave Ukrainian Nazis money to buy weapons; West rumps up arms supplies to Ukraine to destroy Russia; The EU mindlessly invests heavily in prolonging hostilities.

War in Ukraine, Anti-Russian, Propaganda, Destabilising Russia, US presence in Europe

13.11.2022

US claims that demilitarisation of Ukraine could be the path to peace

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-claims-that-demilitarisation-of-ukraine-could-be-the-path-to-peace

de.news-front.info

Ukraine, US

German

According to the US, demilitarisation of Ukraine could be the path to peace. Peace in Ukraine can be achieved through Austrian-style demilitarisation.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation with no factual basis, as the US is not seeking the "demilitarisation" of Ukraine. The source cited in the NewsFront-article is a former US-senator. However, this senator is not representative of the entire USA and is not an official representative of the USA, which is why the statement that the entire USA is seeking demilitarisation along the line of Austria is misleading.The US and EU did not aim to escalate relations with Russia and were not preparing for military conflict. Neither the European Union nor Western countries have declared war to Russia or want to escalate the war in Ukraine. Western nations have always been calling for solving all problems with Russia in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. Moscow’s overall aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West.On the contrary, 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 has created a serious danger to European security, while using nuclear threats.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a special military operation against Ukraine on 24 February 2022 citing NATO’s military infrastructure approaching the Russian border as a pretext. Another pretext for the so-called operation is “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine according to official Russian statements. The invasion was followed by airstrikes on military objects. Russian troops later started bombing and shelling civilian targets as well.Russian troops are heavily shelling and bombing civilian facilities such as residential areas, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, orphanages and churches. Civilians are targeted as well. Sources in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague have announced that an investigation will be launched into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Ukraine.Read more disinformation cases about the Russian unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. 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 other examples of similar disinformation messages, such as claims that the West fights Russia through psy-ops like Bucha and the Mariupol maternity hospital, that the US needs war between Russia and Ukraine to weaken Russia, that Moscow called for peaceful coexistence but Russia is depicted as a global threat, Russia is under US and NATO attack,or that the West has an anti-Russian plan named “Anaconda ring”.

War in Ukraine

10.11.2022

Russia fights the collective West, not just Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-fights-the-collective-west-not-just-ukraine

livenews.am

US, Ukraine, Russia

Armenian

It is clear that the majority of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and equipment transported from the USA to Europe is transported to Ukraine. As for the 16,000 additional American soldiers in Europe, at least some of them are also in Ukraine They appeared there as real foreign mercenaries and volunteers and fighting alongside Ukrainian servicemen against the Russian army.That is why Russian armed forces were forced to withdraw from Kherson. Because Russia is not only fighting against Ukraine, but also against the USA, NATO, the entire collective West led by the United States.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that the West, the US and NATO are directly involved in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, thereby justifying the withdrawal of Russian units from Kherson.The West is not at war with Russia or the Russians. Since Russia launched its full-scale unjustified aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the West has been calling for Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and a peaceful settlement. The West is not interested in the continuation of the war at the heart of Europe.Only the Ukrainian Armed Forces are fighting Russian invaders in Ukraine. Ukraine called on experienced foreign nationals to join its foreign legion, whose members are regular soldiers of the Ukrainian army and not mercenaries. It is not an unusual practice since other countries also offer foreigners the opportunity to join the foreign legion without being mercenaries, as in the case of the French Légion étrangère. There are no US or NATO forces on the frontline. Some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression, but they 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 train Ukrainian soldiers how to use modern weaponry and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front.On the 11th of November the Russian forces retreated from Kherson. Russians had to openly announce their withdrawal as they could not hold the city any longer, as their troops (about 30,000 in that area) could not deter the Ukrainian offensive for a long time.The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, NATO, Military, Anti-Russian, West, Foreign mercenaries

09.11.2022

Recognising Tatarstan's independence is a provocation by Ukrainian Nazis

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/recognising-tatarstans-independence-is-a-provocation-by-ukrainian-nazis

newsformy.com,rtarabic.com,rtarab.com,arabic.rt.com,msdernet.xyz,almatareed.org

Ukraine, Russia

Arabic

A draft resolution recognising the independence of the Republic of Tatarstan from Russia by the Kyiv parliament in Ukraine is a lowly step that will not affect the country's unity.This is all a provocation by the Ukrainian Nazis who took over Kyiv. They will not be able to undermine the unity of our country [Russia] with such steps.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying Ukrainian politics and society as dominated by Nazi/fascist ideology. Linking some countries with Nazism is a widespread disinformation tactic used by pro-Kremlin outlets. Read more in our analysis Key-narratives-in-pro-kremlin-disinformation-nazis.The claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.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. Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2019 election cycle, falling short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a special military operation against Ukraine on 24 February 2022 citing NATO’s military infrastructure approaching the Russian border as a pretext. Another pretext for the so-called operation is “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine according to official Russian statements. The invasion was followed by airstrikes on military objects. Russian troops later started bombing and shelling civilian targets as well.Read other disinformation cases claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi state.

Nazi/Fascist, Sovereignty, Russian world

09.11.2022

Sanctions that were supposed to destroy Russia may disintegrate the EU

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/sanctions-that-were-supposed-to-destroy-russia-may-disintegrate-the-eu

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, Ukraine, EU

Italian

The EU continues to approve new sanctions packages, and economic and war aid to the Kyiv regime, selling out financially and emptying its arsenals.The result is that Russia is the most sanctioned country in the world, while the European Union is on the verge of collapse. The sanctions that were meant to destroy Russia may end up disintegrating the European Union.

Recurring disinformation about Western sanctions on Russia, war in Ukraine and on EU disintegration.The EU and other countries around the world adopted several sanction packages against Russia due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories. Not all trades restrictions are yet enforced as the energy sector needs longer transition periods, so it is too early to assess the full effect of the sanctions. However, it is incorrect to state that Russian economy would be barely affected or would even benefit from the sanctions. Otherwise, the Russian leadership would not feel the need to constantly demand the sanctions be removed.It is also Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine that is hurting the global economy, and not sanctions against Russia. 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 also destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine. It also affects the economy of the EU but there are no signs of “destruction”.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."See also the assessment of EU HRVP Josep Borrell demonstrating that sanction policy is working and strongly impacts Russian economy.Read similar cases claiming that The EU lost more from sanctions than Russia, European sanctions against Russia do not work and EU sanctions are hurting Europe more than Russia

Sanctions, War in Ukraine, EU disintegration

09.11.2022

War against Russia was initiated to set economic sanctions against Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/war-against-russia-was-initiated-to-set-economic-sanctions-against-russia

observateurcontinental.fr

Russia, EU, US, Ukraine

French

Ukraine is cynically used by the West. The West uses the war in Ukraine to bring Russia to its knees and bleed it economically. Nobody cares about Ukraine, which is exploited for strategic interests of the United States. US and the West have miscalculated. The initial objective was to provoke Russia to be able to destroy its economy through sanctions.Sanctions have meanwhile been reduced to nothing. Initially, it was thought that Russia would quickly collapse under these sanctions. But against all odds, Russia has not collapsed and continues to fight. Western policy has imposed sanction after sanction after sanction, without any result.Conclusion: The West has been a victim of its own error. Even more: the losers are Europe, which is currently sinking into an energy and economic crisis and the biggest loser is Ukraine, which is only a pawn on the Western game board.

Recurrent disinformation message about the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the economic sanctions that followed against the aggressor party. This claim reverses the whole chain of events pretending Russia is not the aggressor in Ukraine but defends against Western aggression.On 24 February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked and illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine under the pretext of the “de-Nazification and demilitarisation” of Ukraine. Russia had earlier issued assurances to both Ukraine and the whole world that it was not planning to invade Ukraine.The EU condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and imposed restrictive measures on Russia. Read more about the EU response and support for Ukraine.Sanction policies mainly have long-term effects and need to be evaluated in the long term, especially the energy sanctions that need time to be enforced - The EU will ban all imports of refined oil products from Russia in February 2023- hence it is too early to conclude that Russia is not affected.Nevertheless, a July 2022 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 crippling the Russian economy." The Russian central bank forecasted that the country's economy will shrink by between 4 percent and 6 percent this year and by between 1 percent and 4 percent in 2023, before returning to positive growth in 2024.Read also related cases: Russia is at war with NATO, not Ukraine, The EU, not Russia, is behind the energy, food and economic crises, The West wanted to destroy the Russian economy, but instead destroyed the economies of the EU and US, EU sanctions are hurting Europe more than Russia, EU’s fascist sanctions against Russia prove European countries are no longer democratic, Western sanctions are the cause of inflation.

Sanctions, West, Invasion of Ukraine, Economic difficulties

09.11.2022

Russian withdrew from Kherson because Ukraine wants to blow up the Kakhovka dam

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russian-withdrew-from-kherson-because-ukraine-wants-to-blow-up-the-kakhovka-dam

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, Ukraine

Italian

Russian troops have decided to withdraw from Kherson because Ukraine wants to blow up the Kakhovka dam. This will lead to the formation of a torrent of water that will create vast flooded areas, resulting in significant losses. Under these conditions, the most feasible option for the Russian army is to organise its defence along the Dnipro River barrier line.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations. Such claims are a part of a broader pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign accompanying the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, trying to place the blame on Ukraine.Ukrainian military intelligence said on the 21st of October that Russia had conducted the main mining works of the dam back in April, but warned that the floodgates and supports of the dam were further primed in the past week. Two military vehicles full of explosives were placed on the road that crosses the dam, the agency added.The 30 metre-high dam, which holds back 18m cubic metres of water, straddles the Dnipro River upstream from Russian-held Kherson and is about 20 miles from advancing Ukrainian forces hoping to recapture both it and the occupied city.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused Russia of plotting to blow up the two-mile Nova Kakhovka dam in the south of the country, warning its destruction would cause “a large-scale disaster” affecting towns and cities.According to Ukrainian Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov Russia will slow Ukrainian troops' advance in the south by two weeks if it blows up the vast Kakhovka dam, but such a move would flood territory occupied by Moscow and lose it a vital water source for annexed Crimea.Blowing up the dam would also "destroy the possibility of the existence of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant because this facility is inextricably linked to it".The nuclear plant, Europe's largest, has been occupied by Russia for months and is located near the reservoir.On the 11th of November the Russian retreated from Kherson. Russians had to openly announce their withdrawal as they could not hold the city any longer, as their troops (about 30,000 in that area) could not deter the Ukrainian offensive for a long time. Significant new damage to the major Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine can be seen following Russia's withdrawal from nearby Kherson city, U.S. satellite imagery company Maxar said on Friday 11 November.Read similar cases claiming that West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Ukrainian militants are shelling the nuclear station in Zaporizhzhia and that Ukraine wants to blow up the Kakhovka dam to block water supply to Crimea

Kherson, false flag, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

09.11.2022

The West corrupted millions of Ukrainians with pseudo-values that created an anti-Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-corrupted-millions-of-ukrainians-with-pseudo-values-that-created-an-anti-russia

geopolitika.ru

Ukraine, Russia, US

Italian

The West lead by the US instilled in the minds of millions of Ukrainians the pseudo-values that led to the creation of an anti-Russia on Ukraine's territory, sowing hatred, raping people's consciousness, depriving them of their true history. Everything was done to reshape the consciousness of millions of people to try and light the fuse to cause the fall of Russia and Ukraine which are the same country.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying Ukrainian statehood and accusing the West and the US of anti-Russian policies, of Russophobia and of having belligerent intentions towards Russia aiming at destabilising Russia, portraying Russia as a victim and denying any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions.These narrative have been used to justify the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, occupation in parts of Ukraine via illegitimate referenda, discrediting Ukrainian statehood. It offers an absurd interpretation of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine with the use of the classic disinformation narrative about the Russian world.The notion that Ukraine is not a country, but a historical part of Russia, appears to be deeply ingrained in the minds of Russian leadership (see here, here and here.)The history of Ukraine dates back to the times of the Kyivan Rus’ in the IX-XIII centuries. It is true that Ukrainians and Russians share a common history, have similar languages and are mostly Orthodox Christian believers. Many neighbouring European nations have a common history, linguistic similarity and religious affinity as well. Although some of them were parts of other, bigger states at some point in history, all modern European nations are now equal and independent states, and none of them claims their neighbours’ territory.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.Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 and culminated in an aggressive attack on a neighbouring country on February 24, 2022.The West does not aim at destroying or disintegrating Russia and is not in war with Russia. Since Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the West has been calling for Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and a peaceful settlement.Some NATO member states are providing Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression, but they 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. Ukrainian counter-offensive is led by the Ukrainian military political leadership.Read similar cases claiming that West is using Ukrainians to fight Russia in Ukraine, that NATO is at war with Russia with the hands of Ukrainians, that Ukraine is a Russian territory and that that Ukraine does not exist as a state.

Western values, Anti-Russian, War in Ukraine, Sovereignty, Ukrainian statehood, Russophobia, Russian world

08.11.2022

Ukraine will shoot down its dirty bomb, then blame it on Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-will-shoot-down-its-dirty-bomb-then-blame-it-on-russia

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine

Hungarian

The Kyiv regime has already completed the technical preparations for the "dirty bomb" provocation. Specialists from the Ukrainian company Yuzhmas have made a replica of the Iskander missile, which will be loaded with radioactive material and then allegedly fired by Ukrainian air defence forces over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, claiming that the Russian armed forces have launched a nuclear weapon.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim accusing Ukraine of posing a nuclear threat to Russia.There is no evidence that Ukraine is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia. Ukraine neither possesses any kinds of nuclear weapons, including dirty nuclear bombs, nor prepares one. In 1994, Ukraine signed a Budapest Memorandum abandoning its nuclear arsenal. Ukraine also joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has invited an international mission of experts and IAEA to verify that there is no kind of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.James Kariuki, the British ambassador to the United Nations, rejected Russia's claim, saying that Russia did not provide any evidence that Ukraine possesses such a device. The claims are "transparently false. Ukraine has been clear, it's got nothing to hide" Kariuki said.Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On February 27, 2022 Vladimir Putin ordered his military to put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. Before that, Putin had warned that "whoever tries to hinder us" in Ukraine would see consequences 'you have never seen in history'.From the first day of the war, Russia has been voicing its right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine at all levels, from high-ranking officials to propagandists.Talk about the use of tactical nuclear weapons intensified after illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Without providing evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that top NATO officials had said that it’d be acceptable to carry out nuclear strikes on Russia. He threatened to use nuclear weapons adding that "This Is Not a Bluff".Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO to conduct “preventive action” against Russia to prevent their use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.Read also related cases: Zelenskyi regime is building a dirty bomb, Ukraine and the West are preparing a nuclear provocation , Russia has never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons , Russia did not violate the Budapest memorandum.

Invasion of Ukraine, war crimes, Nuclear issues, Chernobyl

08.11.2022

Ukraine wanted to acquire nuclear weapons because of American pressure

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-wanted-to-acquire-nuclear-weapons-because-of-american-pressure

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia, US

Hungarian

Ukraine's threat to restart its nuclear programme was one of the main reasons why Russia was forced to launch a military operation at the end of February. Kyiv took this decision after giving in to heavy pressure from its current masters in Washington.

A claim presented without any evidence or base. In addition, the claim was not counterbalanced or critically challenged in the article. This pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claims that Ukraine wanted to acquire nuclear weapons due to American pressure, as a way to justify the Russian invasion of the country.Ukraine is a sovereign country with its own national interests. It is not controlled by any Western government or organisation. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world with Russia as the key exception. Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 and culminated in an aggressive attack on a neighbouring country on February 24, 2022.Under the Budapest memorandum in 1994, Ukraine promised to remove all Soviet-era nuclear weapons from its territory, send them to disarmament facilities in Russia, and sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Ukraine kept these promises. In return, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States promised that none of them would ever threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. They specifically pledged they would refrain from making each other's territory the object of military occupation or engage in other uses of force in violation of international law.The US, the EU and some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression, but they are not involved in 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 Western troops fighting on the front. NATO as an organisation is not involved in war in Ukraine.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.

Nuclear issues, Invasion of Ukraine, US presence in Europe, Puppets

08.11.2022

Kiev regime prepares "dirty bomb" provocation in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kiev-regime-prepares-dirty-bomb-provocation-in-ukraine

bgr.news-front.info

Ukraine, Russia

Bulgarian

According to various sources, the Kyiv regime is at the final stage in the practical implementation of a plan to create a dirty bomb – a small-capacity nuclear weapon. The latter is happening under the guidance of the West in order to undermine Moscow's credibility.

There is no evidence provided in order to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing to use WMDs. The article fits well in the popular pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical attacks. Similar claims are utilised in a broader pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign accompanying the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, trying to shift the responsibility for the war’s atrocities to Ukraine.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the latter accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”Ukraine, denying the Kremlin’s accusations, has invited the UN’s nuclear watchdog IAEA to reinitiate inspections in Ukraine as part of an “independent verification”, now connected to the dirty bomb allegations. On 3 November, IAEA’s chief Rafael Grossi stated that: “Based on the evaluation of the results available to date and the information provided by Ukraine, the agency did not find any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at the locations”.Furthermore, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has fabricated to escalate the war. In the statement, the governments of US, France, and UK confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.Read similar cases regarding nuclear threats by Ukraine such as the UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s “Dirty Bomb” Plan, Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army.

