Category Ukraine

Manipulation: Ukrainian Grain Exported to the West, Not Needy African Countries

Most of the cargo ships that have managed to leave Ukrainian ports to date are commercial vessels carrying grain, purchased under commercial contracts that were concluded before the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. The United Nations believes that commercial trade plays a big role in stabilizing the global market even if that trade does not go directly to countries facing food shortages. The UN World Food Program is making efforts to deliver Ukrainian grain directly to those African countries where there is hunger. To that end the organization chartered the Brave Commander cargo ship carrying 23,000 metric tons of grain from the Ukrainian port Pivdennyi to Ethiopia.

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4 Nuclear Fakes: Russia’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Lies at the UN Security Council

The UN Security Council, convened by Russia on August 11 to discuss the situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), became another opportunity for Russia to spread disinformation against Ukraine. The ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, it is located in Enerhodar, 120 kilometers south of the regional capital of Zaporizhzhia, and has been temporarily occupied by Russian troops since March of this year. Speaking at the session, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasiliy Nebenzya declared the urgency to "stop the Kyiv regime" and accused Ukraine of "attacking nuclear infrastructure facilities." This time the Russian lies were based on four propaganda messages (outlined here).

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Fake: European Parliament Finds No Evidence Russia Sponsors Terrorism

Russian media claims that the European Parliament found no evidence that Russia sponsors terrorism is the opinion of only one parliamentarian - Gunnar Beck, a member of the pro-Russian Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany) party. Beck however did not say anything about the European Parliament and its decisions regarding Russia and terrorism.

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Manipulation: EU Demands Ukraine Make Concessions to Russia, Says Former Foreign Affairs Advisor

On the contrary, former EU foreign affairs advisor Nathalie Tocci urges EU countries to maintain their unity and warns against any concessions to Russia, especially if hostilities in Ukraine diminish. Tocci emphasises that when the violence subsides, the West must show its true resilience and redouble its support for Kyiv, not only to ensure that Russia loses this war, but that Ukraine actually wins it.

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Manipulation: Most Ukrainian Refugees Fled to Russia, says UNHCR

The propagandists failed to mention that the data submitted to the UN with comes with an explanatory footnote. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees noted that these numbers are merely estimates and there is no information on how many of those Ukrainians who left for Russia later returned back home. For those living in the temporarily occupied territories, leaving through Russia is one of the very few ways of escaping Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Fake: Poroshenko Planning Military Coup in Ukraine

Russian propagandists are using a recent Le Monde article about former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko possibly using his military activities as a campaign slogan in the upcoming elections as a military coup plan. The article does not mention any such plans or make any assumptions about him preparing a military coup in Ukraine.

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Fake: Ukrainian Flags Banned in Spanish Refugee Center

The owners of Epic Gym in Benalmadena, Spain, whose building features on a photograph being disseminated by Russian media and officials, say they have never had anti-Ukrainian graffiti on their wall. Photo verifications apps also show the picture has been doctored.

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Fake: Ukrainians Selling Switchblade 300 Drones on Darknet

The alleged Switchblade 300 sale ads use photos of two different Switchblade drones, both of which were damaged and shot down in Syria in the past decade. These photographs first appeared on the web six and seven years ago, respectively.

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Manipulation: Gazprom Cannot Supply More Gas Because of Russia Sanctions

Sanctions and Siemens turbine "technical problems" are not an impediment to the normal operation of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. The significant reduction in Russian gas supplies to Europe and Germany in particular, happened for political reasons and not because the turbine hasn't been repaired, as Russia claims. The Russian Federation continues to use its energy resources as a tool to blackmail EU countries for their support of Ukraine.

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Manipulation: Majority of Europeans Against New Russian Sanctions

According to a YouGov poll, the idea of ​​introducing new additional sanctions against Russia has strong support among Europeans: 74% of those surveyed in Poland, 75% in the UK, 76% in Spain, 55% in Germany, 56% in Italy, 62% in France, all support the introduction of additional economic sanctions against Russia in their country. What the Europeans are unwilling to support are further sanctions against Russia if it would negatively impact their own standard of living. It was this single indicator - one of many in the survey - that the Kremlin media focused on, portraying it as the overall European sentiment on sanctions, thereby manipulating the integrity of the YouGov survey data.

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