Category Russia

DISINFO: EU mission in Armenia is an instrument of the EU’s hybrid war

Intensively repeated disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets attempting to discredit the EU mission in Armenia, accusing it of espionage, anti-Russian, anti-Iranian and anti-Azerbaijani activities.

From the very beginning, this exclusively civilian mission has been fully transparent about its plans to operate from six hubs. It has no links to NATO or troops from its member countries. From the moment of its launch, EUMA was a target for disinformation, as discussed in our analysis The wrong the wicked and the wacky. Claims about the EU mission in Armenia.

The mission was launched in Armenia in response to a request by Armenia. EUMA conducts routine patrolling and reports on the situation, which strengthens the EU's understanding of the situation on the ground.

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DISINFO: EU ban on Russian media is Russophobia and murder of free speech

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the EU violating freedom of speech and press.

On 15 May 2024, EU ambassadors agreed in principle to place an additional four Russian media outlets on the sanctions list, accusing them of propaganda. These are Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestiya and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The decision was based on the fact that these media outlets are used as a tool of Russian propaganda and disinformation. See here for the list of outlets sanctioned previously.

The EU countries are considered free and democratic by Freedom House. In contrast, Russia is considered one of the least free countries in the world. This is the reason why pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives strongly attack democracy and the EU as a viable model to Russia's autocratic system.

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DISINFO: The attempt on Slovak PM Robert Fico’s life was political terrorism in retaliation for his pro-Russian position

There is no evidence of the involvement of any Western country in the assassination attempt on Fico.

Slovakian media identified the shooter as 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, a self-described writer who previously worked as a security guard and is allegedly linked to pro-Russian group Slovački branci. Slovakia's interior minister, Matus Sutaj Estok, told reporters that Cintula was a "lone wolf, whose actions were accelerated after the presidential election since he was dissatisfied with its outcome."

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DISINFO: Ukrainian government is planning to relocate to Lviv

The article contains baseless speculation devoid of any factual basis. It serves the pro-Kremlin aim of eroding morale and a narrative of a disintegrating Ukraine that is in retreat militarily.

The article references a Reuters article, which states that foreign investment and the increase in internally displaced people are most noticeable in the western regions (Lviv and Transcarpathia). However, this fact, which is a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, has no bearing on the claim that the Ukrainian government is planning a resettlement to western Ukraine, specifically Lviv.

Ukraine has no intention of abandoning Kyiv, the capital city. Even during the height of the war in spring 2022, the government and the president remained in Kyiv.

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DISINFO: In Ukraine, Russia defends traditional values for the benefit of the whole world

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the morally corrupt West which is presented as a justification for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and serves to deflect responsibility for Moscow's illicit actions. Russia's brutal war against Ukraine is absurdly portrayed as a war against the West and as a noble cause of fighting for the benefit of mankind against the "culture of degeneracy, perversion, and pathology."

Western values as well as concepts which are not necessarily linked with Western values and policies but nevertheless attributed to the West in the article are intended to present the West as pernicious, immoral, degenerate, and a threat to traditional values. The narrative about threatened values is one of the most common pro-Kremlin narratives. It portrays the Russian civilisation as morally superior to the Western. Russia uses this narrative to proclaim itself the defender of traditional social and spiritual values all over the world. Progressive Western attitudes about a variety of normative issues, including the rights of women, ethnic and religious minorities, and LGBTQ groups, among others, are often undermined and distorted in pro-Kremlin outlets. Respect for individual choices is often falsely portrayed in the pro-Kremlin media as state policies aimed at propagating and imposing specific actions, such as sex changes on the population.

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No, French pilots did not ‘accidentally’ paint a Russian flag during Olympic flyover – Truth or Fake

Social media users are sharing a viral video that purports to show French pilots painting a Russian flag in the sky, instead of a French one, during Marseille's Olympic flyover event. We explain if this was an accident or rather an optical illusion, in this edition of Truth or Fake.

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China not ‘ready to intervene’ if US and Nato attack Russia. Ignore false old claim dismissed by Chinese defence ministry in 2022 – Africa Check

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, claims that China has threatened the US and Nato are false.

Read MoreChina not ‘ready to intervene’ if US and Nato attack Russia. Ignore false old claim dismissed by Chinese defence ministry in 2022 – Africa Check

Debunking false rumours that Ukraine sold Russia its French-made artillery – Truth or Fake

Social media users have been sharing false claims that the Ukrainian army sold two of the heavy-duty CAESAR howitzers - given by France - to Russia for $120,000 per unit. In this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl, we look into the source of these rumours - which are based on false posts from two years ago - and why the outlet behind them is not trustworthy.

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FALSE: Mark Milley urged Ukrainians to conduct terrorist attacks on Russian territory

Mark Milley was referring to actions in the occupied territories, not Russia. The USA does not encourage Ukrainian forces to strike outside their own borders

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