Nuclear issues, War in Ukraine, Provocation

08.11.2022

Claims of “Russian interference” in US midterm election are preparing the ground to blame Moscow for an eventual Democrat defeat

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/claims-of-russian-interference-in-us-midterm-election-are-preparing-the-ground-to-blame-moscow-for-an-eventual-democrat-defeat

sputniknews.lat

US, Russia

Spanish

The New York Times restarted the fairy tale of “Russian interference”. Quoting “researchers”, the US outlet ‘denounced’ a “series of Russian IT operations” to facilitate a Republican victory. Those new-old accusations want to justify a Democrat defeat.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying accusations of Russian interference in the US political process - despite the existence of massive evidence proving this meddling - as preposterous and concocted by top members of the Democratic Party unable to accept electoral losses. This is a reaction to an article by The New York Times, in which researchers warned of the reactivation of Russian bots for an influence campaign ahead of the mid-term election on 08 Tuesday 2022. Contrary to suggestions made in this disinformation story, these researchers are not anonymous, but clearly identified by name and company, including well-reputed firms such as Providence Consulting Group, Recorded Future, Graphika and Mandiant. Besides, in the same day that this disinformation story appeared, Russian businessman Yevgeni Prigozhin -owner of the infamous Internet Research Agency, one of the main actors behind electoral interference in the US and other countries- directly contradicted these denials and boasted about this meddling, saying: "We have interfered [in U.S. elections], we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do."Russia’s interference in electoral processes in the US has been proven beyond any doubt by successive official and journalistic investigations. The probe led by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller presented plentiful evidence of it, including testimonies and physical proof, as well as of cooperation in the process from members of Donald Trump's team and other US citizens. The latter led to the criminal indictment of 34 people, 26 of them Russian citizens or entities including the infamous Internet Research Agency. The 5-volume report of the US Senate Intelligence Committee widened the scope of the investigation and provided additional evidence of Russia’s meddling in the electoral process in 2016. Many other findings by The New York Times and The Washington Post, for which they received the Pulitzer Prize in 2018, were later backed by the evidence presented in court, further investigations or confessions of those involved.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 Russiagate was a fraud orchestrated by the West, that the Mueller report is another proof of how Russia is always falsely accused, or that the US never presented evidence of Russia’s involvement in election interference or cyberattacks.

election meddling, Democratic Party (US), The New York Times

08.11.2022

Russia suspended the Black Sea Grain initiative because of Ukraine's terrorist attacks

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-suspended-the-black-sea-grain-initiative-because-of-ukraines-terrorist-attacks

bgr.news-front.info

Russia, EU, Ukraine

Bulgarian

Russia rightfully suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain initiative because of the terrorist attacks in Sevastopol. The grain did not go to poor countries, but for some reason ended up in rich EU countries. Furthermore, the EU broke the deal by not lifting sanctions on Russian grain exports.

The text utilises a popular, multifaceted pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity caused by the Kremlin’s decision to suspend its participation in the Black Sea grain initiative. Furthermore, the article argues that most of Ukraine's grain ships are sent to rich European countries – a claim that was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.Russia made the decision to suspend its participation in the deal after drone attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet's Sevastopol Headquarters. Still, just a few days later, Russia reversed its decision in what seemed to be a PR move to avoid international blame and the strong critique coming from the initiative’s two other main players: Ankara and the UN.Moscow accused Ukraine of perpetrating terrorist attacks on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet with the help of the UK. However, the British Defense Ministry has officially denied any accusations of terrorism by stating that “To detract from their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale”. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attacks. However, even if we accept the Kremlin’s version of events - namely that the drone strikes were orchestrated by Ukraine’s military intelligence - this does not change the fact that this purported attack would constitute not an act of terrorism, but lawful sabotage under international humanitarian law (IHL).Regarding the claim that most of Ukraine’s grain shipments are sent to rich EU countries, it is easily rebutted by reviewing the database of the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative. As of 23 September, out of the 203 shipments, less than half (92) headed to EU countries. The majority headed for other countries, such as Turkey, Egypt, China, and India. Importantly, this doesn’t mean that these are the final destinations of the grain shipments as they are redistributed from receiving harbors to other countries. Furthermore, as of 3 November, seven vessels carrying a total of 290,102 metric tons of grain and food products were transiting the maritime humanitarian corridor.See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Ukrainian grain exports do not affect global prices, or Russia suspended grain deal because all Ukrainian grain goes to Europe, or Russia should not be accused of withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal.

Sanctions, Black Sea, food, War in Ukraine

08.11.2022

Ukraine is directly controlled from the United States

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-is-directly-controlled-from-the-united-states2

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, US, Ukraine

Hungarian

Ukraine has become a tool of US foreign policy. The country has effectively lost its sovereignty and is directly controlled from the United States. The US is using Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia, the Republic of Belarus and the CSTO and CIS in general. The United States and its allies will not stop staging colour revolutions and fomenting extremist and nationalist sentiment. These actions directly threaten all CIS countries.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukrainian statehood. The statement was made in the context of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, trying once again to denigrate Ukraine as a non-sovereign puppet of the West.In reality, Ukraine is an independent country, that has an independent foreign and security policy, which is not dictated by the United States. 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 fomenting tension between allies.Furthermore, pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as colour revolutions instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine,and Belarus with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors supported by foreign powers who constantly prepare new coups.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.Read more about the EU's response and support for Ukraine.See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.See our account of the Kremlin's intention to annihilate Ukraine here.

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

07.11.2022

The West is sacrificing Ukraine for its own strategic goals

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-is-sacrificing-ukraine-for-its-own-strategic-goals

baltnews.com

Ukraine

Russian

The West could put Ukraine at the negotiation table and stop the conflict but, one more time, it chooses to sacrifice third countries for its strategic goals.

Recurring narrative presenting Ukraine as the puppet of the West and manipulating the topic of the war in Ukraine.Ukraine is a sovereign state. Western countries are not responsible for the war. Western leaders have continuously called for talks and a peaceful solution to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but Moscow has been ignoring these efforts. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to Russia’s full invasion.The US, the EU and some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.See more similar cases of disinformation: EU leaders gave Ukrainian Nazis money to buy weapons; West rumps up arms supplies to Ukraine to destroy Russia; The EU mindlessly invests heavily in prolonging hostilities.

West, Puppets, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

07.11.2022

Germany is preparing for a take-over of Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/germany-is-preparing-for-a-take-over-of-russia

de.news-front.info

Germany, Russia

German

Berlin is preparing to "cash in" on the gas pipelines of the Russian multinational Gazprom to deliver fuel from its LNG terminals. According to forecasts, the German authorities are most likely preparing for a take-over of Russia. It is a glorious German tradition. Attempts to rob and conquer Russia have been going on since the grey prehistoric times. And yes, Germany will rob Russia as soon as the opportunity arises. If there is no opportunity, they will carefully create one.

Wild conspiracy theory and unsubstantiated claim from pro-Kremlin media in the wider context of the explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. No facts or evidence are provided to support the claim that Germany wants to take over Russia.On 26 September 2022, the NS1 and the NS2 pipelines both ruptured. Denmark and Sweden view the Nord Stream pipeline leaks as 'deliberate actions'. Sweden, Germany and Denmark opened investigations into the incident. This is the first step in determining what caused the leaks. Anything before that would be mere speculation and conspiracy theory.As High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated: "Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response." NATO called the incidents "deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage. US President Biden stated that the Nord Stream leak is a ‘deliberate act of sabotage’.The European Union has not named any party as being responsible for the incident.See other examples of disinformation accusing the Anglo-Saxons of acting against Russia: United Europe is a vassal of the Anglo-Saxons and they team up against Russia; Events in Kazakhstan are an attempt of Anglo-Saxons to encircle Russia; Anglo-Saxons invade the sphere of Russia’s national interests in Ukraine and the Balkans; Anglo-Saxons are on the edge of an anti-Russian attack.

Nord Stream 2

07.11.2022

The US created COVID-19 and biological weapons in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-created-covid-19-and-biological-weapons-in-ukraine

baltnews.com

US, Ukraine

Russian

The US established biological laboratories in Ukraine and other countries near Russia to strengthen its influence. Coronavirus COVID-19 and biological weapons against Slavic ethnos were created in the laboratories in Ukraine.

Recurrent false pro-Kremlin narrative on US biological weapons in Ukraine.Russian unfounded allegations about US-funded bio-laboratories in Ukraine for military purposes have been repeatedly debunked, including by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, but pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities continue promoting these disinformation narratives.In reality, all laboratories located in Ukraine are controlled by the Ukrainian government and do not carry out military research. In August 2005, the US and Ukrainian governments made an agreement to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens and relevant expertise and to diminish potential biological risks. Partially, this agreement was aimed at modernising state laboratories in Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and other regions, consisting of upgrading lab equipment and repairs of premises. The US Embassy in Ukraine previously addressed the claims about supposed bio-military labs in Ukraine, stating that this is a fabricated accusation in pro-Kremlin propaganda that aims to hinder the ongoing U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats.There is no clear evidence that the COVID-19 coronavirus had an artificial origin. The narrative about the so-called “ethnic weapon” has been a core staple of Kremlin-backed disinformation over the years and has been dismissed as science fiction.The US and Ukraine are signatory States of the binding UN Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction entered into force in 1975.See similar cases in our database: Russia presented evidence of US biolabs in Ukraine at the Convention on biological weapons; US develop biological weapons at the border with Russia; The US admitted conducting biological experiments on Ukrainian citizens.

Biological weapons, coronavirus, Conspiracy theory, laboratory

07.11.2022

The German President goes the way of Goebbels

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-german-president-goes-the-way-of-goebbels

de.news-front.info

Germany, Russia

German

The German President Steinmeier calls for abandoning his love of Russian culture, following the footsteps of Goebbels, who also used to praise Russian Culture before he became a Nazi. Now Germany has realised that without cheap energy from Russia their accustomed life of prosperity will collapse. And of course the Russians are to blame for that. And the psychological preparation for the domination of their resources involves the dehumanisation and demonisation of Russia. The same was done in the Third Reich.On 24 February the German Chancellor commented on the start of the special military operation by saying that it had "freed Germany from historical guilt".

No factual basis confirms the statement that the current Federal President Frank-Walter-Steinmeier maintains parallels with the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. This is an adapted disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of Russophobia or being Nazi or fascist.The smear campaign against Frank Walter Steinmeier found its start after a recent speech on 28 October 2022, in which Federal President Steinmeier delivered a speech titled "Strengthening everything that connects us".In the entire speech, Steinmeier self-critically reflects on the Federal Republic of Germany's Russia policy in the past and in the present. A single sentence on the treatment of Russian culture and music is torn out of its overall context and reproduced as an anti-Russian, russophobic statement. However, the statement is of no relevance in the overall context of his speech, i.e. the political changes since 24 February, as Steinmeier points out numerous times in his speech. For example, Steinmeier calls the start of Russia's war of aggression on 24 February 2022 "the definitive, bitter failure of years of political efforts, including my own.""24. February was an epochal shift. It plunged us here in Germany, too, into a different time, into an uncertainty that we thought we had left behind us, a time marked by war, violence and displacement, by concerns that the war would spread across Europe like wildfire. A time of severe economic upheaval, of energy crisis." "Russia's brutal war of aggression in Ukraine has reduced the European security order to ashes. In his imperial obsession, the Russian President has broken international law, committed land grabs, called borders into question. The Russian attack is an attack on all of the lessons that the world had learned from the last century's two World Wars."Referring to Russian culture and "old dreams" Steinmeier concludes: "But when we look at today's Russia, there simply is no place for old dreams. Our countries are today opposed. Putin is commanding an invading army, and the Ukrainians are defending their country, which they have been building since their independence thirty years ago. Russia's war of aggression has demolished Gorbachev's dream of a "common European home". It is an attack on the law, on the principles of the renunciation of violence and of inviolable borders.The quotes used and comparisons with the Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels have no basis. Read more disinformation cases alleging that the West is carrying out a policy of Russophobia. 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.

Nazi/Fascist, Russophobia, Anti-Russian, Frank-Walter Steinmeier

07.11.2022

Life is unbearable in the US with drugs, crimeand gender change propaganda

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/life-is-unbearable-in-the-us-with-drugs-crimeand-gender-change-propaganda

RIA

US, Mexico

Russian

The present-time scale of crime in the US has never been worse. Hundreds of thousands illegal migrants from Mexico, among them cold-blooded criminals, drug dealers and simply hungry people who are ready to kill for food and drinks, are making the criminal situation in the US even worse.The deep anxiety that US Democrats feed the population with, have resulted in the record high mortality from drug abuse. Monstrous experiments over American kids with the propaganda of gender change are also on Democrats’ agenda. Given the state of affairs, Biden should voluntarily step down from the presidential position and receive special medical treatment.

This piece, timed to coincide the midterm elections in the US, contains false and exaggerated claims aimed to discredit Biden’s presidency and the US.For instance, the claim that the US is currently suffering from the previously unseen level of crimes is false. While in 2000 over 500 violent offenses were recorded per 100,000 people in the US, that figure was around 396 in 2021. "The longer-term trend for violent crime in the US since the 1990s has been generally downwards, although over the past few years it has remained relatively stable, according to FBI data", the BBC relevant journalist report says.More broadly, the publication is consistent with the recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that the US and the West are on the brink of an imminent collapse. Russian and pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets regularly employ this narrative, explained in our earlier analysis in detail. Examples include: the EU is on the verge of collapse, the US is collapsing, NATO is breaking down, Ukraine’s entry into the EU would provoke the bloc’s collapse, and the financial system is collapsing.Furthermore, through false claims that the US Democrats are carrying out gender experiments with kids and pushing people to change their gender the publication promotes the ‘threatened values’ disinformation narrative. The idea of a decaying West is often juxtaposed in the pro-Kremlin outlets against Russia that is the ‘guardian’ of decency and morality. See earlier cases alleging that in contrast to Russia, western Europe is abandoning Christian roots and that, unlike Russia, the West is not about fairness or solidarity and it degrades traditional values and endangers societies, while all-Russian history is highly moral.

Western values, Joe Biden, Crime, Economic difficulties

07.11.2022

Russia’s military operation against neo-Nazis in Ukraine was unavoidable

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russias-military-operation-against-neo-nazis-in-ukraine-was-unavoidable

es.news-front.info

Ukraine, Russia

Spanish

Ukraine was the first and main victim of the deliberate promotion of hate against Russia. In this regard, the military operation against neo-Nazis was unavoidable for Moscow.

This disinformation narrative is part of a wider campaign to deflect Russia’s responsibility for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. By arguing that its “operation against neo-Nazis was unavoidable”, this disinformation story aims to justify Russia’s unprovoked aggression against its peaceful neighbour.Russia spent years preparing the information battleground prior to its kinetic attack, and has been adapting its disinformation messages to the ongoing situation in the battlefield as the invasion did not go as the Kremlin had intended. Claims of “promotion of hate against Russia” (or “Russophobia”) are a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, as it is also depicting Russia’s adversaries as Nazis.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the West is lying when it claims that Russia “invaded” and “attacked” Ukraine, that Russia’s special operation prevented Ukraine’s attack, that Russia’s special operation in Ukraine is due to NATO’s persistent expansion, or that the US and the West are fighting a hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine.

Invasion of Ukraine, Nazi/Fascist, Russophobia

07.11.2022

Zelenskyy may use a dirty bomb if the US asks him to

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/zelenskyy-may-use-a-dirty-bomb-if-the-us-asks-him-to

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine, US

Spanish

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may use a dirty bomb if the US asks him to do so, even if this destroys his country. It can’t be ruled out that Zelenskyy, a US puppet who does what Washington requests from him even if this means the destruction of Ukraine, uses a dirty bomb. He doesn’t care about anything, he is a really despicable character.

