Disinfo: Expulsion of Russian diplomats from Czechia is aimed at discrediting the Sputnik V and “Rosatom”

Summary

May the expulsion of the Russian diplomats [from Czechia] be connected to the construction of a new energy block at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant? The [Czech] opposition and secret services stand against the participation of the Russian company “Rosatom” in this tender. This situation is an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, discrediting both the supplier of the Sputnik V vaccine and the “Rosatom”. That is why the anti-Russian campaign is being revived in order to reach these goals. Such developments as the Skripal poisoning and the Malaysian Boeing have one thing in common – neither of them was investigated and the sanctions were introduced with the violation of all principles of the civilized world. Unfortunately, we have become a part of a barbaric world.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying the participation of the Russian special services in the Vrbetice ammunition explosion in Czechia.

The claim that the decision of the Czech authorities to expel the Russian diplomats in protest against the Russian involvement in the 2014 Vrbětice explosion is an alleged Czech attempt to “discredit the Sputnik V and the “Rosatom” is a manipulation.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek announced on Saturday 17 April 2021 that the Czech intelligence services collected evidence demonstrating Russian involvement in the 2014 Vrbětice explosion. More specifically, it implicates Unit 29155, a division of Russia's GRU agency previously linked to "assassination attempts and other subversive actions across Europe." Prague's findings were independently corroborated in the course of an investigation jointly conducted by Bellingcat, The Insider (Russia), Der Spiegel (Germany), and Respekt.cz (Czech Republic).

The involvement of Russian state actors in the MH17 crash and the Skripal poisoning has been established beyond a reasonable doubt. See e.g. here and here for our debunking of these claims.

Pro-Kremlin coverage of the Vrbetice incident resembles Moscow's standard approach to damage control in the face of incriminating evidence: knee-jerk denial of wrongdoing, attribution of the charges to Western Russophobia, and mass production of "alternative explanations." This template has been applied in the coverage of the MH17 crash, the Skripal poisoning, and the Navalny poisoning.

See other cases connected to the Vrbetice explosion: No evidence of Moscow's involvement in the 2014 Vrbetice explosion; Allegations of the Russian role in Vrbetice explosion part of Russophobic smear campaign and Prague blocked information about Belarus coup by raising the issue of ammo depot explosion.

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pl.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 241
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18/04/2021
  • Article language(s) Polish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Czech Republic, Russia
  • Keywords: Rosatom, MH17, Sergei Skripal, GRU, Secret services, Sputnik V, Alexei Navalny
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Disinfo: Conspirators arrested after scheming an attempt to assasinate Lukashenko

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained two individuals who plotted a military coup in Belarus and an assassination attack on President Alexander Lukashenko, the FSB Public Relations Center said on Saturday.

"In a special operation conducted by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation alongside the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB), the illegal activities of [two individuals, name present in the origianl text] were prevented, as those had been scheming to stage a military coup in Belarus in accordance with the tried and tested ‘color revolution’ scenario with the involvement of local and Ukrainian nationalists, as well as the physical removal of President Alexander Lukashenko," the FSB said.

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The coup was scheduled for May 9 during the Victory Day Parade in Minsk, the FSB said.

"After the above mentioned meeting had been recorded, the conspirators were apprehended by the Russian security services and handed over to the Belarusian counterparts," the FSB said.

Apr 17, 2021
Disproof

An unfounded claim, consistent with a recurrent narrative about Western aggression against Russia and its allies, similar to several hundred cases in the EUvsDisinfo database. No substantial evidence is presented to support the accusations. The individuals detained are known members of dissident groups in Belarus.

For more, see the analysis of the Atlantic Council.

Disinfo: US wants to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 by presenting Russia as an aggressor

One of the reasons for the aggravation of the situation [in Donbas], is the struggle for the markets for the sale of liquefied gas.

By presenting Russia as an aggressor, they [the US] want to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 to stop the project. And then the Americans will sell their liquefied gas to Europe at high prices and cash in on gas.

Apr 17, 2021
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine and Nord Stream 2.

This disinformation is used to distract attention from a renewed build-up of Russian armed forces along the Ukrainian borders since March-April 2021. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized many times that Ukraine is not interested in resuming the conflict in Donbas. Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy, is committed to the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Disinfo: Ukraine demonstrates readiness to take republics in Donbas by storm with the US and NATO support

The situation in Donbas is difficult. The shelling of the territories of the DPR and LPR is underway. Peaceful people are dying. The Ukrainian authorities are demonstrating that they are ready to take the republics by storm, and they are supported by the US and NATO leaderships. They are doing this in order to provoke Russia to provide assistance to the citizens of Russia who live there. And then present Russia as an aggressor, as they did in August 2008.

Apr 17, 2021
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is performing subversive activities in Donbas with the support of the US and NATO and provoking Russia and the Moscow-backed separatists into action in order to present Russia as an aggressor.

In reality, Russia is amassing its troop buildup along Ukraine’s border and the anti-Ukrainian separatists are increasing gunfire in Donbas to supposedly prompt Ukraine into backfire, get a casus belli and stage a large-scale attack. It appears that Russia seeks in Ukraine not peace but a frozen conflict similar to the one between Moldova and its breakaway region of Transnistria.