Disinfo: NATO instructors prepare Ukraine's military to become war criminals

Summary

NATO instructors prepare Ukraine’s military to become war criminals. Training events for the Ukrainian Armed Forces by instructors from Norway and Sweden contribute to the spread of lawlessness, violence and the continuation of hostilities in Donbas. As a result of war crimes, prepared by NATO instructors while training Ukrainian security officials, 119 children died and 310 were injured in Donbas. News Front publishes “a list” with personal data of individual military instructors from Sweden and Norway, who were directly involved in the training of war criminals in Ukraine.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about foreign military instructors in Ukraine. The claims of war crimes are false and not confirmed by OSCE SMM reports or any other reputable source. The "list" of Swedish and Norwegian instructors comes from a Telegram channel in the Russian language, that has about 9,000 followers. Even before the outbreak of hostilities with Russia in 2014, Ukraine had looked to strengthen its ties with the NATO military alliance. While the alliance’s response to the conflict has been understandably cautious, there has also been significant progress in the relationship with Kyiv. Institutional cooperation has intensified, and a number of individual NATO member states have sent military missions to Ukraine to provide training and support for the country’s transition towards NATO standards. Consultations and cooperation between NATO and Ukraine cover a wide range of areas including peace-support operations, defence and security sector reform, military-to-military cooperation, defence technology, interoperability and industry, civil preparedness, science and environment, and public diplomacy. Read similar cases: "US and British instructors teach Ukrainians how to carry out acts of terror", "Canadian military trains Ukrainian snipers and miners to kill Donbas residents", "Foreign military instructors are preparing five battalions of Ukrainians who are almost nationalists, the aim is to attack Donbas."

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 193
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/04/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian, German, English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Norway, Sweden, Ukraine
  • Keywords: NATO, Donbas, War in Ukraine
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Disinfo: 150 tons of medical cargo disappeared from the Ukrainian superplane

If it is true that Ukrainian plane “Antonov” brought only 90 tons of cargo, it means that with a lifting capacity of 250 tons the plane used less than 1/3 (sic) of its transport capabilities. Kombinat Górniczo-Hutniczy Miedzi is the Polish state corporation responsible for the transaction. It paid 12 million zlotys. This is a gigantic mismanagement, for which someone should answer criminally. Thus, Internet users conclude that the fate of at least 150 tons of medical equipment is unknown.

Disproof

The conclusion in this article that "Poles wonder where the 150 tons of cargo go" is based on one Facebook post. Ukraine's An-225 Mriya plane (the world's largest transport aircraft) has delivered a record medical cargo from China to Poland - 100 tonnes, the press service of the Antonov Company has reported on Facebook. It notes that in China, about 100 tonnes of medicines, laboratory tests, medical masks and other remedies were loaded into the aircraft. As mentioned in Ukrainian media, the aircraft will deliver the rest of the cargo to Poland on the second flight. According to the Polish Ministry of State Assets, the Ukrainian giant will bring the country nearly 400 tons of medical cargo purchased from China. However, due to the fact that the aircraft is only capable of carrying up to 250 tons of cargo at a time, it will likely have to make at least two round trips to fulfill the Polish contract. See more cases trying to cast doubt on exchange and procurement of medical supplies in light of the coronavirus pandemic here.

Disinfo: The West needs to accept the status of Crimea as Russian and remove the sanctions

Nobody expects the Great and the Good of the West to openly admit they were wrong about Crimea, and that the region and its citizens are in fact immeasurably better-off than they would be had they been subjected to rule by Kiev. But there is usually a way out of such a dilemma, and one that can be gently implemented without embarrassment. All that the West needs to do is quietly accept the status of Crimea and remove anti-Russia sanctions without fanfare.

Disproof

This is recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on the illegal annexation of Crimea. The illegal annexation of Crimea was a violation of the UN Charter, of the OSCE Charter and of Russia's obligations as a signatory of the Budapest agreement. No international body recognises the so-called referendum, announced on the 27th of February 2014, and held on 16th of March 2014. A year after the illegal annexation, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea. The EU's policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol includes a set of restrictive measures against entities and individuals responsible for actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity. In March 2019, on the fifth anniversary of Crimea's illegal annexation, the EU reiterated its position of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol. The EU continues to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine, supporting its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Read similar cases claiming that Crimean people have expressed their desire to rejoin Russia in a democratic process and that Crimea never belonged to Ukraine.

Disinfo: Ultimate anti-coronavirus recipe: determination+honey+orange juice

A person with diabetes managed to defeat the deadly coronavirus with determination, optimism, the usage of honey, orange juice and some herbs.

The person looked for a solution to strengthen the immune system on the Internet and found many things like thyme, rosemary, honey, eucalyptus leaves, orange juice and herbal tea.

Disproof

There is no medical evidence to support the claim that thyme, rosemary, honey, eucalyptus leaves, orange juice and herbal tea can prevent against catching the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

While common colds can be a result of a coronavirus, they're usually caused by a rhinovirus. Rhinoviruses are a family of viruses that are associated with upper respiratory tract infections. Thus, the mentioned "medicines" can be helpful in warding off symptoms of illnesses usually caused by rhinoviruses. But, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are effective against COVID-19.