This is a mix of several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, in this case, part of a wider campaign about Ukraine’s alleged preparations for a dirty bomb. This manipulative story serves a double purpose: first, denigrating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation, by framing him as a US puppet, in line with long-term narratives about Ukraine’s lack of sovereignty. At the same time, it aims to promote unsubstantiated allegations of Ukrainian plans to use a dirty bomb. Repeating previous baseless allegations as established facts while introducing minor variations is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.On October 23, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu phoned the defence ministers of four NATO countries: France, Turkey, Great Britain and the US. Shoigu said that Ukraine was allegedly preparing a "provocation" with the explosion of a "dirty bomb" on its territory. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation did not provide any evidence of this, and there is nothing to validate the Russian claim. Pictures presented by the Russian Foreign Ministry to illustrate these allegations were actually from 2010 and originally posted by the Slovenian Radioactive Waste Agency, and therefore totally unrelated to the current situation.Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed. In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research. Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'." IAEA inspectors found nothing suspicious in the Ukrainian facilities. Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim. EU High Representative Josep Borrell dismissed the allegations as false. In addition, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, that Kyiv is developing this bomb under US and NATO supervision, that UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s dirty bomb plan, or that Ukraine’s dirty bomb provocation will take place in November.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Invasion of Ukraine, Nuclear issues, Sovereignty

06.11.2022

Ukraine is the world's main hot bed of neo-Nazism

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-is-the-worlds-main-hot-bed-of-neo-nazism

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, Ukraine, US

Italian

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted a draft Russian resolution on “combating the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance."The United States and Ukraine, the world's main hotbed of neo-Nazism, as has been the case for years, voted against. So did 51 other countries (including Italy and Washington's other European vassals), 15 abstained, and 106 states supported the Russian draft resolution expected to reach the General Assembly plenary in December.The political significance of the opposition is clear: the US and NATO countries are boycotting the resolution that, albeit not openly, calls out Ukraine, where neo-Nazi battalions like Azov are an integral part of the proxy war waged by NATO and the US against Russia.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi state, supported by the US, in the context of Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The disinformation claim of "Nazi Ukraine" has been used as a pretext for Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. This resolution mentioned in the disinformation claim has been used by the Russian Federation to accuse various European states of Nazism , and Ukraine more specifically. The representative of the Czech Republic, speaking on behalf of the European Union as well as EU candidate country Ukraine, emphasized that the Russian Federation has used the false narrative of denazification to justify its breach of the United Nations Charter and its violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent State.Similar positions, including concerns about the context in which the resolution is being presented, have been expressed by several EU member states, as well as other UN members.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. This myth has been already widely addressed on EUvsDisinfo. See also our analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Nazi/Fascist, Azov Battalion, War in Ukraine, Russophobia, Coup, NATO

05.11.2022

Ukraine will inevitably end up being shared among its neighbours

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-will-inevitably-end-up-being-shared-among-its-neighbours

newsformy.com,24press.net,sa24.co,rtarabic.com,almatareed.org,nabd.com,arabic.rt.com,Khabar Masr

Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia

Arabic

Poland plans to seize part of the territory of western Ukraine. According to the Polish authorities, this land is the historical centre of Poland. If such a scenario is possible, how will it be implemented, is it by force or will Ukraine simply hand over the land?Ukraine’s existence will inevitably end with it being shared among its neighbours. Russia would like to resolve this matter peacefully, so that the Poles simply take the three regions of Galicia, and that they persuade the Hungarians to take beyond the Carpathians, and the Romanians to take Bukovina. That will be the end of it.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives claiming that Ukraine has other countries’ territories which should be ceded to their rightful owners. This is a cynical attempt to indirectly draw other countries into Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.Poland, Hungary, and Romania respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. They do not have claims over any of Ukraine's territories. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, has tried to violate Ukraine's territorial integrity. Poland, Hungary, and Romania adhere to international law regarding state borders.See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poles are stoking nationalist sentiment in Ukraine in order to annex Lviv, 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 will disintegrate and fall prey to territorial claims of EU member states, that Ukraine is a Western colony belonging to Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia.

Ukrainian disintegration, Sovereignty, Ukrainian statehood, War in Ukraine

05.11.2022

Moldovan export fundamentally dependent on Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/moldovan-export-fundamentally-dependent-on-russia

Moldavskie Vedomosti

Moldova, Russia, EU

Russian

The situation in Moldova is radically different from that in Romania and Ukraine. Exports are fundamentally dependent on Russia.

Recurring the pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Moldova will not survive without a good relationship with Russia. The argument given is that Moldova exports a large part of its production to Russia and the loss of markets would be catastrophic for the economy.In fact, this statement no longer corresponds to the truth. Moldova's exports to the Russian market have been constantly decreasing over the last 5 years, as shown by data from the Ministry of Economy of Moldova. Currently, of the total exported goods, Moldova sent to European countries 61.6% of the volume, while to Russia only 5.1%.This false claim continues to be spread by the pro-Kremlin media despite being regularly debunked by official data. See here a similar case claiming that Moldova's fruit and vegetable export to Russia was significantly higher than to EU and here a case saying that Moldova exports most of the products to Russia. More information on the case can be found on StopFals.md.

economy

04.11.2022

Mariupol is an ancient Russian city

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/mariupol-is-an-ancient-russian-city

RBC.ru

Russia, Ukraine

Russian

Mariupol is an ancient Russian city. It was there that Peter the Great founded Russia's first army flotilla and achieved his first victories. It was there that Suvorov waged his campaigns across the steppes, and it was the city that Catherine the Great would later expand.

The allegation is part of a broader disinformation campaign to prepare the ground and justify the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia.Mariupol cannot be considered a Russian city under any prism. Prior to WWI it was part of the Russian Empire, but so was most of the rest of Ukraine and a big part of what is today Polish territory (see map here). After the outbreak of the Ukrainian-Soviet war in 1917, it became part of the so-called Ukrainian People’s Republic and was afterwards occupied by German and Austrian troops as a result of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. In 1921, it became part of the new Socialist Republic of Ukraine, which was soon integrated in the USSR. Mariupol was always recognised by Russian authorities as Ukrainian territory, both during Soviet times and after Ukraine’s independence in 1991.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that a referendum and a coup forced Luhansk and Donetsk to declare independence, that the Russian liberation of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk ended discrimination and abuse, that “Azov” admitted in a secret document that the majority of Mariupol residents support Russia, or that the Financial Times reported that Ukraine threatened Russia with terrorist attacks on its territory.

Historical revisionism, Vladimir Putin, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Eastern Ukraine, Donbas, Russian world

03.11.2022

The West is helping Ukraine create a "dirty bomb"

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-is-helping-ukraine-create-a-dirty-bomb

tass.com,tass.ru,iz.ru,RIA,tvzvezda.ru

Russia, Ukraine

English, Russian

According to the available data, Ukraine is carrying out work to create a ‘dirty’ nuclear charge. We believe that this process is taking place with the participation of Western patrons.

Conspiracy theory, accusing Ukraine and the West of creating a dirty bomb and posing a nuclear threat to Russia.There is no evidence that Ukraine, with the participation of the West, is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia.This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has used a deep-seated and very reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine.Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for the invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim and warned that such allegations can be used as a pretext for greater escalation. Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'." IAEA inspectors found nothing suspicious in the Ukrainian facilities.Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed.See similar disinformation cases claiming that Zelensky regime is building a dirty bomb, that Ukrainian terrorists almost finished adirtybomb, that UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s "dirtybomb" plan, that Western curators are involved in the creation of a "dirty bomb" by Kyiv, that, Ukraine's “dirtybomb” provocation will take place in November, that Ukraine and the West are preparing a nuclear provocation.

West, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Nuclear issues, Provocation, security threat, Budapest memorandum, Conspiracy theory

03.11.2022

Western curators are involved in the creation of a "dirty bomb" by Kyiv

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-curators-are-involved-in-the-creation-of-a-dirty-bomb-by-kyiv

tlgrm.ru,nsn.fm,ren.tv,News Rambler,tvzvezda.ru

Russia

Russian

In Ukraine, work is underway to create a "dirty" nuclear charge. We believe that this process is taking place with the participation of Western curators.

Conspiracy theory, accusing Ukraine of creating a dirty bomb and posing a nuclear threat to Russia.There is no evidence that Ukraine is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia.Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim and warned that such allegations can be used as a pretext for greater escalation. Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'." IAEA inspectors have completed in-field verification activities at three locations in Ukraine at the request of the government and found no indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials.Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Stoltenberg tweeted that the NATO allies "reject this allegation" and "Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation".Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed. In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research.See more related cases: 2 Ukrainian firms ordered to make dirty bomb, work near completion; Work on the creation of a "dirty bomb" is coming to an end in Ukraine; UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s "dirty bomb" plan.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Nuclear issues, West, Anti-Russian, Destabilising Russia, Nikolay Patrushev

03.11.2022

Anglo-Saxons want to crush and destroy the Russian ethnic group

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/anglo-saxons-want-to-crush-and-destroy-the-russian-ethnic-group

rbc.ua,sev.tv,Moskovskij Komsomolets,sev.tv

Russia, Ukraine

Ukrainian, Russian

The Anglo-Saxons want to crush and destroy the Russian ethnic group.The West not only wants to organise a foothold in Ukraine to put pressure on the Russian Federation but also to create a precedent for the fragmentation of the Russian ethnos.The ultimate goal of the Anglo-Saxons is to completely eradicate and destroy the Russian ethnos. To do this, they are ready to push Russia and Europe into a military confrontation, and the Kyiv regime is becoming the main tool for fighting Moscow.

Conspiracy theory and mix of disinformation narratives from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and an allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy the Russian ethnos. The article also aims to portray Kyiv as a puppet of the Anglo-Saxons and Russia as a victim to deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions.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 FeelingsStatements about the intentions of the West to exterminate the Russian ethnic group are absurd and unfounded. It is Russia, which exterminates the civilian population of Ukraine and does not hide its intentions to destroy Ukraine as a state.An example is an article by Timofej Sergeitsev "What Russia should do with Ukraine". According to the author, “denazification of Ukraine” means carrying out a policy of genocide against the country: Ukraine should be liquidated as a nation and as a state and fragmented into separate “people’s republics” controlled by Russia, and the very name “Ukraine” should be eradicated.The 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.See other examples of disinformation accusing Anglo-Saxons acting against Russia: Anglo-Saxons want to involve Ukraine in a war against Slavs; United Europe is a vassal of the Anglo-Saxons and they team up against Russia; Events in Kazakhstan are an attempt of Anglo-Saxons to encircle Russia; Anglo-Saxons invade the sphere of Russia’s national interests in Ukraine and the Balkans; Anglo-Saxons are on the edge of an anti-Russian attack.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Anglo-Saxon, Conspiracy theory, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, Nikolay Patrushev, Destabilising Russia

03.11.2022

NATO countries provided Ukraine with infected blood

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nato-countries-provided-ukraine-with-infected-blood

vkpress.ru,lenta.ru,Ukraina.ru,life.ru,t.me

Ukraine

Russian

NATO countries donated blood for wounded Ukrainian soldiers, and later Ukrainian doctors found HIV and hepatitis in it. NATO allies supplied Kyiv with 68,000 litres of blood at the request of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for wounded Ukrainian military personnel. Russian hackers managed to gain access to the results of a study of this blood from the archives of the Prime Minister of Ukraine, which revealed HIV and hepatitis in various forms.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation about Ukraine and NATO. It is part of a broader pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign accompanying the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.The claim about discovering various infections in the blood supplied by NATO member states to Ukraine is false. In fact, Ukraine has never turned to foreign partners for blood or its components, as Ukraine has established a national blood service that provides patients with laboratory-tested, high-quality blood.This letter published by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on November 7th states that since the first day of the war, citizens of Ukraine have been systematically making planned donations, which ensures a stable supply of blood. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine further stated that the document distributed by the Russian media, which allegedly reflects the letter written by the Minister of Health of Ukraine to the Prime Minister, proving the detection of HIV and hepatitis in the blood samples, is fabricated, as the document does not meet the requirements for issuing official documents in Ukraine.Read the full debunk at Myth Detector.

NATO, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian aid

02.11.2022

Ukrainian grain exports do not affect global prices

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-grain-exports-do-not-affect-global-prices

raialyoum.com,nabd.com,arabic.rt.com

Ukraine

Arabic

The importance of Ukrainian grain to the world is exaggerated. The share of Ukraine's grain exports in world consumption is insignificant, and it cannot seriously affect prices.

This claim is demonstrably false, and aims at undermining the importance of Ukraine to the world economy, as well as undermining the global economic impact of Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is one of the world's major grain producers. In fact, Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. It is also the main producer sunflower oil. When grain deliveries were initially suspended as a result of Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports, this caused grain prices to sky-rocket. By mid-May, export prices for wheat and corn had reached unprecedented heights. Prices have also dropped once Ukrainian grain ships were allowed to leave Black Sea ports as a result of the grain deal, signed in July by Turkiye, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations to unblock the Black Sea for Ukrainian exports of grains.

food, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, economy, Economic difficulties

02.11.2022

Weapons supplied to Kyiv are distributed among criminal groups in Europe

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/weapons-supplied-to-kyiv-are-distributed-among-criminal-groups-in-europe

ren.tv,iz.ru,kp.ru,life.ru,riafan.ru,argumenti.ru

Ukraine

Russian

Finnish police have information about weapons that fell into the hands of local criminal groups. Weapons delivered to Ukraine have also been found in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.The statistics of only 30% of Western arms supplies to Ukraine reaching the front line, the remaining 70% end up in the hands of illegal arms dealers have only undergone slight adjustment. The Ukrainian criminals were able to outsmart the US and NATO controllers allocated to supervise the lethal cargo entering arms storage facilities in Nezalezhnaya in Ukraine.A black market for arms is formed in Ukraine, and there is a risk of portable anti-aircraft missile systems and high-precision weapons falling into the hands of criminal gangs or terrorists.

A false narrative used to misinterpret a Finnish police inspector's interview, adding to it unsupported claims from the Russian officials. "NBI has no evidence on donated weapons delivered to Finland" reported the press service of the Finnish police on 1st of November 2022, to debunk the claims."The public may have been under the impression that weapons donated and delivered to Ukraine would have ended up in the hands of operators in organised crime in Finland. The National Bureau of Investigation has no information on delivering such weapons to Finland. The Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE reported on Sunday 30 October 2022 on weapons being trafficked from Ukraine to Finland. The story was based on YLE’s interview of Detective Superintendent Christer Ahlgren of the NBI. Based on the interview, YLE published a story in Finnish and a shorter version in English. The NBI considers that the perception, based on the interview, that weapons donated to Ukraine are being trafficked to members of organised crime in Finland, is not accurate. The police have no evidence showing that donated weapons would have been smuggled from Ukraine to Finland.– We don't know that weapons supplied to Ukraine would have ended up in the hands of criminals in Finland, says Markus Välimäki, Deputy Director of the NBI.– Based on the interview of our expert, people may have got the impression that there have already been weapons trafficked to Finland. However, we have no evidence of such a phenomenon. Our purpose was to show that there is a possibility that criminals operating in Finland are trying to obtain weapons from conflict zones", says Välimäki.No evidence is given to support the claim that "a black arms market is being formed in Ukraine, and there is a risk of portable anti-aircraft missile systems and high-precision weapons falling into the hands of malefactor". A BBC report on 23 September 2022 stated that "Russian state media claim Ukrainians are selling US-donated weapons on the dark web. The BBC investigated one such marketplace, spoke undercover to those apparently selling weapons, and gathered evidence that suggests the adverts for weapons are fake''.Thus, the BBC found several sellers on the same marketplace mentioned by Russian state media outlets. They said they were selling Nato weapons, and their geolocation was Kyiv (the name of Ukraine's capital was misspelled in Ukrainian). One of the main sellers claims to have made 32 successful deals selling US-made carbines [a type of automatic rifle], pistols and other rifles all allegedly delivered within Ukraine. However, the BBC found that many of the photos of the weapons were not as they appeared - the photos were old and manipulated.See another disinformation case Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, Western arms backing international terrorists as well as other disinformation cases on the invasion of Ukraine.

Invasion of Ukraine, Corruption

02.11.2022

Only Europe's geopolitical union with Russia could save it from American hegemony

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/only-europes-geopolitical-union-with-russia-could-save-it-from-american-hegemony

raialyoum.com,arabic.rt.com

Europe, Russia, US

Arabic

The union of Russia with Europe in the great geopolitical game fundamentally solves the problem of American hegemony. Only this alliance can allow Europe to preserve its industrial culture and strength, and open up the vast markets of the South to Europeans. As for the United States, the loss of its influence over the Old World would mean the catastrophic failure of the unipolar world order.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged loss of sovereignty of the EU and its member states. Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet-states or colonies of the US.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.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.”The aims and values on which the European Union is founded on the pursuit of peace, the well-being of its citizens, freedom, security and justice. The EU safeguards democracy and the rule of law is one of the fundamental pillars of the Treaty on European Union, according to which everything the EU does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by its EU countries. Read more about the Primacy of the EU law here.See similar cases that Europe has become a US military and political colony, that the European Union has finally lost its political sovereignty, that the EU is a cover-up for the anti-Russian game of Anglo-Saxons, and that the EU was born in order to preserve the Atlanticist hegemony over Europe.

US presence in Europe, Sovereignty, Europe

02.11.2022

The US aims to bleed the European economy dry

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-aims-to-bleed-the-european-economy-dry

oroszhirek.hu

US, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Europe

Hungarian

Europeans already suffer many times more from anti-Russian sanctions than the United States. More economists come to the conclusion that the US is intending to bleed out and de-industrialise the European economy entirely. Washington also has an interest in weakening Europe militarily. To keep it under constant pressure, to force it to pump arms into Ukraine, and in return to fill the arms depots of EU countries with US supplies. This will inevitably lead to the de-industrialization of the EU, with unfortunate consequences for the bloc in the next 10-20 years.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the alleged loss of sovereignty of the EU and the collapsing economies of European countries. Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet-states or colonies of the US and try to frame sanctions against Russia as threat to the European economies.The EU adopted so far eight sanction packages against Russia due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories. Not all trade restrictions are yet enforced as the energy sector needs longer transition periods so it is too early to assess the full effect of the sanctions as that work is in the long term. However, it is incorrect to state that the EU is more affected than the Russian economy from the sanctions. The Russian leadership is constantly demanding the sanctions be removed. Russia has been using energy as a political and economic weapon several times against other states. Russia is no longer a stable and reliable supplier and while Europe is indeed facing an energy crisis with diversification to other sources, it is still set to grow this year according to the European Commission's summer 2022 forecast, while Russia's economy is set to contract by 6% in 2022.The US, the EU and some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression, but they are not involved in fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.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 more about the EU response and support for Ukraine. See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.

