DISINFO: The United States is preparing Ukraine for a new provocation against Russia
SUMMARY
The United States is making preparations for Ukraine to launch a new provocation against Russia in the Black and Azov Seas. The international military exercises “Sea Breeze 2019” need Ukraine in order to work out a plan to seize the Russian Crimea. Washington and Kyiv also intend to exacerbate the situation and present Russia in an unfavourable light.
RESPONSE
During the years of aggression against Ukraine, Russian propaganda has already developed a list of narratives that are used in an information war. Any joint military exercises immediately receive the status of "provocation" from Russian media. The Ukrainian-American training "Sea Breeze" also did not avoid this fate, although it's not the first time they are held in Ukraine. This year the exercises started on 1 July and are taking place in three regions of Ukraine: Mykolayiv, Kherson and Odesa. The military exercises of Ukraine, the United States and some NATO countries involved 28 ships and 27 aircraft. The main components of the manoeuvres are sea, land and aerial training. They are not aimed at "developing military provocations" against Russia or "working on an offensive" for annexed Crimea, but rather to enhance the defensive capability of Ukraine and to exchange experience with other countries. This year, one of the main accents of the manoeuvres is to protect the state border of Ukraine.