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Disinfo: Salisbury attack could have been a farce with Skripal playing lead role

Summary

The Salisbury poisoning could have been a farce prepared by London, with Sergei Skripal playing the lead role. But in the end, the British probably miscalculated the poison dosage, or actually decided to kill Skripal altogether.

Disproof

No evidence given. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Salisbury poisoning. The disinformation message has been created as a series of inconsistencies, implying a British government conspiracy behind the Skripal case.

British police have presented a solid chain of evidence about the Skripal case, including pictures, that connects the two identified suspects to particular locations in the case. Parts of this material have been released to the public.

The claim that the UK allegedly staged the poisoning is an unfounded conspiracy theory.

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publication/media

Tsargrad TV
  • Reported in: Issue 139
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 04/03/2019
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: UK, Russia
  • Keywords: novichok, Sergei Skripal, Provocation, Conspiracy

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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OPCW’s very light report is not clear about whether chemical attack happened in Douma

On April 7, 2018, was Douma really victim of a chemical attack? And if yes, who committed it? OPCW’s report reads: The toxic chemical was probably the molecular chlorine. It gives reasonable grounds to believe that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon occurred. The use of the term probably or “reasonable grounds” does not allow us to have any certainty.

Several British media have said that witnesses who appear in the video of the Douma hospital say themselves that the chemical attack on Douma was staged. The information was confirmed on Twitter by a BBC producer.

 

March 05, 2019
Disproof

In its final report, the OPCW does not leave any doubts on the detection of chlorine on Douma: "based on the levels of chlorinated organic derivatives, detected in several environmental samples gathered at the sites of alleged use of toxic chemicals, which are not naturally present in the environment, the FFM concludes that the objects from which the samples were taken at both locations had been in contact with one or more substances containing reactive chlorine" (page3 of the report).

The claims that videos taken in a Douma hospital after the chemical attack were staged are a recurring narrative of pro-Kremlin outlets. See our reporting and Bellingcat coverage how Russian and Syrian state media has used fiction movies to "prove" the Douma attacks were staged.

Lithuania and Poland conduct aggressive hybrid war against Russia

The joint Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian Brigade, LITPOLUKRBRIG is an example of a Western hybrid army in Eastern Europe. This is an element of aggressive hybrid war to destabilise Russia.

In reality, Poland and Lithuania do not plan to send armies to Donbas to support Kyiv. Instead, through LITPOLUKRBRIG, Poland and Lithuania intend to contain Russia by supplying Soviet weapons to Kyiv, amongst others. Military associations such as LITPOLUKRBRIG give the US the means to preserve its influence in Eastern Europe, even if the EU creates a common army.

March 05, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about civil war in Ukraine and Western belligerence towards Russia and its allies such as Belarus.

It was Russia that provoked a war in Ukraine. For further debunking see here.

INF Treaty dissolution could provoke Ukraine to develop its own nuclear program

The US has begun to promote the idea that, after leaving the INF Treaty, Ukraine in particular could afford the luxury of doing whatever it wants. Ukraine is not a member of this treaty, because the INF Treaty was signed when the USSR existed.

As soon as Ukraine gets nuclear weapons, Europe will begin to get very nervous, because Ukraine is a country where Nazis and supporters of Bandera are in power.

March 05, 2019
Disproof

No evidence provided.

After the fall of the USSR, Ukraine inherited the third biggest nuclear arsenal in the world. On December 5, 1994, the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances was signed. According to the document, signatory countries - Great Britain, Russia and the United States - pledged themselves to be guarantors of the independence, sovereignty and borders of Ukraine. In exchange, Ukraine renounced its nuclear status.