Economic difficulties, Sanctions, US presence in Europe, Invasion of Ukraine

02.11.2022

The UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-uk-took-part-in-the-explosion-of-the-nord-stream-pipelines

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, UK, Germany

Hungarian

British naval personnel stationed in Ochakov in the Mikolayiv region of Ukraine were involved in the planning, securing and execution of the attack on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. The same British specialists led the preparation of the attack on Sevastopol and trained soldiers of the 73rd Ukrainian Special Naval Operations Centre. London refused to acknowledge its involvement in the bombings.

Conspiracy theory and unsubstantiated claim from pro-Kremlin media about the explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.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.As High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated: "Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response." NATO called the incidents "deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage. Joe Biden says Nord Stream leak is ‘Deliberate act of sabotage’.European Union at the moment did not name anyone who could be behind the incident.The goal of this disinformation narrative is to denigrate Ukraine by portraying it as fully controlled by the West which goes for more escalation. Russia has also been pushing the narrative that it is fighting not only Ukraine but also NATO and the West as a whole for a long time.See other examples of disinformation accusing Anglo-Saxons acting against Russia: United Europe is a vassal of the Anglo-Saxons and they team up against Russia; Events in Kazakhstan are an attempt of Anglo-Saxons to encircle Russia; Anglo-Saxons invade the sphere of Russia’s national interests in Ukraine and the Balkans; Anglo-Saxons are on the edge of an anti-Russian attack.

Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, Invasion of Ukraine

02.11.2022

The West is advocating for a global conflict

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-is-advocating-for-a-global-conflict

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, Europe, US

Hungarian

The West is advocating for a global conflict. And only a complete and final victory of Russia will guarantee that there will be no world war.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about an aggressive West destabilising Russia, or claiming that the West is directly involved in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the Ukrainian side, aiming to portray the country as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions and the constant nuclear threats made by the Kremlin.The US and EU did not aim to escalate relations with Russia and were not preparing for military conflict. Neither the European Union nor Western countries have declared war to Russia or want to escalate the war in Ukraine. Western nations have always been calling for solving all problems with Russia in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. Moscow’s overall aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West.On the contrary, 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 has created a serious danger to European security, while using nuclear threats.Some NATO member states are providing Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression, but they 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. NATO condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia's war on Ukraine. NATO as an organisation is not involved in fighting in Ukraine. In fact, Western actions adopted against Russia, such as sanctions or diplomatic measures, are a reaction to these actions including the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the long-term destabilisation of Ukraine or the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of this peaceful country.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 other examples of similar disinformation messages, such as claims that the West fights Russia through psy-ops like Bucha and the Mariupol maternity hospital, that the US needs war between Russia and Ukraine to weaken Russia, that Moscow called for peaceful coexistence but Russia is depicted as a global threat, Russia is under US and NATO attack,or that the West has an anti-Russian plan named “Anaconda ring”.

Sanctions, Invasion of Ukraine, Nuclear issues, West

01.11.2022

Ukraine has drones capable of spraying containers with mosquitos to spread bioweapons

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-has-drones-capable-of-spraying-containers-with-mosquitos-to-spread-bioweapons

ntv.ru,

Russia, Ukraine, US

Russian

Moscow appealed to the UN demanding an international investigation into US involvement in the development of biological weapons in Ukraine, because Russia has documents contain descriptions of projects to study the possibility of the spread of dangerous infections through migratory birds, including highly pathogenic influenza and Newcastle disease. The geographic coverage of these projects also includes territories in Russia, not just the Ukrainian regions bordering Russia. Russia has been raising the issue of the development of biological weapons, combat pathogens, and viruses in Ukrainian laboratories since this spring. Russian troops in Kherson have discovered three drones that can be used to spray bioagents. It is also known about a drone patented in the United States that can spread mosquitoes infected with dangerous viruses. Such a drone transports a container with a large number of mosquito carriers of infection to a given area - and releases them.

Recurrent false pro-Kremlin narrative on US biological weapons in Ukraine.Pro-Kremlin media try to pass off a programme to create safe storage of pathogens and toxins in Ukraine for peaceful research and development of vaccines, as work on biological weapons.See remarks by US Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council meeting on Russia’s unfounded allegations of biological weapons programmes in Ukraine, from 26 October 2022: "We hear Russia raises alarms that biological weapons will be delivered by birds and bats and now even mosquitoes. Birds and bats. Russia knows public health laboratories routinely study migratory animal species to assess and counter animal-borne pathogens. Bear in mind, much like Russia, birds and bats don’t tend to observe or respect sovereign borders. Russia’s assertions are absurd for many reasons, including because such species, even if they could be weaponized, would pose as much a threat to the European continent and to Ukraine itself as they would to any other country".This bizarre and yet enduring narrative is a leitmotif in a years-old disinformation campaign conducted by the Kremlin and is currently deployed in an attempt to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.Some Kremlin disinformation narratives have been those accusing the West of running clandestine biological research programmes to wreak havoc around the world. In reality, all laboratories located in Ukraine are controlled by the Ukrainian government. In August 2005, the US and Ukrainian governments made an agreement to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens and relevant expertise and to diminish potential biological risks. Partially, this agreement was aimed at modernising state laboratories in Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and other regions, consisting of upgrading lab equipment and repairs of premises.The US Biological Threat Reduction Program is part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, also known as the Nunn-Lugar Program. This initiative, implemented since 1991, is aimed at helping the countries of the former USSR in the destruction of weapons of mass destruction. The Nunn-Lugar program operates in many post-Soviet countries; until 2014, it also operated in Russia. The US Embassy in Ukraine previously addressed the claims about supposed bio-military labs in Ukraine, stating that this is a fabricated accusation in pro-Kremlin propaganda that aims to hinder the ongoing U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats. US, Ukraine and Georgia are signatory States of the binding UN Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction entered into force in 1975.

Biological weapons, Invasion of Ukraine

01.11.2022

Russia suspended grain deal because all Ukrainian grain goes to Europe

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-suspended-grain-deal-because-all-ukrainian-grain-goes-to-europe

kachaf.com,arabic.rt.com,arab-j.net

Russia, Ukraine, Europe

Arabic

The suspension of the grain deal by Russia is a consistent and logical step. Such a deal does not suit us for two reasons: first, commitments to Russia are not being fulfilled, and Russian fertilizers and grains do not have free access to international markets; second, grain sent from Ukraine ends up in European ports instead of reaching the poor in developing countries

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity by claiming that most of Ukraine's grain ships are sent to rich European countries. This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.This false allegation goes in line with a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to blame Western countries for a global food crisis engineered by Russia as part of its unjustified aggression against Ukraine.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 23 September, out of the 203 shipments, less then half, only 92 - headed to EU countries. The majority headed for other countries like Turkey, Egypt, China, 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 also article 15. of the conclusions of the European Council of 20 and 21 October 2022 which states:Russia, by weaponising food in its war against Ukraine, is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has provoked. Russia’s war of aggression has triggered disruptions of agricultural production, supply chains and trade that have driven world food and fertiliser prices to unprecedented levels. The EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes have made possible the export of significant volumes of Ukrainian crops, agricultural products and fertilisers to the countries most in need.See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that EU is causing a global food shortage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine; Only 3% of Ukrainian grains end up in poor countries; the rest go to EU countries; The EU kept most of the ships with Ukrainian grain, only 2 went to developing countries.

food, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

31.10.2022

Latvia, Estonia and other Western countries are causing global food shortage

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/latvia-estonia-and-other-western-countries-are-causing-global-food-shortage

baltnews.com

Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, The Netherlands

Russian

Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands are blocking the supply of Russian fertilizers to poor countries and are the cause for the growing global food shortage.

Recurring disinformation narratives about food shortages.Russia, without providing evidence, is trying to transfer responsibility for the current food crisis to Western countries. 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.See also article 15 of the conclusions of the European Council of 20 and 21 October 2022 which states:Russia, by weaponising food in its war against Ukraine, is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has provoked. Russia’s war of aggression has triggered disruptions of agricultural production, supply chains and trade that have driven world food and fertiliser prices to unprecedented levels. The EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes have made possible the export of significant volumes of Ukrainian crops, agricultural products and fertilisers to the countries most in need.EU sanctions “do not target in any way the trade in agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers, between third countries and Russia”. Despite this, in mod-November 2022, some fertiliser cargo ships were stuck in the ports of the Netherlands, Belgium and Estonia due to relations with individuals under the sanctions. Finally, it was agreed that the fertiliser will be shipped to Africa.See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the EU, not Russia, is behind the energy, food and economic crisis, or that the EU is causing a global food storage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine, or that the US and the EU don’t care about starving many millions of Latin Americans.

Sanctions, food

31.10.2022

Poland is preparing the seizure of "historical lands" in Western Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-is-preparing-the-seizure-of-historical-lands-in-western-ukraine

Moldavskie Vedomosti

Ukraine, Poland, US, EU

Russian

Poland is preparing a springboard for intervention and the seizure of "historical lands" in Western Ukraine.

Recurring the pro-Kremlin narrative about Ukraine's lack of sovereignty and Poland's so-called intentions to appropriate Ukrainian territories.This narrative appears periodically in the context of the aid that the USA and the EU give to Ukraine in the war with Russia. There is no evidence. Ukraine is a sovereign state, which declared its independence in 1991 and whose independence has been recognized by other states, including Poland. EU and US also respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and does not have any territorial claims against it. Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here. The claims about possible Polish and also NATO aggression against Ukraine are false; their goal is to justify the expansion of the Russian military on Belarus’s territory and to present Russia as the protector of Ukraine's territorial integrity, which is a complete distortion of reality.See here more cases about alleged intention to seize Ukrainian territories, including a case claiming that Kyiv can pay from military assistance from the West with its territories.

31.10.2022

Russia should not be accused of withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-should-not-be-accused-of-withdrawing-from-the-black-sea-grain-deal

baltnews.com

Russia, Ukraine, UK

Russian

Russia should not be accused of withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal. Ukraine is guilty, which, with the support of the UK navy, recklessly attacked Russia’s Black Sea navy in Sevastopol.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity, exacerbating Moscow’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea grain deal.Russia made the decision to suspend its participation in the deal after drone attacks on its vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol in Crimea. Yet, days later Russia reversed its decision in what seem a PR-exercise to avoid international blame and heavy criticism from the deals two other main actors: the UN and Ankara. Moscow accused Ukraine and the UK of carrying out the attacks. The United Kingdom officially denied the accusations, and Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attacks. See more information about the attacks here.At the same time, Russia is responsible for the global food crisis. It 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. See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the EU, not Russia, is behind the energy, food and economic crisis, or that the EU is causing a global food storage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine, or that the US and the EU don’t care about starving many millions of Latin Americans.

food, Black Sea, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

31.10.2022

The Polish Home Army tried to prevent peace in the areas liberated from the Nazis

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-polish-home-army-tried-to-prevent-peace-in-the-areas-liberated-from-the-nazis

Sputnik Poland

Poland, Russia

Polish

The archive documents declassified by the Russian FSB prove that the soldiers of the Polish Home Army, led by the government-in-exile in London, committed numerous murders at the end of the war in 1944-45, trying to prevent peace in the areas liberated from the Nazis.

This message is a part of the Russian historical revisionism efforts, trying to portray the USSR as a “liberator” and a peaceful country.The Russian FSB regularly declassifies “secret” documents trying to denigrate the Polish Home Army and other formations, who fought both against the Nazi and Soviet occupation.According to the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, the declassified documents published by Russia do not bring any particularly significant new information on Soviet operations during 1944-1945. The institute also states that during this period, the Soviet Union, at the same time as fighting Germany, pursued a consistent policy aimed at preventing the reconstruction of the independent Republic of Poland. The Soviet documents falsely present the Polish Home Army self-defence actions against Soviet enslavement, massive repression and murders by the NKVD and other formations in the parts of Poland occupied by the USSR as "terrorist activities", hiding the entire Soviet policy against Poland's independence in 1944-1945. The Polish Minister of Culture, Piotr Gliński, reacted to the Russian publication of the declassified archive materials with an appeal for the return of national treasures and archives taken by the USSR from Poland during and after WWII.See other examples of Russian historical revisionism concerning this issue such as Signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact thwarted the UK’s expansionist plans in Europe, The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not violate the rights of the Polish state and the shift of all blame for WWII outbreak at the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact the best example of manipulation of history.

WWII, Historical revisionism, USSR, Red Army

31.10.2022

Rishi Sunak is part of the Rothschild’s anti-Russian circle

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/rishi-sunak-is-part-of-the-rothschilds-anti-russian-circle

UK, Russia

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

New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, just like French president Emmanuel Macron, is linked to the Rothschilds. London's City works under Rothschild’s brand. Sunak, Macron and the like are lobbyists of the global financial capital. They get power through supranational corporate structures such as the Bilderberg Group, which unites politicians pursuing the interests of Anglo-Saxon dominance. It is naive to think that Sunak will not be involved in the anti-Russian geopolitical games. Recent terrorist attacks on the Russian Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol and attacks on the Nord Stream with the UK’s participation are the proof.

An unfounded conspiracy theory, sharing a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about "secret elites" controlling world leaders. This narrative aims to question the legitimacy of democracy and Western institutions. It also promotes an unsubstantiated claim about the attacks on the Russian fleet and the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Read a more detailed debunking of the latter claim here.The 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.See earlier disinformation cases in the ‘big conspiracy’ category alleging that the decision to go ahead with the coronavirus pandemic was taken by the Rothschilds, Rockefellers and Gates in Davos, that the Rothschilds sanctioned an attempt to impeach Donald Trump, that the “true rulers of the globe” are like the "Skulls and Bones" fraternity to which all US presidents belong. A few examples of disinformation accusing Anglo-Saxons of acting against Russia include: United Europe is a vassal of the Anglo-Saxons and they team up against Russia; Events in Kazakhstan are an attempt of Anglo-Saxons to encircle Russia; Anglo-Saxons are on the edge of an anti-Russian attack.Technical remark: This disinformation was broadcast via Sputnik on 31 October 2022. Due to the EU decision to restrict the spread and dissemination of RT and Sputnik inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.

30.10.2022

The West may be behind the terrorist attack in Iran

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-may-be-behind-the-terrorist-attack-in-iran

sputniknews.lat

Iran, US

Spanish

The terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Shiraz, claimed by the terrorist group Islamic State, took place in a moment when Western agencies want to create social stability in the country. What is at stake is the control of Western Asia, which Iran prevents, while control of Central Asia is prevented by China and Russia. A multipolar world is strongly emerging and the US wants to avoid the end of its own dominion. The Islamic State is an organisation created by the CIA, as Hillary Clinton admitted in her memoirs, to fight against Iran and Hezbollah.

Conspiracy theory not supported by any evidence and based in false premises. The claim that Hillary Clinton admitted in her memoirs that the CIA created the Islamic State is false: the allegation started spreading in 2014, including fake screenshots of Clinton’s new autobiography “Password 360” apparently showing an admission that the US and the Muslim Brotherhood had engineered the Islamic State. The original book doesn’t include any passage of this sort and the claim was quickly debunked, including an official refutation by the US Embassy in Beirut, but has been since regularly peddled by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets.By hinting that the terrorist attack that took place against the Shahcheragh Shrine in the Iranian city of Shiraz on 27 October 2022 may be a Western operation to destabilise Iran for geopolitical reasons, this disinformation story also aims to promote a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West’s alleged support for terrorism. In fact, most Western countries -including the US and most EU members, as well as Canada and Australia- have taken part in the counter-terrorism mission Operation Inherent Resolve to fight against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, while the EU established its own set of actions to counter Daesh.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the West encouraged the creation of the Islamic State, who are its mercenaries; that the US is recruiting ISIS terrorists to fight in Ukraine; that the West is supporting terrorists to encircle Russia; that the EU is supporting terrorism against the Syrian state; that instead of killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the US may have evacuated him; that the US is transporting ISIS members to Afghanistan; or that extremists and Nazis were being trained in Ukraine to act in Belarus.

Terrorism, CIA, Daesh

30.10.2022

The threat of Ukraine’s dirty bomb is growing

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-threat-of-ukraines-dirty-bomb-is-growing

sputniknews.lat

Ukraine, Russia

Spanish

The threat of Ukraine preparing a dirty bomb to use within its territory as a provocation against Russia is growing despite the international community ignoring the Kremlin’s warnings. Another desperate move from Kyiv, as it is impossible to defeat Moscow.

