The current crisis, which caused the pandemic of fear additionally to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the result of the specific media coverage and political-motivated decisions of particular actors. […] The specific of the Russian political culture, a complex tangle of contradictions within the Russian regional and federal elites, as well as the fact that a significant part of the Russian elites is affiliated with the collective West contribute to this scenario. Therefore, the developments triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to the deformation of the political and administrative structure of the Russian Federation, and lead to notable social and economic tensions. If this scenario turns into reality, the stability of the entire Eurasian region will be undermined.
The EU’s claims that Russian media are conducting a disinformation campaign regarding the coronavirus are an expression of the the West’s Russophobia. The West’s Russophobic obsession is continuing even now in times of the pandemic.
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying that Russian media has been involved in spreading disinformation about the coronavirus. This narrative is consistent with the propaganda theme that seeks to discredit any critical views of Russian foreign or domestic policies as “Russophobia”. By labelling them “Russophobia” pro-Kremlin outlets degrade such views as irrational and not worthy of a serious reply. Russia’s disinformation campaign on coronavirus has been well documented by both media and governments, and some of their elements were widely reported by Russian and international publications. The EUvsDisinfo database has more than 200 Kremlin-linked disinformation cases related to the coronavirus pandemic (since January 22). Such cases include, for example, claims that Bill Gates and George Soros are sponsoring the Wuhan coronavirus, that it is a UK, US or NATO creation and Americans have its cure, that it is an artificial disease which specifically targets Chinese DNA, that it was created with economic goals while big pharma companies are spreading panic for their own profits, that it is a biological weapon against Russia and China, that it will wipe out Ukraine’s population in a few days or that it was predicted by Nostradamus and others. Read previous cases claiming that the EU is not publishing the coronavirus disinformation case it accuses Russia of spreading that Russia is being falsely accused of waging a disinformation campaign on coronavirus, and that mainstream media ignores the fake news campaign against Russia