Disinfo: The West hides important evidence on MH17 disaster

Summary

The West continues to hide information. The international investigation group just continues to ignore important details that point to a series of explosions on board MH17.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the downing of flight MH17. The version about an explosion on board the plane is one of many pro-Kremlin versions of the event. It was not confirmed by the international investigation team. In fact, in September 2016, the JIT concluded that Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile from the 9M38 series, which was launched by a BUK TELAR missile system. The system was transported from the Russian Federation to an agricultural field near the town of Pervomaiskyi in Eastern Ukraine, from where the missile was launched. After firing, the system - with one missing missile – was transported back to the Russian Federation. On the 24th of May 2018, the JIT announced that the BUK TELAR used to shoot down MH17 came from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, a unit of the Russian armed forces from Kursk in the Russian Federation. On the basis of the investigation conducted by the JIT, consisting of law enforcement agencies from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine and the Netherlands, the Dutch Public Persecution service is to prosecute Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin, Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy, Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov, and Leonid Volodymyrovych Kharchenko for causing the MH17 crash and murdering the 298 persons on board. A public hearing is set for the 9th of March 2020 in the Netherlands. See here for more information. The JIT conclusions were further corroborated by Bellingcat. For the full Bellingcat report see here. For a similar case click here. For a summary of disinformation narratives on this case see here.

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riafan.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 164
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 16/09/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: The Netherlands, Russia
  • Keywords: West, MH17
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Disinfo: Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe breaks ties with Constantinople

Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe breaks ties with Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople [has] de facto turned into a tool of supporters of the New World Order. The destructive position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in such regions as Ukraine and the Balkans are a visible example of this.

Sep 15, 2019
Disproof

Conspiracy theory, presented without any evidence. The concept of the New World Order, Shadow Rulers, Deep State and a Global Elite, ruling from behind the curtains is a frequent narrative, used by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets. This narrative is also consistent with a narrative about "The West" challenging traditional values through attacking believes. Similar cases, where traditional values in Europe are attacked through sowing religious conflict can be found here, here and here. The supporters of the idea of subordinating the Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe to Moscow failed to achieve the necessary 2/3 majority. The claim that the "Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe breaks ties with Constantinople" is, therefore, not true.

Disinfo: The US is campaigning against Russia, backing the so-called opposition

The US leadership is carrying out active diplomatic, economic (including sanction pressure) and propaganda campaigns against Russia. The US-NATO military build-up is ongoing along Russian borders in Eastern and Northern Europe. The US and its allies are openly backing the so-called ‘non-system opposition’ in Russia (the part of the opposition that openly aims to overthrow the government by non-constitutional means and destroy the Russian statehood). This ‘opposition’ includes various radicals and destructive forces that employ methods and tools that have been already demonstrated in Ukraine in 2013-14.

Sep 15, 2019
Disproof

A conspiracy theory, presented without any evidence. The article is in line with a narrative that protests, in this case in Russia, are always financed by outside forces. The protests in Moscow started in July after the election committee banned opposition candidates from running for the elections to the city council - the Moscow City Duma, disqualifying their ballots because of what officials claimed were irregularities in the 5,000 signatures each had to gather to run. The protesters also demanded the right to fair elections and the right to free assembly - all along the lines of the Russian constitution. See here for EUvsDisinfo analysis of disinformation surrounding protests in Moscow. Similar disinformation cases can be found here.

Disinfo: Liberals advocate cannibalism

Western liberal thought now includes advocacy of cannibalism. Speaking at a recent culinary conference in Sweden — the widely recognized beacon of liberalism — Stockholm-based academic Magnus Söderlund stated that “the conservative taboo against cannibalism may change over time, if people simply try feeding on human flesh.” The liberal professor said that cannibalism could be a means of fighting climate change, given that human flesh is much more environmentally friendly than beef.

Sep 15, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative demonizing Western values and painting Europe as a continent of degrading values. The author makes a series of remarkable logical leaps by misquoting one person and presenting the doctored quote as proof of the imminent collapse of Western culture. Söderlund did not advocate cannibalism out of his supposed liberal or environmentalist convictions. In fact, he did not advocate it at all. Although the story of the pro-cannibalism Swedish professor has been reported in Swedish, UK, and US tabloids since at least 5 September, only one website provided enough context to show that Söderlund's remarks were a cautionary tale about the consequences of climate change rather than an invitation to man-eating: "While talking about the Gastro Summit focused on 'food on the future' on Swedish TV, the behavioral scientist and marketing strategist Magnus Söderlund from the Stockholm School of Economics proposed that in order to truly take on the effects of climate change, we must 'awake the idea' that eating human flesh should be discussed as an option in the future." See here for a detailed debunk.