This disinformation claim is a repetition of an unsubstantiated allegation by Russian officials, part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign. Repeating previous baseless allegations as established facts while introducing minor variations is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.On October 23, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu phoned the Defence Ministers of four NATO countries: France, Turkiye, Great Britain and the US. Shoigu said that Ukraine was allegedly preparing a "provocation" with the explosion of a "dirty bomb" on its territory. In this statement, the governments of France, the UK and the US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation did not provide any evidence of this, and there is nothing to validate the Russian claim. Pictures presented by the Russian Foreign Ministry to illustrate these allegations were actually from 2010 and originally posted by the Slovenian Radioactive Waste Agency, and therefore totally unrelated to the current situation. Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'." IAEA inspectors found nothing suspicious in the Ukrainian facilities. Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim. EU High Representative Josep Borrell dismissed the allegations as false. “The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, that Kyiv is developing this bomb under US and NATO supervision, that UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s dirty bomb plan, or that Ukraine’s dirty bomb provocation will take place in November.

Nuclear issues, Provocation, false flag, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

30.10.2022

Poland is preparing to seize Western Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-is-preparing-to-seize-western-ukraine

russtrat.ru

Poland, Ukraine

Russian

Poland is preparing a springboard for the invasion and seizure of its "historical lands" on the territory of the former Ukrainian SSR.“The Polish Party “Law and Justice” (PiS) has prepared for the return of the “western outskirts” of Ukraine. Poland already has special rights in Ukraine: the Poles got the opportunity to take seats in the government of this country, conduct business, and buy Ukrainian factories.Judging by the zeal with which Zelenskyy gives Poland such carte blanche, military assistance and assistance to refugees was not so disinterested. [...]Russia is regaining its historical lands and getting one step closer to the eastern border of the EU and NATO. And then the Polish government will decide on the introduction of a "peaceful contingent", or rather the Polish army, into the territory of Western Ukraine. After that, a referendum is held on the accession of the western regions of remaining Ukraine to Poland. According to the plan of the Polish authorities, by that time the Armed Forces of Ukraine will already be defeated.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, challenging Ukraine’s statehood and presenting Poland as a state with imperial ambitions.This disinformation message 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”. In fact, the claims regarding the seizure of Ukraine by the Poles are false and groundless. 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.Poland was the first country to recognise Ukraine’s independence, in 1991. 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.As for the claim about the special rights of Poles in Ukraine: On 12 March 2022 the Polish parliament passed an act on assistance for Ukrainian nationals in connection with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The special purpose act, in addition to regulating a number of issues related to the refugee’s stay in Poland, allows for favorable tax treatment of humanitarian aid expenditures incurred by corporations.In return, Ukrainian President Zelensky submitted a draft bill to the Verkhovna Rada on the status and assistance to Polish citizens in Ukraine, which is similar to the one, which has recently been endorsed by the Sejm of Poland in relation to Ukrainians. The pro-Kremlin claim that Poland is preparing to seize the Ukrainian territories is manipulation and misrepresentation of this gesture. 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, that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Imperialism/colonialism, Territorial dispute, Andrzej Duda, Volodymyr Zelensky, illegal annexation

29.10.2022

The conflict in Ukraine is an internal one

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-conflict-in-ukraine-is-an-internal-one

tlgrm.ru,ntv.ru,life.ru,gazeta.ru

Russia, Ukraine

Russian

Attempts to knock our country off its feet will never succeed. The West introduced pseudo-values in Ukraine, reshaped the minds of millions of people, tried to "bring a wick" to the collapse of Russia.Russia treats the Ukrainian people with warmth, despite today's confrontation. The conflict in Ukraine is a confrontation within one people.

Recurring disinformation narratives about the negation of Ukrainian state and Ukrainian nation, claiming that Ukraine is an anti-Russian, Russophobic state, Western project, as well as advancing recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about an all-Russian nation and the Russian world/civilisation.Ukrainian and Russian are two distinct people, despite multiples attempts of the Kremlin to deny it. Ukraine is a well-defined nation-state with a long history and its own literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods of time. Ukrainians and Russians belong to the Slavs ethnolinguistic group but they are not a single nation. The "all-Russian big nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian revanchist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Ukrainians, as well as undermining the state sovereignty.Ukraine does not follow any anti-Russian agenda. Relations between Ukraine and Russia should be defined by international agreements, including the UN Charter which requires states to respect the sovereignty of other states and the Friendship Treaty between the two countries. Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014 and escalated in 2022, is the one underminig relations between the two countries.Тhe "warm attitude" of Russia towards the Ukrainians is evidenced by the statements of the Russian leadership and propaganda.An example is an article by Timofej Sergeitsev "What Russia should do with Ukraine". According to the author, “denazification of Ukraine” means carrying out a policy of genocide against the country: Ukraine should be liquidated as a nation and as a state, and fragmented into separate “people’s republics” controlled by Russia, and the very name “Ukraine” should be eradicated; the Ukrainian political class and any armed formations defending Ukraine must be destroyed; on the territory of Ukraine occupied by Russia, mass repressions and ethnic cleansing should be carried out. He claims that Ukrainians must "assimilate the experience" of the war "as a historical lesson and atonement for [their] guilt". After the war, forced labor, imprisonment and the death penalty would be used as punishment. After that, the population would be "integrated" into "Russian civilization". The author describes the planned actions as a "decolonization" of Ukraine.RT presenter Anton Krasovsky said that Ukrainian children should have been thrown straight into a river with a strong current. "They should have been drowned in the Tysyna (River). Just drown those children, drown them. They could be shoved into huts and burned.”Vladimir Putin called the leadership of Ukraine "a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis".See similar disinformation narratives in our database: Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians are a single nation, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are three Russian political nations; Ukraine became a colony of the United States; Ukraine is a Western puppet that creates problems for Russia.

Anti-Russian, Destabilising Russia, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Russian world, West, Western values

29.10.2022

British navy involved in terrorist attacks against the Nord Stream pipelines

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/british-navy-involved-in-terrorist-attacks-against-the-nord-stream-pipelines

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, UK

Italian

British Navy specialists participated in the planning, delivery and implementation of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 26 by blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

Conspiracy theory and unsubstantiated claim from pro-Kremlin media about the explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.On 26 September 2022, the NS1 and the NS2 pipelines both ruptured. Denmark and Sweden view the Nord Stream pipeline leaks as 'deliberate actions'.Sweden, Germany and Denmark opened an investigation into the incident. This is the first step in determining what caused the leaks. Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin sources are trying to fill the information space with accusations against the West.As High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated: "Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response." NATO called the incidents "deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage. Joe Biden says Nord Stream leak is ‘Deliberate act of sabotage’.European Union did not name anyone who could be behind the incident.Read similar cases linked to the topic of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion claiming that the US planned the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines and Poland did it, that Anglo-Saxons are responsible for blowing up Russia's Nord Stream pipelines and that The Nord Stream explosions bear a Western mark.

Nord Stream 2, Conspiracy theory, Terrorism, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

29.10.2022

Ukraine used grain corridors for drone strike on Russian ships

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-used-grain-corridors-for-drone-strike-on-russian-ships

tass.ru,Ukraina.ru,RBC.ru,tvzvezda.ru,Ukraina.ru,Ukraina.ru,Pervyi Kanal

Russia, Ukraine

Russian

The grain corridor was used as cover for the attack on Sevastopol.Firstly, there are suspicions that Ukraine, using this corridor, was transporting explosives to blow up the Crimean bridge, and secondly, that the grain channel (and this has already been confirmed by our military experts) was used to move underwater and surface drones to strike at Sevastopol.The drones that participated in the attack were launched from the Odessa area and used the security zone of the grain corridor. Thus, Kyiv disrupted the "grain deal".

A pro-Kremlin disinformation aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity, justifying the Kremlin’s decision to suspend its participation in the Black Sea grain initiative.This false allegation goes in line with a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to blame Western countries for a global food crisis engineered by Russia as part of its unjustified aggression against Ukraine.The claim that Ukraine used the humanitarian corridor created for grain exports to attack Sevastopol with drones is false. An official representative of the UN confirmed that on the night of October 29th, at the time of the attack, no ships were located in the humanitarian corridor. Russia accuses Ukraine of using the humanitarian corridor for drone attacks without providing any evidence. Read the full debunk of the story at Myth Detector.Russia made the decision to suspend its participation in the deal after drone attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet's Sevastopol Headquarters. Still, just a few days later, Russia reversed its decision in what seemed to be a PR move to avoid international blame and the strong critique coming from the initiative’s two other main players: Ankara and the UN.Moscow accused Ukraine of perpetrating terrorist attacks on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet with the help of the UK. However, the British Defense Ministry has officially denied any accusations of terrorism by stating that “To detract from their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale”. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attacks. However, even if we accept the Kremlin’s version of events - namely that the drone strikes were orchestrated by Ukraine’s military intelligence - this does not change the fact that this purported attack would constitute not an act of terrorism, but lawful sabotage under international humanitarian law (IHL).See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Russia suspends its participation in the Black Sea grain initiative because of Ukraine’s terrorist attacks and EU breaches, that Ukrainian grain exports do not affect global prices, that Russia suspended grain deal because all Ukrainian grain goes to Europe, that Russia should not be accused of withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal, that the EU, not Russia, is behind the energy, food and economic crisis, that the EU is causing a global food storage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine, or that the US and the EU don’t care about starving many millions of Latin Americans.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, food, economy, Economic difficulties

27.10.2022

Russia invented Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-invented-ukraine

sputniknews.com

Russia, Ukraine, USSR

English

The unity of the Russian and Ukrainian people is an undisputable historical fact. Only Russia could guarantee Ukraine's sovereignty, as Russia created Ukraine during the Soviet period.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative designed to denigrate the history of Ukraine and its statehood, as well as to justify the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and occupation in parts of Ukraine via illegitimate referenda. It offers an absurd interpretation of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine with the use of the classic disinformation narrative about the Russian world.Ukraine is a well-defined nation with a long history and its own literature and identity. The history of Ukraine dates back to the era of the Kyivan Rus’ in the 9th-13th centuries. A fully independent Ukraine only emerged in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland-Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).In the aftermath of World War I and the disintegration of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires two states were created: the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. They merged into a unified state - the Ukrainian People's Republic - on 22 January 1919. Under Lenin's leadership at the beginning of the 20th century, Ukraine was occupied by the Bolsheviks and for decades was under communist control.Under Lenin's leadership at the beginning of the 20th century, Ukraine was occupied by the Bolsheviks and for decades was under communist control. When the Soviet Union began to unravel in 1990–91, the legislature of the Ukrainian SSR declared sovereignty (July 16, 1990) and then full independence (August 24, 1991). With the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991, Ukraine gained full independence which was also recognised by Russia under late president Yeltsin of the Russian Federation.The "all-Russian big nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian revanchist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Ukrainians, as well as undermining the state sovereignty.Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world with Russia as the key exception.Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine either does not exist as a state or is going to tumble down very soon, or it is a colony of the West.Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 and culminated in an aggressive full-scale attack on a neighbouring country on February 24, 2022.

Historical revisionism, Russian world, Ukrainian statehood, USSR

27.10.2022

Poland spreads monstrous lies about the Soviet liberation of this country

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-spreads-monstrous-lies-about-the-soviet-liberation-of-this-country

Sputnik Poland

Poland, Russia

Polish

The Polish claim that the USSR did not bring this country freedom in 1945 is a lie, a monstrous lie - many citizens of the Soviet Union died liberating Poland. It is another attempt to continue fooling the young Polish generation, feeding them this lie and provoking hatred towards the Russians.

This message is an example of Russian historical revisionism, portraying the USSR as the peacemaker and liberator of Poland. It is part of a wider Kremlin campaign to use history very selectively and in manipulative ways. The very fact that the Red Army captured Warsaw and pushed the German troops out of Poland in 1945 does not mean that the USSR brought freedom to the Polish people. According to the statements of the Polish MFA, Poland respects the sacrifice of the Soviet soldiers in the fight against Nazism, but in 1945, Stalin’s regime brought Poland terror and atrocities. The Red Army liberated Warsaw from Nazi occupation, but it didn’t mean liberty for Poland as the Soviet Army stayed in Poland for 48 years, which resulted in decades of communist oppression.According to mainstream Polish historians and views of the predominant part of Polish society, in 1944-1945, the USSR occupied Poland, establishing the undemocratic and repressive Communist Poland. De facto, Poland appeared under Soviet military occupation until 1989, while the Russian troops were withdrawn from Poland only in 1993. Read more about the Communist crimes in Poland here.Read similar messages such as Stalin decided to establish the independent Polish state; It is thanks to Russia that Poland exists today as a country and Warsaw would not have been rebuilt without the decision of Stalin.

Dmitry Peskov, USSR, Historical revisionism, Occupation, Red Army, WWII

26.10.2022

US biolabs in Ukraine are aimed at reducing Russia's gene pool

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-biolabs-in-ukraine-are-aimed-at-reducing-russias-gene-pool

Russia, Ukraine, US

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

US biolabs in Ukraine are aimed at reducing Russia's gene pool. It has long been known what these Pentagon biolabs in Ukraine were doing. They grew pathogenic microbes to infect humans, everything was done with the Russian gene pool in mind. We know that about 30 Pentagon biolaboratories were dispersed in different cities on Ukrainian territory with different specialisations, but with one goal: to cheaply and angrily destroy the central enemy and its allies.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about biological weapons and dangerous pathogens being secretly developed by the US in the countries bordering Russia. This narrative is a leitmotif in a years-old disinformation campaign conducted by the Kremlin and is currently deployed in an attempt to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.Some of the most bizarre and yet enduring Kremlin disinformation narratives have been those accusing the West of running clandestine biological research programmes to wreak havoc around the world. There are no US biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine. Ukraine is one of the states cooperating with 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." Read more about this topic here. In reality, all laboratories located in Ukraine are controlled by the Ukrainian government and don’t carry out military research. In August 2005, the US and Ukrainian governments made an agreement to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens and relevant expertise and to diminish potential biological risks. Partially, this agreement was aimed at modernising state laboratories in Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and other regions, consisting of upgrading lab equipment and repairs of premises.The US Embassy in Ukraine previously also addressed the claims about supposed bio-military labs in Ukraine, stating that this is a fabricated accusation in pro-Kremlin propaganda that aims to hinder the ongoing U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats. The accusations are part of the Kremlin’s broader, long-lasting disinformation campaign to discredit the US in the eyes of Putin’s pro-Western neighbours such as Georgia and Ukraine.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Russia presented evidence of US biolabs in Ukraine at the Convention on biological weapons, that the US develops biological weapons at the border with Russia, that new evidence of US military-biological activity emerged in Ukraine, that disease outbreaks in Ukraine are linked to the activity of US biolabs, that Zelenskyy ordered the destruction of evidence regarding the development of biological weapons, or that bio-experiments in US labs turned Ukrainian soldiers into ‘most cruel monsters’.

26.10.2022

Ukrainian terrorists almost finished a dirty bomb

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-terrorists-almost-finished-a-dirty-nucle-bomb

asd.news

Ukraine

Russian

The provocation of the Bandera terrorists with a "dirty bomb", the preparation of which was known almost from the beginning of the special military operation, has entered the implementation phase.

Conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim accusing Ukraine of posing a nuclear threat to Russia.There is no evidence that Ukraine is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia. Ukraine neither possesses any kinds of nuclear weapons, including dirty nuclear bombs, nor prepares one. In 1994, Ukraine signed a Budapest Memorandum abandoning its nuclear arsenal. Ukraine also joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has invited an international mission of experts and IAEA to verify that there is no kind of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. James Kariuki, the British ambassador to the United Nations, rejected Russia's claim, saying that Russia did not provide any evidence that Ukraine possesses such a device. The claims are "transparently false. Ukraine has been clear, it's got nothing to hide" Kariuki said. Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On February 27, 2022 Vladimir Putin ordered his military to put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. Before that, Putin had warned that "whoever tries to hinder us" in Ukraine would see consequences 'you have never seen in history'.From the first day of the war, Russia has been voicing its right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine at all levels, from high-ranking officials to propagandists.Talk about the use of tactical nuclear weapons intensified after illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Without providing evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that top NATO officials had said that it’d be acceptable to carry out nuclear strikes on Russia. He threatened to use nuclear weapons adding that "This Is Not a Bluff".Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO to conduct “preventive action” against Russia to prevent their use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.Read also related cases: Zelenskyi regime is building a dirty bomb, Ukraine and the West are preparing a nuclear provocation , Russia has never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons , Russia did not violate the Budapest memorandum.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Nuclear issues

26.10.2022

The US can contaminate the whole Ukraine with radiation from dirty bomb to harm Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-can-contaminate-the-whole-ukraine-with-radiation-from-dirty-bomb-to-harm-russia

Ukraine, Russia, US

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

Ukraine has been and remains a failed state. Its authorities have no idea what they are doing. Zelenskyy is incapable of realising what might happen if a ‘dirty bomb’ is used. Hence, on US’s orders he can really use such bomb. To harm Russia, Americans can do anything with Ukraine, including to contaminate its whole territory with radiation.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about non-sovereign Ukraine and the US as the mastermind of the Russo-Ukrainian war, as well as about nuclear and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.Claims about false flag operations about nuclear or chemical weapons attacks are a staple of the pro-Kremlin disinformation apparatus. 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, our recent analysis explains.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is in possession of or is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.After repeated accusations from Russia about the possession of a nuclear bomb (dirty bomb), Ukraine, refuting those accusations, invited IAEA experts for inspection. Safeguard inspectors will visit two locations in Ukraine, IAEA’s chief Rafael Grossi said after receiving a request from Ukraine. The narrative on the Ukrainian "nuclear bomb" is recurrent in pro-Kremlin media, with new elements emerging regularly.Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army, Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks.Technical remark: This disinformation was broadcast via Sputnik on 26 October 2022. Due to the EU decision to restrict the spread and dissemination of RT and Sputnik inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.

