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Disinfo: Donetsk and Luhansk established two republics in 2014 to oppose a coup in Kyiv

Summary

Since 2014, Ukraine has witnessed an ongoing political and military crisis in the east of the country, after the Donetsk and Luhansk regions authorities announced the creation of two republics in their territories, in opposition to a coup in Kyiv in February of the same year.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative painting the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv as a conflict between the eastern regions and Ukraine.

The war in eastern Ukraine is not a civil conflict but a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014.

Moreover, there was no coup d'etat in Ukraine. The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was an organic reaction by numerous parts of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. See the full debunk of this disinformation claim.

Read similar cases that the Euromaidan coup led to civil war in Donbas and Luhansk independence trigged a Ukrainian military operation.

This disinformation claim appeared in the same article as the disinfo claim that Crimeans chose to return to the "motherland" after a coup in Kyiv.

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publication/media

RT Arabic (Archived)
AlAraby AlYoum (Archived)
omantoday.net (Archived)
Khabar One (Archived)
News Snap (Archived)
Klyoum.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 202
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18/05/2020
  • Language/target audience: Arabic
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Keywords: DNR, Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine, LNR

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the racial justice protests in the US are dominated by violent groups, which, in turn, are directed, supported and financed by powerful élites, such as George Soros, leaders of the Democratic Party and/or global corporations.

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Disproof

The claims are similar to Russia's denial of interference with Western democracies, even though there are well-documented instances of Moscow meddling in elections.

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