Language:

See all Disinfo Cases - Detail

Disinfo: The Ebola vaccine was developed in Russia

Summary

Many people don’t know this, but the Ebola vaccine was actually developed in Russia.

Disproof

The claim advances the recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative of Russian superiority.

The statement falsely suggests that there is only one Ebola vaccine currently in use globally, and that this vaccine was developed in Russia. According to the WHO, there are in fact two licensed vaccines against Ebola, neither of which is Russian-made. One is Ervebo, developed by the US pharmaceutical company Merck. It has been licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration in late 2019, as well approved for use in several African countries. In May 2020, the EMA recommended that a second vaccine, the Zabdeno/Mvabea shot developed by Johnson & Johnson, be approved for use in the EU.

Conversely, the Russian-made GamEvac-Combi vaccine has yet to undergo a full set of clinical trials. As such, it has never been licensed for use outside of Russia (p. 10).

Go to search

publication/media

RT Russia (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 230
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 05/02/2021
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Russia
  • Keywords: vaccination, Virus / bacteria threat, Russian superiority
see more

There is no repression in Russia

The Kremlin denies that there is repression in Russia, only police measures against those who break the law in unauthorised protests. During pro-Navalny demonstrations, arrests were made after the policemen were attacked by some violent elements.

Feb 04, 2021
Disproof

The claim is false. Although some participants in the pro-Navalny protests in Moscow in January 2021 were violent, there is evidence that the police acted with excessive force against largely peaceful demonstrators. The massive number of arrests (around 5,000 on the first week of protests in 85 cities) shows that not only those who acted violently were arrested. Also, there was a preemptive crackdown on activists and students ahead of the first demonstration.

These actions have been defined by Amnesty International as an attempt to silence criticism, and according to this organisation’s country profile, those attempting to exercise the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly faced reprisals, ranging from harassment to police ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, heavy fines and in some cases criminal prosecution and imprisonment. A similar assessment is found in the Russian chapter of the Human Rights Watch World Report 2021.

Navalny doesn't reveal his sources unlike of Assange and Snowden

Unlike Assange and Snowden, Alexey Navanly doesn’t reveal the sources of his documents.

Feb 04, 2021
Disproof

Disinformation campaign to discredit Alexey Navalny claiming that he does make serious investigations or provides questionable pieces of evidence.

The FBK organisation (Foundation for Combating Corruption) is a Russian non-profit organisation based in Moscow established in 2011 by activist and politician Alexei Navalny. Its main goal is to investigate and to expose corruption cases among high-ranking Russian government officials.

NATO and the EU want to contain and destabilise Russia through Navalny and the “opposition”

The statements of NATO and EU countries about the situation regarding Alexei Navalny is a coordinated information campaign that represents a global attempt to contain Russia and interfere in its internal affairs.

Feb 04, 2021
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Alexei Navalny , aiming to frame criticism of his arrest and the crackdown on protests as foreign interference.

Contrary to the claim, this criticism is not “a global attempt to contain Russia” but a legitimate concern about human rights and the rule of law in this country. The European Union condemned the arrest of Alexei Navalny and demanded his immediate release. In 2019 the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the charges against Alexei Navalny are politically motivated and arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable. As a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights, Russia undertook to secure a number of fundamental rights and freedoms to everyone within its jurisdiction.