25.10.2022

The game of sanctions pushes Europe into a hopeless situation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-game-of-sanctions-pushes-europe-into-a-hopeless-situation

baltnews.com

Russia, Europe, EU

Russian

Traders will profit from the hopeless situation of the Europeans in the coming heating season. It is the result of the stupid decision of Europe to break relations with Russia. Now inhabitants of the EU could accept the situation or try to influence their governments to stop the sanction games.

The narrative is part of the recurring disinformation campaign surrounding the energy sector and sanctions on Russia. The aim of these narratives is to belittle and denigrade Western sanctions on Russia.In reality, sanctions are the response to Russian aggression against Ukraine, which started in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea and expanded on 24 February 2022 by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. See more information about the sanctions of the EU on Russia here.The EU made a number of decisions to manage a possible energy crisis this winter. I.e., EU countries reached a general agreement to purchase gas through a joint platform. Also, in early October 2022, the European Commission outlined possible strategies to cap gas prices. On the 19 December 2022, the Council agreed on a temporary mechanism to limit excessive gas prices. As stated in the press release:"EU energy ministers reached a political agreement on a Council regulation that sets a market correction mechanism to protect citizens and the economy against excessively high prices. The regulation aims to limit episodes of excessive gas prices in the EU that do not reflect world market prices, while ensuring security of energy supply and the stability of financial markets".See also our article Smoke, mirrors and gas: the Kremlin deflects blame for the energy crisis.See other examples of disinformation in the context of sanctions on Russia: EU sanctions are hurting Europe more than Russia; The West declared total war against Russia; Sanctions imposed by Washington and Brussels are pushing Italy to economic suicide.

Sanctions, Energy, gas

25.10.2022

Ukraine, led by the West, prepares a dirty bomb attack

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-led-by-the-west-prepares-a-dirty-bomb-attack

n247.co,arabic.rt.com,lebanon24.com,nabd.com,midline-news.net

Ukraine, Russia

Arabic

According to reliable sources in various countries, including Ukraine, the Kyiv regime is preparing a "dirty bomb" provocation or low-yield nuclear weapon on the territory of its country. The purpose of this provocation is to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction, and to incite international public opinion against it.

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents.Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'." IAEA inspectors found nothing suspicious in the Ukrainian facilities. There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, the UK and the US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Read similar recent claims that Ukrainian terrorists almost finished a dirty bomb; UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s "dirty bomb" plan; Ukraine's “dirty bomb” provocation will take place in November; Ukraine has a thermonuclear 'dirty' bomb in Mykolaiv which it will detonate and blame Russia; Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons.

false flag, Nuclear issues, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

25.10.2022

West ramps up arms supplies to Ukraine to destroy Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/west-ramps-up-arms-supplies-to-ukraine-to-destroy-russia

tass.com

Ukraine, Russia, Europe, US

English

The West is increasing arms supplies and providing intelligence to Kiev’s neo-Nazi regime. It is pushing ahead with a hybrid war against Russia in an effort to destroy the country. The West is using Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s criminal Russophobic regime as one of the levers to contain Russia.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of anti-Russian policies and Russophobia, and also of having belligerent intentions towards Russia. In reality, the West is not attempting to destroy Russia as a state. Some Western nations, including NATO member states, provide Ukraine with military assistance and intelligence information. The sole aim is to help Kyiv repel Moscow’s unprovoked aggression and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders including the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula and the separatist-controlled regions in the East. There is no Russophobic in these policies. Neither the West nor Ukraine have any claims for internationally recognised Russian territory.Even during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the West was until recently, calling for a diplomatic solution. German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz and French President Emmanuel Macron were especially active in communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin. There is still an opportunity to conduct dialogue, but with new Russian leadership. Due to the many war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said any negotiations would be possible only with a new Russian president. It was Moscow which had ruled out any opportunity for a peaceful solution.The West was trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow since the collapse of the Soviet Union and until the moment when Russia launched its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022. 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. Western nations were calling for solving all problems with Russia in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. Western nations were trying to conduct a constructive dialogue with Russia on all disputed issues, including security guarantees. Russia cut short all attempts at achieving a compromise over security guarantees by attacking Ukraine. As Russia kept conducting its aggressive policy and violating international law, the West had to resort to restrictive measures.Read more disinformation cases alleging that the West is carrying out a policy of Russophobia.

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

25.10.2022

Ukraine has a thermonuclear 'dirty' bomb in Mykolaiv which it will detonate and blame Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-has-a-thermonuclear-bomb-in-mykolaiv-which-it-will-detonate-and-blame-russia

ntv.ru

Ukraine, Russia, US

Russian

A thermonuclear bomb is already in Mykolaiv and is intended for use as a provocation. It is assumed that the explosion [...], against the backdrop of persistent US and NATO allegations that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons in the run-up to or during this offensive [Ukrainian counteroffensive], will be used to say: "Russia is defeated and carried out a nuclear strike on Ukrainian troops". It will end with several tens of thousands of civilian casualties, and it will allow the United States to justify a large-scale missile attack on our troops in these regions and on the territory of Russia.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is staging a false-flag attack on its own territory in order to blame Russia. 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.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing to use weapons of mass destruction.After repeated accusations from Russia about the possession of a nuclear bomb (dirty bomb), Ukraine, refuting those accusations, invited IAEA experts for inspection. Safeguard inspectors will visit two locations in Ukraine, IAEA’s chief Rafael Grossi said after receiving request from Ukraine.The narrative on the Ukrainian "nuclear bomb" is recurrent in pro-Kremlin media, with new elements emerging regularly.Thus, on February 25, 2022, aiming to justiry the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, among others false accusations, such as rule of nazis in Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media accused Ukraine of preparation of a nuclear bomb using the Chornobyl nuclear plant facilities (quickly occupied by Russia in order to prevent this).Just after the start of the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating a tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that the "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb and it was one of the reasons for invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the "evidence" from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".By October 2022, Chernobyl plant is back under Ukrainian control but other places, such as Mykolaiv, are "revealed" by pro-Kremlin media as platforms for preparation of a nuclear or even thermonuclear bomb.See more disinformation cases on nuclear threat by Ukraine.

Nuclear issues, Provocation, false flag

25.10.2022

Ukraine is a Russian territory

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-is-a-russian-territory

livenews.am

Ukraine, Russia

Armenian

Ukraine is our territory, Russian. We will attack them every day ... Our territory is not Zaporizhzhia, not Kherson, our territory is Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkov, all regions and Ukraine in general, this is our territory, Russian. We have already decided not to defend, but to attack everywhere. It will be so.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlet justifying the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, occupation in parts of Ukraine via illegitimate referenda, discrediting Ukrainian statehood. It offers an absurd interpretation of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine with the use of the classic disinformation narrative about the Russian world.The notion that Ukraine is not a country, but a historical part of Russia, appears to be deeply ingrained in the minds of Russian leadership (see here, here and here.)Ukraine is a well-defined nation-state with a long history and its own identity, despite foreign rule for long periods of time. The "all-Russian big nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian revanchist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Ukrainians, as well as undermining the state sovereignty and territorial integrity.Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with an internationally recognised territory and borders, democratically elected president and parliament. It is a member of many international organisations, such as the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and a party to international agreements. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world with Russia as the key exception.The occupied Ukrainian territories are not Russian and not "liberated", but temporarily occupied territories as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The referendums are shams, conducted in haste and under military repression and as far from the "public will of the people" as imaginable.Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine either does not exist as a state or is going to tumble down very soon, or it is a colony of the West. 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.Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 and culminated in an aggressive attack on a neighbouring country on February 24, 2022.See similar disinformation cases that target Ukraine: that There is no Ukraine: Russia liberates Russian cities; that Ukraine does not exist as a state; that Ukraine will be split up; that Ukraine is a quasi-state with a failed economy; that modern Ukraine was created as a country for death in the name of American interests and others.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Sovereignty, Ukrainian statehood, Ukrainian disintegration, Ukraine

25.10.2022

NS sabotage shows that NATO can use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine and blame Russia for it

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ns-sabotage-shows-that-nato-can-use-a-nuclear-weapon-against-ukraine-and-blame-russia-for-it

fr.sputniknews.africa

US, Russia, Ukraine

French

The Nord Stream gas pipelines sabotage by the Americans showed what NATO was capable of.Beware: they are capable of the worst, even the false flag use of an atomic weapon to globalise the conflict! France must get out of this infernal circle!

Anti-NATO and pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory stating that there is no limit in the atrocities NATO is capable of, including carrying out a false flag attack in order to damage Russia's reputation.NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states and does not conduct false flag operations to hurt Russia’s reputation.NATO nuclear policy does not include false flag nuclear attacks to hurt non-member state's image. 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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a chemical or biological provocation or a use of the weapons of mass destruction. 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.As High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated: "Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response." NATO called the incidents "deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage. Joe Biden says Nord Stream leak is ‘Deliberate act of sabotage’.Read also related stories: The West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2, Anglo-Saxons are responsible for blowing up Russia's Nord Stream pipelines, The US is behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, The US is probably behind the explosion of NS-1 and NS-2

Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, Nuclear issues

25.10.2022

Ukraine shelling the Donbas pushed the republics to join Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-shelling-the-donbas-pushed-the-republics-to-join-russia

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia

Hungarian

The incessant shelling of Donbass cities by Ukraine is a gross violation of humanitarian law, which has led to civilian deaths and the destruction of infrastructure. A few weeks later, referendums on joining Russia were held in the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, as well as in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, and the territories were formally incorporated into the Russian state in early October.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the invasion of Ukraine and sham referendums in the occupied Ukrainian territories aiming to justify the annexation of Ukrainian territories. The article claims that Ukraine shelled cities in Donbas indiscriminately, which lead to the territories to join Russia instead. This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.There is no evidence that Ukraine is bombing cities in Donbas indiscriminately. Ukraine is using high-precision Western weapons to strike Russian military targets in Ukrainian territory without affecting civilians. Donbas is internationally recognised Ukrainian territory where Kyiv may hit any Russian military facilities. Such objects can be legitimate targets of Ukrainian strikes.In fact, Russian forces regularly target civilian targets that resulted in significant civilian casualties and Russian soldiers seem to have committed war crimes in Ukraine, by executing hundreds of civilians. As of 24 October 2022 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 16,150 civilian casualties in the country: 6,374 killed and 9,776 injured. Most of the civilian casualties recorded in Donetsk and Luhansk were caused by Russian forces with the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.Russia has held illegal referenda on four occupied oblasts of Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) on September 23-26. Russia does not fully control the territories where so-called referendums are taking place.As stated EU High Representative Josep Borrell:“The European Union strongly condemns these planned illegal “referenda” which go against the legal and democratically elected Ukrainian authorities, are in violation of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in blatant breach of international law. The results of such actions will be null and void and would not be recognised by the EU and its Member States. [...]Therefore, these illegal “votes” cannot be considered under any circumstance as the free expression of the will of the people living in these regions under constant Russian military threat and intimidation".See also this tweet by HR/VP Borrell stating that the announced annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia is a major breach of international law and a violation of UN Charter.These parodies of democracy were also condemned by NATO, G7, US, as well as Russia’ partners like Serbia and Kazakhstan (a member of CIS and CSTO), which also mentioned that they will not recognise their results.See also a similar disinformation claims alleging that Kherson residents want to join Russia in a referendum.

Donbas, war crimes, Manipulated elections/referendum, Referendum

25.10.2022

Ukraine's “dirty bomb” provocation will take place in November

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraines-dirty-bomb-provocation-will-take-place-in-november

Moskovskij Komsomolets

Ukraine, US, Russia

Russian

The "dirty bombs" provocation will take place after the US elections, because if before - then the Americans will blame the Biden administration for bringing the world to a nuclear war and the Democrats will lose the election. But this must happen before the G20 summit on November 15-16 in Bali. Ukraine plans to blame Russia of committing it.

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents. There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, UK and US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army, Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks

Provocation, false flag

25.10.2022

The war against Ukraine lasts longer than expected because Russia greatly cares about civilians

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-war-against-ukraine-lasts-longer-than-expected-because-russia-greatly-cares-about-civilians

Sputnik Belarus

Russia, Ukraine

Russian

Forecasts about Russia’s short victorious war in Ukraine failed to materialise because of Russia's unprecedented order to care about civilians as greatly as possible. Five out of six Ukrainian nationals are Russians. Given this, the Russian authorities could not act differently, otherwise they would have stopped being Russians and equated themselves to Anglo-Saxons.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets justifying the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s military failures and large losses in this case as well. By falsely and absurdly claiming that five out of six Ukrainians are Russians, it also promotes the classic disinformation narrative about the Russian world. The term “Anglo-Saxons” usually stands for the US and UK and often means “evil”, “belligerent” and “morally corrupt” Westerners, as explained in our earlier analysis.Russia’s initial plans to take control of Ukraine in the course of a few days failed and Ukraine has been resisting Russia’s large-scale invasion for over 8 months as of now thanks to bravery and decisiveness of the Ukrainian Army, volunteers, and the Ukrainian people as a whole, Western assistance to Ukraine, Russia’s underestimation of Ukraine’s preparedness for aggression, etc. Yet the failed Russia’s plans of quick victory certainly do not have to do with alleged Russia’s care about civilians.During its nvasion of Ukraine, Russian troops have been heavily shelling and bombing civilian facilities such as residential areas, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, orphanages and churches. Evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other Ukrainian localities is overwhelming. From 24 February to 2 October 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) recorded 15,246 civilian casualties in Ukraine: 6,114 killed and 9,132 injured. OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.Technical remark: This disinformation was broadcast via Sputnik on 25 October 2022. Due to the EU decision to restrict the spread and dissemination of RT and Sputnik inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.

Anglo-Saxon, War in Ukraine, Russian world, Ethnic Russians

25.10.2022

UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s "dirty bomb" plan

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/uk-is-actively-supporting-ukraines-dirty-bomb-plan

5-tv.ru

Ukraine, UK

Russian

Ukraine has all the necessary resources to create a "dirty bomb", as well as information support from the West. The data obtained through intelligence channels confirm that Britain actively supports the plan of Ukraine, foreign experts are cooperating with local ones, helping to accelerate the work on creating this dangerous weapon.

No evidence provide. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents. There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, UK and US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Stoltenberg tweeted that the NATO allies "reject this allegation" and "Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation".Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army, Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks

West, Provocation, Nuclear issues, false flag

25.10.2022

Kyiv is developing a such bomb under US and NATO’s supervision

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyiv-is-developing-a-such-bomb-under-us-and-natos-supervision

trmzk.ru

Ukraine, US

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

The leaders of the collective West and NATO are aware of Ukraine's preparations for a nuclear provocation. They are the direct curators and accomplices of a probable catastrophe. If it is carried out, there will be no investigations, Russia is a priori found guilty.

No evidence provided. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents. There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, UK and US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Stoltenberg tweeted that the NATO allies "reject this allegation" and "Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation".Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army, Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks

25.10.2022

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will steal money from the EU

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/volodymyr-zelenskyy-will-steal-money-from-the-eu

Laivaslaikrastis.lt

Ukraine, EU

Lithuanian

The European Union will give 18 billion euros to Ukraine giving the possibility for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to steal this money. It is support for the neo-Fascistic Kyiv regime.

Recurring narratives about a so-called fascist regime in Kyiv and targeting personally the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, all in the context of the Russian unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. 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.No evidence is provided to support the claim. The European Union made the decision to provide 18 billion euros to Ukraine next year (2023) to help run the country while it defends itself against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The money will support the economy of Ukraine. Furthermore, the myth of 'Nazi'-ruled Ukraine has been a 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. Now it is used to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.See similar narratives attacking Volodymyr Zelensky: Zelensky neo-Nazi regime uses terrorism to obstruct the referendums; Zelensky’s team is a bloody dictatorship waging the civil war in Ukraine; Zelenskyy asked the West to nuke Russia to block any negotiation process.

