Language:

See all Disinfo Cases - Detail

Disinfo: Georgian snipers admitted that they shot at Euromaidan protesters in 2014

Summary

Georgian snipers confirmed their earlier statement that the shooting on February 20, 2014 during the Euromaidan protest was planned in advance by Ukrainian nationalist politicians Sergei Pashinsky, Andrey Parubiy, Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili and other leaders of the opposition.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory perpetuation pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the Euromaidan protests. No evidence is given to prove that “Georgian snipers” were responsible for shooting during the 2014 Euromaidan in Kyiv. Pro-Kremlin disinformation has spread different versions of the identity of the snipers. For further debunking about recurring disinformation on the Georgian snipers, see StopFake, Myth Detector, The Insider and Polygraph. The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was a reaction of 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. Read more here. See numerous disinformation cases, alleging that Georgian snipers shot Maidan protesters.  

Go to search

publication/media

News agency REX (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 170
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25/10/2019
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Ukraine, Georgia
  • Keywords: Euromaidan

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.

see more

The Georgian language and culture were protected under the USSR

Georgia and Russia have common history. They stood by each other in good times and bad times[…]. The Georgian language and culture were protected under the USSR.

October 28, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Georgian and Russian history, aiming at portraying Russia as a brotherly nation with common Orthodox faith. In fact, Georgia was forcefully incorporated first into Russian Empire in 1801 and then into the USSR. In 1801 Russia annexed the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti. Subsequently, Russia also annexed other kingdoms and principalities of Georgia. In 1811 Russian Empire abolished the autocephaly of the Georgian church. In 1921 Red Army entered Georgia and sovereign, democratic republic of Georgia was demolished. In the second decade of the 20th century, the Bolsheviks shut down more than a thousand churches and abolished church services. During 1921-1953, 1 305 churches were closed, function of one part was changed, the other part was destroyed. Churches were massively remodeled as houses, warehouses or village lodges. In 1978 the Georgian language became threatened, when the Soviet leadership wanted to remove from the Constitution the notion of official state language. See more on historical revisionism here.

Ukraine will disintegrate and fall prey to territorial claims of EU member states

Russia is not going to threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the former territories of the Soviet Union. No one can exclude the possibility that Ukraine will start disintegrating itself, as the regional elites no longer need Kyiv. Poles, Hungarians, and Romanians have their eye on the Ukrainian territories, which historically were part of Poland, Hungary, and Romania. As the situation deteriorates in Ukraine, protection of national minorities will become in issue. Furthermore Nazi structures, prominent in Ukraine, may push the government to attack Donbas.    

October 28, 2019
Disproof

Conspiracy theory perpetuating several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about disintegration of Ukraine, war in East Ukraine, as well as Nazism and Russophobia. Russia is, in fact, violating territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine with continuous acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. Poland, Hungary, and Romania adhere to international law regarding state borders and have no territorial claims upon Ukraine.

See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Neo-Nazis have an outsized influence in Ukrainian politics, that Poles are stoking nationalist sentiment in Ukraine in order to annex Lviv, that Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia are willing to be part of Russia, and that real Ukrainian patriots fought for DPR/LPR.

All NATO infrastructure is aimed at enhancing the capability for attacking Russia and Belarus

NATO military drills are a demonstration that neither Russia nor Belarus will never be friendly countries for either Vilnius or Washington. Even Lithuania will hardly be so for the U.S., it will rather be cannon fodder for American imperialism. The only viable option for Belarus and Russia is to build a common defensive alliance. It is no coincidence that lately Nasha Niva, TUT.by and other Belarusian media outlets demonstrate weakened Belarus-Russia cooperation. Generally, the whole NATO infrastructure is intended to enhance the capability of attacking Russia and Belarus. It does not necessarily mean that such assault will happen today or tomorrow, but NATO’s better readiness for aggression is there.

October 28, 2019
Disproof

This is a mix of conspiracy theories aimed to discredit the West/US/NATO and independent Belarusian media. It is consistent with recurring propagandist narratives about Western aggressiveness towards Belarus and Russia, West's attempts to disrupt Belarus-Russia relations, the Baltic states' lost sovereignty and their subordination to the US and NATO, and destructive actions of the Belarusian media and opposition guided by the West. The claim about NATO's plans to wage a war against Russia was addressed on NATO's official website: "Any claims that NATO is preparing an attack on Russia are absurd." A number of recent critical publications about Belarus-Russian relations in the independent Belarusian media stem from recent Belarus-Russia disagreements over the integration development and secrecy around the two countries' negotiations over deepened integration. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that NATO buried Latvia’s and Lithuania’s independence and is currently targeting Belarus, that Lithuania is occupied by NATO, that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, and that the Belarusian opposition is tasked by the West to disrupt Belarusian-Russian integration.