Disinfo: British authorities are exploiting the Skripal-case for anti-Russian propaganda

Summary

The real similarity between the case of Sergei Skripal and Alexander Litvinenko is the cynical way that the British authorities are exploiting it for anti-Russian propaganda. It seems highly significant that Russia’s presidential elections are due to take place later this month. What better way to smear the expected electoral victory of incumbent president Vladimir Putin than to accuse the Kremlin of carrying out an assassination plot on British soil against a former Russian spy?

Disproof

Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned with radioactive polonium 210 in 2006. An inquiry into the murder, led by High Court judge Sir Robert Owen, found, in 2016, that Litvinenko was murdered by a former Russian agent, Andrey Lugovoi, with the “strong probability” that the murder was ordered by Russian intelligence. The nerve agent that poisoned Skripal has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s https://www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html. It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html For other examples of many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media, see: euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=,

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sputniknews.com
  • Reported in: Issue 101
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 08/03/2018
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: UK, Russia
  • Keywords: Sergei Skripal, Propaganda, Chemical weapons/attack, Sputnik, Alexander Litvinenko, Conspiracy theory, Russophobia
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Disinfo: Skripal poisoning: Provocation by the West before the Russian presidential elections

What happened to Mr Skripal: many people said that it would happen, that there will be a provocation [by the West] before the Russian elections, claiming that Russian secret services killed or poisoned somebody.

Mar 07, 2018
Disproof

Conspiracy theory, no evidence given. Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, The toxin was identified as a nerve agent at Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base. They have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins, in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility. The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s https://www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html. It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a “military-grade nerve agent” known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.

Disinfo: The reports of Western media on the Skripal poisoning are propaganda to justify sanctions against Russia

These provocations [like linking Sergei Skripal’s death to Russia] are for internal use. They [the West, first of all the UK] should explain to their citizens, why sanctions are being imposed, why the Russians are presented as fools and why this whole bacchanalia continues in all the media.

Mar 07, 2018
Disproof

Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, The sanctions were imposed on Russia because of the annexation of Crimea. Accusations of anti-Russian propaganda aimed at the Western audience are typical for pro-Kremlin disinformation, see euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=russophobia&disinfo_issue=&date=, , euvsdisinfo.eu/russia-as-a-victim-of-western-aggression/, and euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=&disinfo_issue=&disinfo_keywords%5B%5D=77369&date=, As for Sergei Skripal: The toxin was identified as a nerve agent at Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base. They have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins, in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility. The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s https://www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html. It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a “military-grade nerve agent” known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.

Disinfo: It was Britain that experimented with nerve agent

Porton Down, where the Brits were experimenting with the same types of nerve agents, is located next door to where Skripal and his daughter were found.

Mar 07, 2018
Disproof

Conspiracy theory, no evidence given. Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, The toxin was identified as a nerve agent at Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base. They have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins, in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility, . The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html, . It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html, , theconversation.com/what-we-know-about-novichok-the-newby-nerve-agents-linked-to-russia-93264, . British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a “military-grade nerve agent” known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said. Further debunking by Julia Davis twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/971924556423356416, .