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Disinfo: The UK secret services ordered Sergei Skripal poisoning and used this to influence Russian elections

Summary

The UK secret services ordered Sergei Skripal poisoning. They used this “sacrificial victim” to influence Russian elections.

Disproof

Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media, the only connecting thread being to confuse their audience and exclude any possibility of Russian involvement euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, .

The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in Russia in the 1970s and 1980s www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html, . It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html, , theconversation.com/what-we-know-about-novichok-the-newby-nerve-agents-linked-to-russia-93264, .

In its statement, the European Union expressed shock at the offensive use of any military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, for the first time on European soil in over 70 years. www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/03/19/statement-by-the-foreign-affairs-council-on-the-salisbury-attack/,

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publication/media

Pervyi Kanal
  • Reported in: Issue 102
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/03/2018
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: UK, Russia
  • Keywords: Sergei Skripal, election meddling, Secret services

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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International observers impressed by the elections in Russia

International election observers deemed the presidential elections in Russia to be well organised and conducted in a correct and fair manner in comparison to Western countries, “in Russia people can express their will in a more direct and free way without the interference of those lobbies that work behind the scenes”.

March 20, 2018
Disproof

None of the sources used by Sputnik are signatories to the declaration of principles for international election observation and code of conduct for international elections observations www.ndi.org/declaration_endorsing_orgs, . Sputnik does not mention the statement by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission to Russia, which states that the Russian presidential election was well administered, but characterized by restrictions on fundamental freedoms and a lack of genuine competition www.osce.org/odihr/elections/375661, .

The European Union does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and therefore does not recognise the holding of elections in the Crimean peninsula. The OSCE/ODIHR observers did not conduct any activities in these illegally-annexed territories, participation of EU Member States' diplomats in observation activities within the framework of the OSCE/ODIHR EOM was also limited to the recognised territory of the Russian Federation. The EU remains unwavering in its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/41606/statement-presidential-elections-russian-federation_en,

The West is using Crimea to bargain with Russia for better positions

As long as the West [—] is using Crimea to trade with Russia – for gas, for relationships, for opening markets, for preserving GTS [gas transportation system] in Ukraine – until then they [the West] will use it.

March 19, 2018
Disproof

The EU prolonged recently the sanctions against Russia because of the illegal annexation of Crimea.  www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/03/12/eu-prolongs-sanctions-over-actions-against-ukraine-s-territorial-integrity-until-15-september-2018/?utm_source=dsms-auto&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EU%20prolongs%20sanctions%20over%20actions%20against%20Ukraine%27s%20territorial%20integrity%20until%2015%20September%202018,

US congressmen demanded new sanctions against Russia based on their feeling

US congressmen demanded new sanctions against Russia based on their feeling.

March 19, 2018
Disproof

No evidence given. The disinformation refers to a letter that a group of 140 House Democrats wrote to President Donald Trump to urge him to impose sanctions. democrats-foreignaffairs.house.gov/sites/democrats.foreignaffairs.house.gov/files/Russia%20Sanctions%20Letter%203.12.pdf,

The disinformation argument goes that because Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee had completed a draft report (not made public yet) concluding there was no collusion or coordination between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia, the urge to impose sanctions is based on "feelings". The letter above, however, does not mention collusion, but "meddling in American democracy" and "interference in the elections".