Millions of Ukrainians are encountering Russian propaganda every day. It spreads through TV, radio, media, social networks and by word of mouth. To defeat the enemy, we must fight it on all fronts. That is why we have prepared a daily compilation of Russian fakes.
FAKE: Maternity clinic in Mariupol that was destroyed by Russian forces was actually an “Azov” battalion military base
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From the outset of the war, Russian forces attack not just critical infrastructure objects, but houses, hospitals, orphanages, kindergartens and schools. Meanwhile, they proclaim to target military infrastructure only.
News of the destruction of Mariupol’s maternity clinic spread fast and far, so even the Russians have admitted to it. But, according to them, it was an “Azov” battalion military base, and no women or children were near for a couple of days.
The “Azov” battalion is indeed defending Mariupol as a part of Ukrainian Armed Forces, but they did not pick a maternity clinic as their base.
And there were women and children inside the clinic during the attack, and all of it was witnessed and photographed by independent international journalists, that are working in the city (see photos below).
You can see a woman’s face in one of the pictures. This woman is indeed a Mariupol local, and she was in her final trimester (see photo from Instagram).
To add a couple of words about the power of Russian propaganda: a Russian Instagram users started to harass the woman, claiming she was paid to stage the bombing. This, once again, proves that Russians knew that there were children and pregnant women in the clinic, and now they are desperately trying to shift the blame onto Ukraine.
FAKE: US sponsored biolabs in Ukraine were experimenting with bat’s coronavirus samples
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We see, once again, an old, baseless narrative being pushed.
This time, Russian MoD claims that biolabs in Ukraine were not only researching the mechanisms for spread of deadly pathogens, but also worked on coronavirus samples.
One of the main objectives of this fake is shifting the spotlight from Russian war crimes in Ukraine to a fictitious bioweapon story. Just add a pinch of Corona, and a powerful fake for Russian audiences is ready.
Mentions of US involvement subtly hint to the consumer that whatever is happening in Ukraine, America is to blame. And the global pandemic, that’s America’s fault too. The problem is, US officials on multiple occasions denied any involvement in any biological or chemical weapons programs in Ukraine.
The myth of US backed biolabs is an old one – it surfaced long before the Russian invasion in Ukraine. The last mention of it was in March 2021, when por-russian OPZZh party proclaimed the existence of such labs in Ukraine. The fake was quickly echoed by Kremlin propaganda outlets, including the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Such claims echo statements that Russian propaganda spread about Georgia, where a US sponsored lab allegedly existed. Igor Giorgadze, the former Minister of State Security, who now lives in Russia as an exile, claimed that deadly drug tests on Georgian citizens were conducted in the laboratories of Lugar Research Center.
In essence, Russian propagandists aren’t even inventing anything new, they just reuse old stories that they already applied to other countries.
What caught our attention is the timing of this iteration of the fake. It popped up just a couple of days ago, at the end of the second week of the war, and the Russian officials already cite it as one of the reasons for invading Ukraine. In essence, Russia retrospectively adds more and more justifications for its war crimes against Ukraine.
To be honest, this is a standard move from the Russian playbook. Soon we can expect more statements like this one popping up in the info space, and the appearance of fakes of a similar kind about other world problems – from ISIS to Global Warming, that will put all the blame squarely on Ukraine and the US.
FAKE: Russian Federation did not attack Ukraine
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To make such claims while Russian planes, missiles and artillery are leveling Ukrainian cities, while the Russian army indiscriminately massacres Ukrainians, is truly a testament to Russian cowardice and obscenity.
We do hope that Lavrov can explain how the hundreds of burned Russian military vehicles and thousands of Russian corpses managed to find themselves on Ukrainian soil (see photos below).
Be advised: Russia is waging a full-scale information war against Ukraine. There are multitudes of new fakes swarming through the mass-media every day. To protect you and your family, be sure to obtain and share your information only from official sources.
Official information channels:
· Office of the President of Ukraine
· General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces
· Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
· Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
· Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
· Ministry of Internal Affairs
· State Emergency Service of Ukraine
· State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
· Centre for Strategic Communication
· Centre for Desinformation Resistance
· State Special Communications Service of Ukraine
Information about transportation and infrastructure:
· State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine
· Boryspil International Airport”
· Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority
· Danylo Halytskyi International Airport Lviv
· State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety
Keep calm and trust only official sources. Ukraine will prevail!