Corruption, Volodymyr Zelensky, Nazi/Fascist, economy

25.10.2022

EU leaders gave Ukrainian Nazis money to buy weapons

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/eu-leaders-gave-ukrainian-nazis-money-to-buy-weapons

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Germany, France, EU

Hungarian

Following the launch of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, EU authorities have pledged to end their dependence on Russian energy supplies as quickly as possible. Europeans have started to save heavily on electricity because Ursula von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron gave money to Ukrainian Nazis for weapons. Russian cultural centres in Finland and Luxembourg are already welcoming visitors who need to 'keep warm' as energy prices skyrocket.

Recurring Pro-Kremlin manipulative narrative about Nazi Ukraine and on the energy crisis in Europe amid the unprovoked Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, subsequent Western sanctions on Russia and Russian retaliatory measures reducing gas supplies. This article claims that EU leaders gave money to Ukrainian Nazis for weapons, while their citizens are freezing in their homes. As such it repeats the well-known Kremlin's narrative that the West is collapsing. The Kremlin seeks to pressure and blackmail European governments and create public panic over energy insecurity / energy costs.In reality, Ukraine is not a Nazi state and Nazism is not Ukraine’s ideology. 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. See our recent article Key Narratives in Pro-Kremlin Disinformation “Nazis” - EUvsDisinfo.Meanwhile, EU member states have adopted regulations to fill gas storages and share them in a spirit of solidarity, diversified supply sources and committed to reducing gas demand by 15% this winter. Despite recent events, and in particular the attacks on the Nord Stream Pipelines, Europe is prepared to face this winter. EU underground gas reserves have been filled by almost 90% of their capacity, well ahead of the 1 November deadline set in the gas storage regulation. This means that with the predicted gas consumption reduction and filled gas reserves, Europe won’t be out of gas for the winter even without Russian gas. See also section III. Energy and Economy of the conclusions of the European Council of 20 and 21 October 2022.See more disinformation cases on energy issues amid invasion of Ukraine.Ukrainians imbued with destructive Nazi ideology, Bandera's sympathisers have large influence on Ukraine, Crimean Platform: the West nurtures neo-Nazi mood in Ukraine.

Energy, Nazi/Fascist, Invasion of Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron

25.10.2022

The West helps Ukraine to make a dirty bomb

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-helps-ukraine-to-make-a-dirty-bomb

24press.net,nabdn.com,pressn.net,arabic.rt.com,m.akhbarelyom.com,ru4arab.ru,alyoumvoice.com,msdernet.xyz,msdernet.xyz

Russia, Ukraine

Arabic

Russia does not rule out the assistance of some Western countries to the Kyiv regime in making a "dirty bomb".The goal is clear: to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction. The Ukrainian authorities and their Western masters expect that this will lead to a vigorous campaign against Russia, undermining confidence in Moscow and its partners, and isolating Russia on the international stage.

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, UK and US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Read similar recents claims that Ukrainian terrorists almost finished a dirty bomb; UK is actively supporting Ukraine’s "dirty bomb" plan; Ukraine's “dirty bomb” provocation will take place in November; Ukraine has a thermonuclear 'dirty' bomb in Mykolaiv which it will detonate and blame Russia; Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons.

false flag, Nuclear issues, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

25.10.2022

Brussels prolonging war and suffering

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/brussels-prolonging-war-and-suffering

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, EU

Hungarian

The pro-war position in Brussels is prolonging war and suffering at the expense of civilians.

This pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claims that the EU is responsible for dragging out the war in Ukraine and the suffering of the Ukrainian people. This narrative is a twisted out-of-context misrepresentation of Hungarian state officials remarks. It tries to shift the blame from Russia to Europe for the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The war in Ukraine was not started by the EU or the West, but by Russia. As stated in the European Council conclusions of 20 and 21 October 2022:5. The European Council demands that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, as the UN General Assembly demanded, and that Russia stop all hybrid attacks against Ukraine.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.

Brussels, Invasion of Ukraine, war crimes, Warmongering

24.10.2022

New wave of migration due to energy crisis caused by Western sanctions

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/new-wave-of-migration-due-to-energy-crisis-caused-by-western-sanctions

News Front - German

Russia, EU

German

A new wave of migration in the world is being encouraged by the energy crisis in Europe caused by Western sanctions. The consequences of restrictive measures on the economy are also forcing people to change their place of residence. Unlawful unilateral Western sanctions have led to a significant decline in living standards in a number of countries.

Recurring disinformation about Western sanctions on Russia, connected with unproven speculation about a migration crisis. The EU and other countries around the world adopted several sanction packages against Russia due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories. Not all trade restrictions are yet enforced as the energy sector needs longer transition periods, so it is too early to assess the full effect of the sanctions. However, it is incorrect to state that the Russian economy would be barely affected or would even benefit from the sanctions. Otherwise, the Russian leadership would not feel the need to constantly demand the sanctions be removed.It is also Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine that is hurting the global economy, and not sanctions against Russia. 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 also destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine. It also affects the economy of the EU but there are no signs of “destruction”.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."See also the assessment of EU HRVP Josep Borrell demonstrating that the sanction policy is working and strongly impacts the Russian economy.See similar cases about Western sanctions on Russia: If the West wants to assist Russia and China, they should add more sanctions; EU sanctions are hurting Europe more than Russia; Anti-Russian sanctions are illegal pressure.

Energy, Sanctions

24.10.2022

2 Ukrainian firms ordered to make dirty bomb, work near completion

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/2-ukrainian-firms-ordered-to-make-dirty-bomb-work-near-completion

tass.com

Ukraine, Russia

English

Two Ukrainian firms have been ordered to produce a dirty bomb and the work is nearing completion. The Kiev regime has sufficient research and production potential to make a dirty bomb, including three active nuclear power plants and large amounts of spent nuclear fuel.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing Ukraine of posing a nuclear threat to Russia and trying to justify a possible Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine. This claim was made in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has used a deep-seated and very reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a nuclear provocation or a use of the weapons of mass distruction. Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed.In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research.On October 23, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu phoned the defense ministers of four NATO countries: France, Turkey, Great Britain and the US. Shoigu said that Ukraine was allegedly preparing a "provocation" with the explosion of a "dirty bomb" on its territory. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation did not provide any evidence of this.Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim and warned that such allegations can be used as a pretext for greater escalation.Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'."Оn the contrary, the West has real concerns’ Russia could use nuclear weapons. It is Russia who is making irresponsible hints and statements about the possibility of using nuclear arms in its war against Ukraine. For several years now the Russian infosphere has seen nuclear threats being made against the west by figures like Dmitry Kiselyov or Vladimir Zhirinovsky are famous for this. Other Russian officials to make such statements are Dmitry Medvedev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Margarita Simonyan or even Vladimir Putin who specified that “it was not a bluff”.See more disinformation cases: London is helping Kyiv turn the country into a nuclear wasteland; Washington and the Kyiv regime's actions pose a threat of nuclear catastrophe; Russia does not threaten anyone with nuclear weapons; Ukraine was close to turning Russian cities into Chernobyl.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Nuclear issues

24.10.2022

Western accusations that Iran is delivering drones to Russia are false

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-accusations-that-iran-is-delivering-drones-to-russia-are-false

sputniknews.lat

Iran, Russia, US, EU

Spanish

Ukraine and its Western backers are trying to promote another false information: the alleged delivery of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia.

There is ample evidence of the use of Iranian drones by Russian forces in Ukraine, including images, wreckage, expert identification and the examination of at least one downed unmanned aerial vehicle in good condition. On 18 October 2022 Reuters reported that, according to four Iranian officials, Tehran had recently agreed to supply more Iranian drones to Moscow along with missiles. The same day, Ukraine invited UN experts to examine debris from downed Iranian drones. Russia reacted by calling UN officials to “abstain from engaging in any illegitimate investigation” and threatening to “reassess [Russia’s] collaboration” with the United Nations. US intelligence also affirmed that Iranian trainers were in Crimea to help Russian forces to operate the Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles. On 20 October 2022, Russian military expert Ruslan Pukhov inadvertently admitted on camera on RBC TV that Russia is using Iranian suicide drones.Denying Russia’s illicit actions when it is called out or labelling these accusations as fake is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that war crimes accusations are Ukrainian propaganda against Russia, that Western strategists make baseless accusations about Russia to undermine its political stability, that Russia is falsely accused of misdeeds by simply affirming that its responsibility is “highly likely”, or that the West fights Russia through psy-ops like Bucha and the Mariupol maternity hospital.

Information war, Military, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

24.10.2022

Work on the creation of a "dirty bomb" is coming to an end in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/work-on-the-creation-of-a-dirty-bomb-is-coming-to-an-end-in-ukraine

news.am,tvzvezda.ru

Ukraine

Armenian, Russian

Work on the creation of Ukraine's "dirty bomb" is coming to an end. Two organisations in Ukraine have specific instructions to create a so-called dirty bomb. The works are at the final stage. Moscow is aware of contacts between the office of the President of Ukraine and representatives of the UK on the possible acquisition of nuclear weapons technology. There are enterprises in Ukraine that can provide the resources necessary for a low-yield nuclear weapon: three operating nuclear power plants (South-Ukrainian, Khmelnitsky and Rivne) and the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Conspiracy theory, accusing Ukraine of creating a dirty bomb and posing a nuclear threat to Russia.There is no evidence that Ukraine is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia. Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim and warned that such allegations can be used as a pretext for greater escalation. Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'."Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed. In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research.From the first day of the war, Russia has been voicing its right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine at all levels, from high-ranking officials to propagandists.Talk about the use of tactical nuclear weapons intensified after illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Without providing evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that top NATO officials had said that it’d be acceptable to carry out nuclear strikes on Russia. He threatened to use nuclear weapons adding that "This is not a bluff".Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO to conduct “preventive action” against Russia to prevent their use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.Read also related cases: Ukraine and the West are preparing a nuclear provocation , Russia has never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons , Russia did not violate the Budapest memorandum, Volodymyr Zelensky asks NATO to launch a nuclear war against Russia.

Nuclear issues, security threat, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Budapest memorandum, Conspiracy theory

24.10.2022

Kyiv will detonate a “dirty bomb” to accuse Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyiv-will-detonate-a-dirty-bomb-to-accuse-russia

lantidiplomatico.it

Ukraine, Russia

Italian

Kyiv will detonate a dirty bomb, or radiological weapon to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine and thus launch a powerful anti-Russian campaign around the world aimed at undermining trust in Moscow.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and chemical weapons attacks. Such claims are a 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.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, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents. There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, UK and US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the statement said.A dirty bomb uses traditional explosives to spray radioactive material. Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.Stoltenberg tweeted that the NATO allies "reject this allegation" and "Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation".Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army, Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks

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

24.10.2022

Ukrainian forces shell Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-forces-shell-kakhovska-hydroelectric-power-plant

Interfax

Ukraine, Russia

Russian

Ukrainian forces fired 19 rockets at the Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant in the Kherson oblast.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the Ukrainian Armed Forces of hitting critical civilian infrastructure. This claim was made in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and is meant to distract from and obfuscate Russia's own actions in Ukraine. No evidence is provided to support the claim that Ukrainian troops are firing at the Kakhovska hydroelectric power. A Ukrainian military spokesperson has stated that the Russian forces keep intervening on the water supplies at the Kakhovska power plant. They are trying to drain the water from its reservoirs. According to the Ukrainian Army, Russian soldiers have mined the station, left only loyal people there and limited access to the station. Russia is threatening to blow up a dam at the station, which would flood vast areas down the River Dnipro, including large areas of the city of Kherson. Russia has a history of accusing Ukraine of false flag actions it would supposedly carries out against own targets. Previously, Russian troops staged similar actions at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as they shelled it and accused Ukraine. Russia routinely claims that atrocities, which have been proven to have been committed by Russian units, were the works of Ukrainian army; Bucha, Mariupol et cetera. Read more disinformation cases about Russian provocations during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Provocation

24.10.2022

German study proves coronavirus was made in a lab

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/german-study-proves-coronavirus-was-made-in-a-lab

sahafahn.com,alchourouk.com,akhbarak.net,sa24.co,arabic.rt.com,mz-mz.net,alwakeelnews.com,almnatiq.net,misrnews.com,almanarnews.org,almanartv.com.lb,pressbee.net,alanbatnews.net,yem-now.com,rtarabic.com,Klyoum.com,almatareed.org,menkuwait.com,albachaer.com.lb,belbalady.net,nabd.com,turkeytodey.com,masralyoum.net,almanar-tv.com,egypt-today.com,daralmaref.com,turess.com,Khabar Masr,akhbr-alyemen.com,maghrebalaan.com,owndxb.com,karakib.net,msdernet.xyz,ar.aiihnews.com,arabicradio.net,elkanananews.com,alhakaek.org,newnews4.com,nuomnews.com,farahnewsonline.comShow more

Germany

Arabic

A study conducted by three German scientists shows that they have found evidence of laboratory origins for the coronavirus, and that 99.9% of the virus was made and produced in a laboratory.

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory about the artificial origins of coronavirus.The study mentioned in the article is still a preprint and has not undergone peer review, which means it cannot change any established scientific consensus on the origins of the virus which is that Sars-CoV-2 was originally an animal-based disease that jumped to humans from bats somewhere in China. This remains the case until the study has been peer-reviewed and published in a reputable scientific journal.In fact, this finding has been extensively debunked by the scientific community. For example, Hassan Vally, an associate professor in epidemiology at Deakin University in Australia, told Newsweek that "there seem to be flaws in the logic of this paper in terms of why one would stitch a whole genome together piece by piece to manufacture a virus". He added: "if you were doing what the authors are purporting happened, you would insert small amounts of manufactured genetic material into a largely intact virus genome and there would be no need to piece together a genome in small segments. This doesn't make sense and points to a fundamental flaw in this paper and the logic behind the interpretation".Kristian G. Andersen, a professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the Scripps Research Institute in California, described the study on Twitter as "deeply flawed that it wouldn’t pass kindergarten molecular biology" and as "a clear example of motivated reasoning with a heavy dose of technobabble to make it sound legitimate - but it’s nothing more than poppycock dressed up as science".Read similar cases of disinformation about dangerous US biological tests in Georgia and Ukraine, alleging that COVID-19 was released from a US lab, that the COVID-19 pandemic is a global conspiracy in the interests of the global elite, and that the Masters of Darkness invented the COVID-19 and seek world domination.

coronavirus

24.10.2022

Ukraine plans a provocation using a "dirty bomb" to portray Russia as a nuclear terrorist

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-plans-a-provocation-using-a-dirty-bomb-to-portray-russia-as-a-nuclear-terrorist

geworld.ge,geworld.ge

Russia, Ukraine

Georgian

According to the information available to us, two Ukrainian organisations have been given specific tasks to create a "dirty bomb". The works are at the final stage.Ukraine, with the "dirty bomb" provocation, hopes to intimidate the local population, as a result of which the flow of refugees to Europe will increase, and Russia will be showcased as a nuclear terrorist.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about false flag operations, claiming that Ukraine is staging a false-flag attack on its own territory in order to blame Russia. Such claims are a 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.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.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb. Оn the contrary, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has concocted for escalating the war.In the statement, the governments of France, UK and US confirmed that their Defence Ministers had each spoken with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, and rejected “Russia’s transparently false allegations” about a dirty bomb.Russia has not publicly offered evidence to back up the accusations and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has called the statements “lies.”NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia over its "false" claim that Kyiv might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material. Stoltenberg tweeted that the NATO allies "reject this allegation" and "Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation".Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'."Оn the contrary, the West has real concerns’ Russia could use nuclear weapons. It is Russia who is making irresponsible hints and statements about the possibility of using nuclear arms in its war against Ukraine. For several years now the Russian infosphere has seen nuclear threats being made against the west by figures like Dmitry Kiselyov or Vladimir Zhirinovsky are famous for this. Other Russian officials to make such statements are Dmitry Medvedev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Margarita Simonyan or even Vladimir Putin who specified that “it was not a bluff”.Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed.Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army, that Ukraine is under control of the West and staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk, that West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks.

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

24.10.2022

Russia does not have chemical weapons as it destroyed them in 2017

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-does-not-have-chemical-weapons-as-it-destroyed-them-in-2017

Sputnik on Twitter

Russia, US

French

The Russian Federation completed the destruction of poisoning substances on 27 September 2017, as representatives of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons certified at the site. We ask everyone not to forget that the only country that currently has chemical weapons is the US.

The claim is false. Although it is true that Russia destroyed a large stock of chemical weapons on September 2017, as the OPCW certified at the time, this was only its remaining declared stock, which Russia was obliged to destroy since 2007 under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, although the country benefited from several extensions to maintain chemical weapons. Russia not only possesses other undeclared stocks, but it has repeatedly used chemical weapons against its perceived enemies both in Russia and abroad, as the cases of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev show. Significantly, the attacks on Skripal and Navalny took place after 2017, when Russia was supposed to be already free of chemical weapons, and led to the imposition of sanctions against Russian officials and institutions.On the other side, the US White House has emphasised that the US “is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention and does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere”. This comes in accordance with previous reports that the US has destroyed about 90% of the chemical weapons stockpile in a process that started in June 2019, and it is scheduled to be eliminated by Dec. 31, 2023, after the construction of the necessary destruction facilities.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as the claims that unlike the US, Russia eliminated all its stocks of chemical weapons, that the poisoning of drug addict Navalny was a hoax, that the Skripal case is crumbling due to the lack of evidence, or that the OPCW is turning into an instrument for serving the geopolitical interests of the West.

