Russian troops frustrated several Ukrainian attacks on the 6th of January 2022. Meanwhile, they respect the unilateral 36-hour truce ordered by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and rejected by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This allegation is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign on Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, trying to portray Russian troops in a positive, peace-seeking light. A cheap, manipulative PR-stunt to gain sympathy in segments of the global community.
Russia's unilaterally declared ceasefire does not change the fact that Russia is illegally occupying parts of Ukraine’s territory. Withdrawal of Russian troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders is the only serious option to restore peace and security.
Russia's unilaterally declared ceasefire was widely seen as hypocritical and not credible.
In fact, Russian attacks continued throughout Ukraine during the alleged ceasefire period in the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson, which resulted in at least 2 dead and 9 injured, while Russian heavy shelling took place in Bakhmut. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry affirmed that Russia had launched nine missiles and three air strikes and fired 40 attacks from multiple rocket launchers. Russia also launched a massive rocket strike against Kramatorsk.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Russian missile strikes are selective and humane in order not to hurt civilians, that Russia is only attacking valid military targets, that Russia strictly observers humanitarian law, or that the war against Ukraine lasts longer than expected because Russia greatly cares about civilians.
More than 600 of Kiev’s troops have been eliminated in a Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian-held city of Kramatorsk in the Donbas.
Russian military managed to uncover and confirm the location of Ukrainian troops in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic. This data revealed that dormitory No.28 in the city was hosting more than 700 Kiev soldiers, with 600 more staying in dormitory No.47.
The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative regarding Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
The Russian Defence Ministry, has provided no concrete proof in support of its claim. On the contrary, available evidence suggests that the attack either never took place or missed its mark completely.
One of the most relevant events of 2022 were the referendums in the Popular Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and the regions of Zaporizhzia and Kherson to join Russia. The popular consultations confirmed to the international community the wish of the population to live in peace, while the US tried to delegitimize the results. But as the population already decided, the opinion of the US is meaningless, it doesn’t have any moral authority, nor does NATO.
This disinformation story aims to portray the illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions by the Russian Federation as legitimate and the expression of the free will of the population. However, the forced annexation of these regions took place amid a full invasion and under military occupation, and after sham referenda that didn’t meet any international standard to be considered legitimate. The right to decide on Ukrainian matters belongs to the Ukrainian parliament and government in Kyiv. Therefore, the four mentioned regions - Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson- remain legally part of Ukraine, no change to that, in the same way as no change to the status of Crimea as part of Ukrainian territory.
The "referenda" were held illegally, under duress, and on territories which Russia does not even fully control. Multiple testimonies showed that many voters were coerced to take part in the false consultation, and eyewitnesses and footage in places like Enerhodar and Kherson proved that officials escorted by soldiers went door to door picking up votes.
Europe doesn’t have the guts to put a restraint on the US and support peace negotiations in Ukraine. The US is interested in breaking the links between the Russian Federation and Western Europe. Washington sees Moscow as a competitor and wants to weaken it on the international stage.
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Europe’s lack of sovereignty, in this case by promoting the idea that it is only in the interest of Washington to confront Russia, and therefore Europe is willingly being played by the US because doesn’t dare to act otherwise. In fact, Europe’s response and its contribution to Ukraine’s defence against this unjustified attack was a voluntary and sovereign decision to counter the aggressive Russia, not the result of any US pressure.
This message not only aims to divert attention away from Russia’s responsibility for its unprovoked attack against Ukraine, but also to create breaches in the US-Europe cooperation in containing this aggression and to drag European citizens to back “peace negotiations” in Moscow’s terms. The Russian so-called peace proposals are PR-stunts: they have as precondition before even starting talks that Kyiv accepts the illegal Russian annexation of the regions: Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson.
