Disinfo: The Bellingcat report on Navalny’s “poisoning” was aimed to destroy Nord Stream 2

Summary

The Bellingcat report on Navalny’s “poisoning” was created to destroy Russian pipeline Nord Stream 2, according to international observers that questioned the opportunity of the report and its main goal. All the anti-Russian and anti-Putin political elites in the West will probably benefit from a narrative of poisoning, and a special target is Nord Stream 2. The US, the British and the Poles are against it and they have done everything at hand to put the project to an end. The pretentious investigation of Bellingcat was aimed to try to close it, since on December 11 it was reported that Russia had resumed its work on the pipeline despite US sanctions.

Disproof

This is part of a pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign on the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, aiming to deflect any Russian responsibility on the incident by framing it as a false flag operation with obscure motivations: in this case, a baseless claim on a connection with the construction of Nord Stream II.

There is massive evidence proving that Navalny was targeted in a poisoning operation, as established by initial clinical findings at the Charité hospital which indicated that he had been poisoned with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. Subsequent toxicological tests established the presence of a Novichok-type chemical nerve agent in Navalny's blood.

On 14 December 2020, a special investigation by Bellingcat, The Insider, CNN and Der Spiegel identified members of the Russian FSB unit involved in the attempt on Navalny’s life. According to The New York Times, the report was also consistent with the information on the case gathered by German intelligence services. Bellingcat also provided a detailed account of the methods used to identify the FSB operatives. A week later, on 21 December, Bellingcat has disclosed a recorded conversation in which a member of the suspected FSB poison squad describes how his unit carried out, and attempted to clean up evidence of, the poisoning of Alexey Navalny.

See other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives on Alexei Navalny’s poisoning in our database, such as claims that only caffeine and alcohol were found in his blood, that the US wanted to use it to block Russia's vaccine against coronavirus, that the West hopes that he dies to have an excuse for new sanctions, or that Western accusations on Navalny’s case are as false as they were about Sergei Skripal and Alexander Litvinenko.

This disinformation message appeared in the same article than the claim that “The Bellingcat report on Navalny’s 'poisoning' was a reminder for the electoral college to vote for Biden”.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 225
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/12/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: UK, Poland, US, Russia
  • Keywords: novichok, Nord Stream 2, Anti-Russian, Alexei Navalny
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Disinfo: Lithuanian judges broke the law in the case of January 13th

The Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) charged, in absentia, the Lithuanian judges which passed an illegal judgement in the case of events of January 13, 1991, in Vilnius. The ICR said that the Lithuanian judges know that events in Vilnius happened at the moment when Lithuania was part of the USSR. During the events of January 1991, Soviet troops acted according to Soviet law to ensure public order.

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On January 13., 1991, during an armed confrontation near the TV tower in Vilnius, 14 people died and more than 600 were injured. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Lithuania claims without any evidence that victims were killed by Soviet soldiers.

Disproof

The case contains historical revisionism and recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the events of January 13th, 1991.

The statement by the Investigative Committee of Russia against the Lithuanian judges is an attempt to exert pressure on Lithuania, its courts, and law enforcement officials.

Disinfo: Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau is an element of external control over Ukraine's politicians

NABU [National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine] began to perform the functions for which this “anti-corruption system” was created. It is a club against any Ukrainian politician, official, or businessman who dares to be arbitrary (i.e. go beyond the limits set by the system of external control).

Disproof

This is an example of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that Ukraine is under external control.

NABU is a state law enforcement agency that independently investigates the corruption of public officials and prepares cases for prosecution. The bureau was created in 2014 after the National Anti-Corruption Committee did not fulfil its obligations. NABU is accountable to the Parliament of Ukraine through the law on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the law on prevention of corruption.

Disinfo: The Western elite and their Ukrainian puppets set up MH17 crash

More and more experts agree that the Western elite and their Ukrainian puppets orchestrated the crash of the Malaysian Boeing MH17. Each such statement is accompanied by a number of facts. The current situation casts a shadow on the competence of the Hague Court and casts doubt on Russia’s guilt. The US and Ukrainian authorities were involved in this tragedy.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the downing of Flight MH17. No serious expert view the “Western Elites” as responsible for the crash.

The Dutch-led criminal investigation by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been ongoing since 2014. On 28 September 2016, the JIT announced that Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile from the 9M38 series, which was launched by a BUK TELAR missile system. The system was transported from the Russian Federation to an agricultural field near the town of Pervomaiskyi in Eastern Ukraine, from where the missile was launched. After firing, the system - with one missing missile - went back to the Russian Federation. On the 24th of May 2018, the JIT announced its conclusion that the BUK TELAR used to shoot down MH17 came from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, a unit of the Russian armed forces from Kursk in the Russian Federation.