Chemical weapons/attack

24.10.2022

Ukrainian authorities intend to create a "dirty" bomb

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainian-authorities-intend-to-create-a-dirty-bomb

iravunk.com,regnum.ru,aif.ru

Ukraine, EU, US

Armenian, Russian

Тhe Ukrainian authorities intend to create a "dirty" atomic bomb. The EU and the US are also guilty of sponsoring nuclear terrorism. By providing military and financial aid to Zelenskyy's regime, the US president and the heads of European countries are turning into sponsors and accomplices of nuclear terrorism.

Conspiracy theory, accusing Ukraine of creating a dirty bomb and posing a nuclear threat to Russia.There is no evidence that Ukraine is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia or preparing a dirty bomb. Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for invasion.In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim and warned that such allegations can be used as a pretext for greater escalation. Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'." IAEA inspectors found nothing suspicious in the Ukrainian facilities. The Western states provide Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed. In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research.From the first day of the war, Russia has been voicing its right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine at all levels, from high-ranking officials to propagandists.Talk about the use of tactical nuclear weapons intensified after illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Without providing evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that top NATO officials had said that it’d be acceptable to carry out nuclear strikes on Russia. He threatened to use nuclear weapons adding that "This is not a bluff".Read also related cases: The West helps Ukraine to make a dirty bomb; Ukraine and the West are preparing a nuclear provocation; Russia has never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons; Volodymyr Zelensky asks NATO to launch a nuclear war against Russia.

Nuclear issues, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Terrorism, Osama bin Laden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Terrorism financing

24.10.2022

Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-is-going-to-use-a-dirty-bomb-to-accuse-russia-of-using-tactical-nuclear-weapons

iz.ru,lenta.ru,belta.by,news.am,tlgrm.ru

Ukraine

Russian, Armenian

Kyiv plans to blow up a low-yield nuclear weapon and blame Russia for it.The Russian Defense Ministry has information that Kyiv is preparing a provocation to detonate a "dirty bomb" or a low-yield nuclear weapon on the territory of Ukraine. Thus, the Kyiv authorities want to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction, after which the most powerful anti-Russian campaign will be launched in the world.The detonation of a "dirty bomb" can be disguised as an abnormal operation of a Russian nuclear weapon, where highly enriched uranium is used as a charge. A possible detonation of a nuclear weapon by Kyiv would lead to radioactive contamination of an area of up to several thousand square metres.The presence of radioactive isotopes in the air will later be recorded by the sensors of the International Monitoring System in Europe with the subsequent accusation of the Russian Federation using tactical nuclear weapons.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations and nuclear weapons attack. Such claims are a 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 used a deep-seated and very reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a nuclear provocation or a use of the weapons of mass distruction. Ukraine has been a nuclear-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed.In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research.On October 23, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu phoned the defense ministers of four NATO countries: France, Turkey, Great Britain and the US. Shoigu said that Ukraine was allegedly preparing a "provocation" with the explosion of a "dirty bomb" on its territory. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation did not provide any evidence of this.Western leaders reject Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim and warned that such allegations can be used as a pretext for greater escalation.Ukraine asked the IAEA to "immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which the Russian Federation falsely describes as sites for the development of a 'dirty bomb'."Оn the contrary, the West has real concerns’ Russia could use nuclear weapons. It is Russia who is making irresponsible hints and statements about the possibility of using nuclear arms in its war against Ukraine. For several years now the Russian infosphere has seen nuclear threats being made against the west by figures like Dmitry Kiselyov or Vladimir Zhirinovsky are famous for this. Other Russian officials to make such statements are Dmitry Medvedev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Margarita Simonyan or even Vladimir Putin who specified that “it was not a bluff”.See more disinformation cases: London is helping Kyiv turn the country into a nuclear wasteland; Washington and the Kyiv regime's actions pose a threat of nuclear catastrophe; Russia does not threaten anyone with nuclear weapons; Ukraine was close to turning Russian cities into Chernobyl.

Nuclear issues, false flag, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Russia's Ministry of Defence, Budapest memorandum, Anti-Russian

24.10.2022

The West recycles old unfounded accusations about its enemies using Viagra for mass rapes

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-recycles-old-unfounded-accusations-about-its-enemies-using-viagra-for-mass-rapes

t.me

Russia, Libya, US

Russian

Western media are making strong efforts to generate a campaign that is far from a novelty. According to the UN, Russian soldiers receive Viagra to rape in Ukraine, but this is not the last time that this “weapon” has been used to point to an “enemy” of the West. Gaddafi’s soldiers, according to Susan Rice who in 2011 was the US ambassador to the UN, used this sexual stimulant to promote mass raping. 11 years later, this rhetoric remains the same. It seems that some have a lot of free time but don’t know how to invent anything new.

The claim is an attempt to sow doubts about the credible evidence of mass rapes by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.Accusations of Gaddafi’s troops receiving Viagra to promote mass rape were made in 2011 not only by US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice but also by the International Criminal Court's main prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo. The claim remained controversial as, although there was some early evidence of mass raping gathered by Libyan psychologist Siham Sergewa, it couldn’t be confirmed independently by human rights organisations like Amnesty International or Doctor Without Borders, or even by UN investigator Cherif Bassiouni. The allegation was also questioned by some US intelligence officials. However, an Amnesty International investigator on the ground said that although no evidence was found, this did not prove that mass rape did not occur.This disinformation story tries to equate this episode with the comments made by Pramila Patten, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, during an interview with AFP in which she affirmed that rape is being used as a military strategy by Russian forces in Ukraine. Through this comparison, it aims to throw suspicion on these allegations. In fact, there is massive evidence of widespread raping of Ukrainian women by Russian troops, including multiple testimonies of victims, forensic proof, court trials, intercepted conversations and other evidence gathered by UN and independent investigators.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Charles Michel’s allegations about Russian soldiers raping in Ukraine are unfounded, that visual evidence shows that Russian “executions” in Izyum are fake, that the West fights Russia through psy-ops like Bucha and the Mariupol maternity hospital, or that war crimes accusations are Ukrainian propaganda against Russia.

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

23.10.2022

Western lobby demands Zelenskyy raise stakes of the crisis

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-lobby-demands-zelenskyy-raise-stakes-of-the-crisis

iravunk.com

Ukraine

Armenian

In February, Western lobby (US Democrats) and financial groups in London demanded that Zelenskyy heat up the war in Ukraine because some of them were facing an election year, while others wanted to win by taking away the gas valve from Germany and putting the whole of Europe on high gas and fuel prices. Now Zelenskyy is being asked to raise the stakes of the Ukrainian crisis, e.g., wide offensive operations, man-made global disaster, a tragedy for the whole world, chemical, nuclear, environmental, or other reasons.

Conspiracy theory and recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative questioning Ukrainian statehood and sovereignty. The goal of this narrative is to try to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation, as a non-sovereign puppet of the West, accusing him and the West of provoking the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine.Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine is not a real state and is going to tumble down 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.In reality, neither the US nor the EU is interested in war in the heart of Europe. Western leaders have continuously called for talks and a peaceful solution to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but Moscow has been ignoring these efforts. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to Russia’s full invasion.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Zelenskyy gets military advice from his 9-year old son, that decisions on Ukraine are not made by Zelenskyy but by the high-ranking officials in the US, that Zelenskyy is only a marketing operation, a Jewish face for a Nazi regime, that Zelenskyy is a marionette puppet in the hands of the West; or that The President of Ukraine is controlled by the US, Germany and France.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, West, Democratic Party (US), Volodymyr Zelensky, Puppets, Sovereignty

23.10.2022

Russia forced into a conflict in "historical Russia"

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-forced-into-a-conflict-in-historical-russia

arabic.rt.com,pressbee.news,tayyar.org,nabd.com,rtarabic.com,sho3la.com,ru4arab.ru

Russia

Arabic

Russia did not willingly enter into a conflict in "historical Russia", but it was forced to because many people want to eliminate Russia, since it is a "thorn in the eye" for them.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin media denying Ukrainian statehood by claiming that it is part of "historical Russia". This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.In reality, the territory of present-day Ukraine had been divided between the Russian Empire and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire for centuries. Many new countries appeared in Europe in the wake of Russia’s Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and World War One (1914-1918), the Ukrainian People’s republic (aka the Ukrainian National Republic) being one of these. It was later occupied by Communist Russia and forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union. Ukraine assumed its internationally recognised borders in 1991 when the USSR broke up.It is true that Ukrainians and Russians share a common history, have similar languages and are mostly Orthodox Christian believers. Many neighbouring European nations have a common history, linguistic similarity and religious affinity as well. Although some of them were parts of other, bigger states at some point in history, all modern European nations are now equal and independent states.Moreover, Russia was not forced to invade Ukraine. This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets to justify the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII.Read more disinformation cases about Ukrainian statehood.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

22.10.2022

The EU, not Russia, is behind the energy, food and economic crises

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-not-russia-is-behind-the-energy-food-and-economic-crises

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EU, Russia, Ukraine

Arabic

The EU continues to falsely accuse Russia of being responsible for provoking the food and energy crises, and now also the economic crisis. The EU purpose for spreading misinformation is clear - to obscure the facts that the energy, food and economic problems facing the world, especially developing countries, are primarily caused by the bad EU policies. These policies are deeply rooted in the Western mentality of merciless exploitation of natural and human resources in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as waging trade and economic wars against Russia, including the imposition of unilateral sanctions unprecedented in its scope and consequences for the global economy.

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about sanctions in the context of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.The claim that sanctions are the cause of economic crisis is an attempt to deflect Russia's responsibility for the global food and energy crisis. In fact, 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 also destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.Logistically, EU sanctions do not include the import of agricultural products unless a sanctioned individual is involved. Moreover, the sanctions only cover bilateral trade between the EU and Russia, meaning that third countries can import Russian agrifood products without restriction, and therefore there is no bases for the claim that EU sanctions are the cause of the crisis in developing countries. See article 15. of the conclusions of the European Council of 20 and 21 October 2022 which states:Russia, by weaponising food in its war against Ukraine, is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has provoked. Russia’s war of aggression has triggered disruptions of agricultural production, supply chains and trade that have driven world food and fertiliser prices to unprecedented levels. The EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes have made possible the export of significant volumes of Ukrainian crops, agricultural products and fertilisers to the countries most in need. Read also related cases: Western sanctions cause food crisis and price growth, Sanctions against Russia worsen the economic crisis in the West, The EU lost more from sanctions than Russia, European sanctions against Russia do not work.

Sanctions, Europe, European Union, food, Energy, Economic difficulties, economy, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

22.10.2022

Accusations of Russia "shelling the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine" are hypocrisy

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/accusations-of-russia-shelling-the-civilian-infrastructure-of-ukraine-are-hypocrisy

tlgrm.ru,gazeta.ru,rg.ru,ntv.ru

EU, Ukraine

Russian

The Union is pursuing a confrontational policy, and all accusations of Russia of shelling the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine are hypocrisy.We consider it the height of hypocrisy to accuse Russia of “shelling the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine”. The European Union has lost the moral right to say anything about war crimes, since for 8 years it has turned a blind eye to the killings of civilians, women and children as a result of shelling of the Donbas territories by the Kyiv regime.

A recurring disinformation narrative claiming that Russian troops do not hit civilian objects during Moscow’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Recurring narrative presenting the eight-year-long conflict in Eastern Ukraine as a one-sided genocide, perpetrated by Ukraine.There is rich evidence that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine, such as the shelling of hospitals, churches, shopping malls, killing civilians, raping, as well as using imprecise weapons.Human rights organisations and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, document that the invasion of Ukraine was carried out through indiscriminate attacks and strikes on civilian objects.Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 15,908 civilian casualties in the country: 6,306 killed and 9,602 injured. by 17 October UN mission update, and nearly 1,000 children killed or injured.There is plenty of evidence of attacks on civilian targets: attacks on cultural properties; attacks on hospitals and medical care facilities; Mariupol theatre airstrike; Mariupol hospital airstrike; mass shelling of residential areas; bombing of Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Odesa, Vynnitsia, Kremenchuk etc. Russian troops killed and tortured hundreds of civilians in the town of Bucha and Izium. Similar atrocities have been discovered in many other cities where Russian forces were in control.Attacks on health facilities continue unabated, 473 WHO-verified attacks have been recorded this past half-year in Ukraine, resulting in at least 98 deaths and 134 injuries.The European Union is supporting the International Criminal Court in the ongoing investigations into war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.Ukraine was not at war with millions of people from Donetsk and Luhansk as pro-Kremlin media presents the situation. The aim is to present the situation in Eastern Ukraine as an internal civil conflict, ignoring irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in the region. The war in Eastern Ukraine was a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces. Russia was supporting its proxies with weapons, its active-duty soldiers served there and its top military commanders to coordinate joint efforts with the separatists. Despite all this Russia officially denied its military presence in Donbas for the past 8 years. Thousands dead people – military and civilian alike – are a result of a war that Russia started in Ukraine in February 2014. See other cases in our database: Accusations about Russian military war crimes are unacceptable: a lot of fakes on this topic; The Russian military does not strike civilian infrastructure; West has turned a blind eye to the genocide in Ukraine.Read more about the EU response and support for Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, European Union, war crimes, War crimes, Maria Zakharova, Donbas, Civil war

22.10.2022

Ukraine wants to blow up the Kakhovka dam to block water supply to Crimea

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-wants-to-blow-up-the-kakhovka-dam-to-block-water-supply-to-crimea

lantidiplomatico.it

Ukraine, Russia

Italian

Ukraine wants to blow Kakhovka dam in Ukraine. Such an event would cause the river to flood, sweeping away some 80 settlements and cutting off freshwater supply lines to Crimea for years to come.

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about false flag operations. Such claims are a part of a broader pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign accompanying the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, trying to place the blame on Ukraine.Ukrainian military intelligence said on the 21st of October that Russia had conducted the main mining works of the dam back in April, but warned that the floodgates and supports of the dam were further primed in the past week. Two military vehicles full of explosives were placed on the road that crosses the dam, the agency added.The 30 metre-high dam, which holds back 18m cubic metres of water, straddles the Dnipro River upstream from Russian-held Kherson and is about 20 miles from advancing Ukrainian forces hoping to recapture both it and the occupied city.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused Russia of plotting to blow up the two-mile Nova Kakhovka dam in the south of the country, warning its destruction would cause “a large-scale disaster” affecting towns and cities.According to Ukrainian Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov Russia will slow Ukrainian troops' advance in the south by two weeks if it blows up the vast Kakhovka dam, but such a move would flood territory occupied by Moscow and lose it a vital water source for annexed Crimea.Blowing up the dam would also "destroy the possibility of the existence of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant because this facility is inextricably linked to it".The nuclear plant, Europe's largest, has been occupied by Russia for months and is located near the reservoir.Read similar cases claiming that West needs provocations to accuse the Russian military of using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Ukrainian militants are shelling the nuclear station in Zaporizhzhia and that Kyiv prepares chemical attacks to blame the Russian army.

Kherson, false flag, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

22.10.2022

Russia is at war with NATO, not Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-is-at-war-with-nato-not-ukraine

gazeta.ru,gazeta.ru,life.ru,RBC.ru,rg.ru,ng.ru,iz.ru,tass.ru,Moskovskij Komsomolets,News Rambler

Russia

Russian

The united NATO countries are waging an open war against Russia, the purpose of which is to eliminate the country as a free and sovereign state, eliminate the historical roots of our country, culture and traditions.Everyone understands perfectly well that a real open war is being waged against the Russian Federation today.Тhis is not a war with Ukraine, Russia is not at war with Ukraine.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets presenting what is happening as a war with NATO, claiming that NATO is directly involved in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the Ukrainian side, accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda aiming at destabilising Russia, portraying Russia as a victim and denying any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions.NATO does not aim at destroying or disintegrating Russia and is not in war with Russia. Since Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the West has been calling for Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and a peaceful settlement.Some NATO member states are providing Ukraine with military assistance to repel the unprovoked Russian aggression, but they 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. Ukrainian counter-offensive is led by the Ukrainian military political leadership. NATO as an organisation is not involved in fighting in Ukraine. Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, said in September 2022: "No, NATO is not at war with Russia. I have to be very clear about that. <...> If Russia would attack one of our allies, then it is absolutely clear, and we make that as clear as we can to Russia, that we would defend every inch of allied territory. Then Russia and NATO will be in a conflict. But until that moment, NATO is not at war with Russia."The US, the EU and NATO condemns n the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked. At the Madrid Summit, NATO Leaders stated that the Alliance will continue political and practical support to Ukraine "as it continues to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression. In the longer term, we will assist Ukraine, and support efforts on its path of post-war reconstruction and reforms."Since Russia began its aggressive and unprovoked actions against Ukraine, Russian officials have accused NATO of a series of threats and hostile actions. Read here about Russian Myths on NATO.See similar cases 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, NATO, Anti-Russian, West, Destabilising Russia, Sovereignty