Disinfo: Kyiv demands to start production of Russian vaccines in Ukraine

Summary

Kyiv demands to start production of Russian vaccines in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Parliament calls the position of the Kyiv authorities ignoring the possibility to start production of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine ‘a crime against the people’.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on coronavirus aiming to promote the Sputnik V vaccine and to present Russia as a 'leader in COVID-19 management'.

A manipulative and misleading narrative suggesting that Ukraine wants to produce the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in Ukraine. In fact, there are no intentions of the Ukrainian government to acquire the Russian vaccine Sputnik V or to have it produced in Ukraine. The claim that the vaccine should be produced does not originate from the Ukrainian government, but from a Ukrainian opposition Member of Parliament, from the pro-Russian Ukrainian party "Opposition Platform – For Life Party". It is therefore misleading to imply that all of Ukraine is calling for the Russian vaccine to be produced in Ukraine, as only one MP voiced this opinion.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, Ukraine hopes to receive 8 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021: Ukraine participates in the global COVAX Facility, which has been set up to provide COVID-19 vaccines. The COVAX mechanism is part of the Accelerated Access Initiative, which was also launched by WHO. COVAX is led by three organisations: the World Health Organisation, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Ukrainian Minister for Health Stepanov announced that Ukraine wants to receive enough vaccine for up to 20% of its population, which would be the equivalent of 8 million doses. Ukraine expects that in the first half of 2021 Ukraine will start receiving the vaccine. The first tranche could total 1.2 million doses and it would be used primarily for groups most at risk. The priority in the vaccination will be provided to medical workers, military men, teachers, people from the risk groups, particularly, people over 60 years.

Ukraine had also held talks with all possible vaccine manufacturers and suppliers and already issued budget funds for the purchases.

See other examples of these disinformation narratives in the database, such as claims that Western attacks on the Russian coronavirus vaccine are a corporate Cold War against humanity; that a report on the Covid-19 situation in Russia aims to discredit the Sputnik V vaccine or that the UK launched a smear campaign against it; that British propaganda tries to dilute the failure of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the Sputnik V; that the US and the EU face multiple deaths out of fear of admitting Russia’s success against coronavirus; that the WHO confirmed that the Sputnik V was on Phase 3 of clinical testing already in August 2020; that the WHO and Microsoft sabotaged the Russian vaccine; that Europe is turning to Russia due to its desperate need for a vaccine; or that the West criticises the Sputnik V because it can’t accept Russia’s primacy and because its pharmaceutical companies will lose billions of dollars.

Go to search

publication/media

de.news-front.info (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 224
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 09/12/2020
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Sputnik V, coronavirus, vaccination
see more

Disinfo: Violation of freedom of speech in Central and Eastern Europe supervised by the US

The authoritarian practices in the Baltic states and Poland become more and more obvious. No one is trying to pretend anymore that freedom of speech should be respected.

The repressions against the journalists in Latvia should not come as a surprise. It is not the first case of gross violation of freedom of speech in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly against the background of discussions about the rule of law in the EU.

Many believe that there is a group of countries of Central Europe which are under a strong influence of Washington and follow its political agenda. This block includes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.

The political influence of the US leads to an active role of American secret services in these countries. American curators influence local authorities to clear the information sphere from all alternative sources of information. Due to the geopolitical situation, the biggest part of these alternative sources of information is Russian media.

Dec 08, 2020
Disproof

This article repeats two recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives: one about the oppression of the freedom of speech in Central and Eastern Europe and another about the US presence in Europe.

The statement that the Baltic states and Poland manifest “authoritarian practices” in the area of freedom of speech is a manipulative one, especially in comparison with the situation in Russia. In the “Freedom of the press 2020” ranking (by Reporters Without Borders) Estonia is on 14th place, Latvia on 22nd place, Lithuania on 28th place, Romania on 48th place, Poland on 62nd place out of 180 countries. The region is not monolithic. Estonia belongs to the group of states where the situation is evaluated as “good”, the situation in Latvia and Lithuania is “fairly good”, Poland and Romania belong to “problematic” group of countries. Russia holds in this ranking 149th position, the situation of media freedom in the country described as “bad”.

Disinfo: NATO membership will lead Ukraine to disintegration

Ukraine’s entry into the North Atlantic Alliance will lead to the disintegration of its own statehood. As a result, part of Ukraine’s territory will turn into a security buffer between NATO and the Russian Federation.

Dec 08, 2020
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about NATO and Ukraine with no evidence given. This message is an example of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine being abandoned by its Western partners and the disintegration of Ukraine.

Ukraine is a priority partner for the EU and NATO. Its sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost all the world. Neither the EU nor NATO are planning to turn Ukraine into a security buffer.

Disinfo: US election result was rigged by mail voting

A month has passed and the world is still waiting for the official announcement of the US presidential election results. It is difficult to understand what kind of democracy this is. However, some insist there is a winner. He was proclaimed by TV stations and NGOs. In the era of “rule of law” and “bourgeois democracy”, the verdict of American people was not decided by the ballot boxes but by the boxes of the US post offices, as minors, citizens who had never been registered to vote, and dead people voted.

Dec 08, 2020
Disproof

This report is part of a recurring pro-Kremlin media narrative that the US democracy is an illusion, the election was fraudulent, and thus the US has no right to lecture others about human rights or democracy.

The claims that the US Presidential elections faced an “enormous number of irregularities” and was not properly managed, especially because of mail voting, is not supported by evidence. The OSCE Observation Mission states that the 2020 Presidential elections vote was “competitive and well managed”. Read more OSCE statements on the American elections here.