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Disinfo: Georgia and the Lugar Lab intentionally infecting South Ossetians with COVID-19

Summary

American and Georgian specialists who are working on the creation and modification of various pathogens of dangerous diseases in the Lugar Lab are trying to collect biological samples of COVID-19 from South Ossetian citizens. Due to the inability to implement this plan in the territory of South Ossetia, it is possible that the biological samples will be collected from potential violators of the state border. As these manipulations are carried out under the control of the State Security Service of Georgia and US Defense Intelligence Agency, there are real preconditions for the deliberate infection of South Ossetian citizens.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative concerning the coronavirus pandemic and the Tbilisi-based Lugar Lab.

This is not the first time that the Lugar Lab and Georgia have been accused of spreading diseases on its occupied territories. See a similar disinformation case here.

The Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research is a facility of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC), which became operational in August 2013. The Lugar centre is a top-tiered institution in NCDC’s laboratory network and serves as a reference laboratory for Georgia’s public health system. In no case has this laboratory been designed or redesigned to build biological weapons, though this is a trope in Russian media.

Read more about the Lugar lab on Myth Detector.

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publication/media

sputnik-ossetia.ru (Archived)
sputnik-ossetia.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue195
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 28/04/2020
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Georgian region of South Ossetia, Georgia
  • Keywords: coronavirus, Lugar Laboratory

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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Belarusian independent media are part of Soros-planned genocide in the post-Soviet space

Fake news about coronavirus deaths by the Belarusian independent media are aimed at sowing panic among the population. The Belarusian opposition is interested in genocide of the Belarusian people. A fake news revolution is the beginning of genocide according to Soros’s plans to destroy the population of the post-Soviet area.

The authorities of Belarus should stop the fake news revolution as soon as possible. They should block all independent media websites (e.g., Nasha Niva, Salidarnasc, Belarusian Partisan, Euroradio, Radio Liberty), Telegram channels, and Youtube. This way the fake news revolution may be contained before it develops into the bloody revolutionary Maidan.

May 04, 2020
Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory aimed at discrediting the Belarusian opposition, independent media and bloggers, consistent with recurrent pro-Kremlin narratives about Soros and "secret elites" controlling the global development and Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus.

See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, that coronavirus originated in a laboratory sponsored by George Soros, that the pro-Western Belarusian opposition is preparing genocide, and that the Belarusian opposition plans genocide with coronavirus-infected, Soros funded, test tubes, given by Mike Pompeo.

German military colonel and CIA responsible for the American proxy war in Ukraine

The civil war in Ukraine began with a German military colonel. The German Colonel Schneider was supposed to control the striking power of the Kyiv troops shortly before the Ukrainian civil war. The secret mission almost ended in disaster.

What did the German military inspectors have to hide in East Ukraine? Except that their real objective in eastern Ukraine was to prepare for a proxy war. What a coincidence. Shortly before that, CIA chief Brennan had visited Kyiv incognito. After his secret visit, the provisional Ukrainian post-coup government moved tank columns eastwards. There are many indications that the Obama administration has asked the Germans for support at the front line. A request that could not be refused. The military inspectors got caught in the big chessboard policy.

May 04, 2020
Disproof

Recurring multiple pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine, attempting to portray it as a civil war or an American proxy war, prepared by the CIA. This new claim tries to connect a military OSCE-observer mission in 2014 with the outbreak of the war in the Donbas. There is no civil war in eastern Ukraine, nor is there any connection between a military OSCE Observation Mission in 2014 and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine. The claim disregards the extensive factual evidence confirming ongoing Russian military presence in Donbas. The war in eastern Ukraine is not a civil conflict, but an act of aggression by the Russian armed forces that began in February 2014.

Additionally, there was no coup d'état 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 here.

Removal of Konev monument insults the Elbe Day and joint fight against coronavirus

In light of joint fight against the coronavirus outbreak many controversial issues in US-Russia relations retreat a little bit. Their cooperation in fighting coronavirus revives the spirit of the Elbe Day. The decision of Prague 6 district to remove the monument to Soviet marshal Ivan Konev goes contrary to this spirit. Moreover, the First Ukrainian Front, whose regiment met American troops on the Elbe River, was under Konev’s command. Therefore, the monument’s removal is an insult to the Elbe Day and the joint fight against coronavirus.

May 04, 2020
Disproof

This is another example of disinformation concerning the removal of Konev's monument in Prague. The speculation that this decision insults the Elbe Day and the joint fight against coronavirus is far-fetched and unreasonable, especially considering that the decision was made in September 2019, several months before the coronavirus outbreak.

The democratically elected municipal council of Prague 6 voted for the removal of the statue. Using the protocol of the Politbureau's assembly, Czech historians established that on 8-14 May 1968 Konev chaired the Soviet military delegation sent to Prague to prepare the military invasion of Czechoslovakia. Konev was also chief of the Soviet troops in East Germany during the Berlin wall crisis in 1961. In other words, the Red Army brought not only liberation but also the terror to Czechia, as the mayor of Prague 6, Ondřej Kolář, reminded.