Disinfo: The West is ignoring the US attempted coup against Belarus

Summary

The ongoing Hybrid War on Belarus could have taken a dramatic turn for the worse had the Russian security services and their Belarusian counterparts not foiled an assassination and coup attempt against President Lukashenko over the weekend that was planned for the very near future. President Putin remarked about this near the end of his approximately 1,5-hour-long annual address to the Federal Assembly on Wednesday, wisely using the global attention afforded to him during this time to raise widespread awareness of this scheme. The Russian leader even remarked how strange it was that the West has been mostly ignoring this dramatic development despite the potential consequences of its successful implementation predictably being disastrous for the Eastern European nation.

Disproof

A recurrent an unfounded pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western aggression. Several hundred similar claims about alleged West-instigated colour revolutions and coups can be found in the EUvsDisinfo database.

No proof has been presented to support the claims that the Russian security services thwarted an attempted assassination of the illigitimate Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, or that such attempts ever took place.

For more, see the analysis of the Atlantic Council.

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oneworld.press (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 241
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22/04/2021
  • Article language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Belarus, US, Russia
  • Keywords: Colour revolutions, Coup
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Disinfo: Russia is committed to cooperation not confrontation, while the US conducts aggressive foreign policy

Russia's foreign policy is notable for its firmness, while Moscow is doing everything possible to reduce the international tension.

Individual states, and primarily the US, allow themselves to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, whether by organising colour revolutions or distributing arrogant instructions on what and how. Any reaction to this, in Russia, is always manifested in the form of retaliatory actions, that is, it is actually a matter of self-defence. If Russia imposes sanctions, these are always retaliatory measures, counter-sanctions. Russia’s external agenda is set on the development of cooperation, not on confrontation, and Putin has once again confirmed this in his address speech.

Apr 21, 2021
Disproof

This is a mix of several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about encircling Russia, popular protests as the result of Western-led colour revolutions, sanctions and belligerent West.

The disinformation narrative of colour revolutions has been applied, among others, to the Arab Spring revolts, Euromaidan in Ukraine, protests in Catalonia, Venezuela, Georgia, and Belarus.

Disinfo: Vrebitce explosion: Czech investigation meant to deflect attention from Lukashenko assassination attempt

Lukashenko and his children were to be assassinated and they were saved by Putin. Russian special services have opened a case, based on video and audio evidence, arrested an American citizen who entered from Poland (also having a Belarusian citizenship) and his affiliates.

Half an hour later, in order to cover up [the attempted assassination of Lukashenko and his family] the Czech Republic allegedly concluded the investigation into the 2014 terrorist attacks and named two Russian nationals as perpetrators.

Apr 21, 2021
Disproof

This is part of a disinformation campaign about the events surrounding the Vrbetice explosion in 2014 and the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic in 2021 after the involvement of Russian state actors was established by Czech authorities. This campaign follows a similar pattern to others launched after notorious incidents, such as the downing of the MH17 flight or the poisonings of Sergei Skripal and Alexei Navalny, including official denials despite compelling evidence, spreading of multiple and often contradictory versions and speculation about dark motives behind the accusations. Through these campaigns, the disinformation narratives aim to deflect any Russian responsibility for the incident and portray Russia as innocent of any misdeed.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and the temporary Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Hamáček announced on 17 April 2021 that the Czech intelligence services collected evidence demonstrating Russian involvement in the 2014 Vrbětice explosion. More specifically, it implicates Unit 29155, a division of Russia's GRU agency previously linked to "assassination attempts and other subversive actions across Europe."

Disinfo: Czech-Russian diplomatic row was staged to target Rosatom and deflect attention from a coup attempt in Belarus

There are three rationales behind the story about the alleged Russian involvement in the depot explosion in the Czech Republic in 2014. First, it is meant to deflect attention from the coup attempt in Belarus and accusations against the US of an assassination attempt against Alexander Lukashenko.

Second, it has to do with the Czech intention to purchase Sputnik V vaccines, which already resulted in the dismissal of the Czech government.

Third, to interrupt the participation of Rosatom in the Czech nuclear tender. As a successful and reputable Russian company, Rosatom has been the target of [Western] attacks.

Apr 21, 2021
Disproof

The claim is part of an emerging pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative surrounding the 2014 fatal explosion at an ammo depot in Vrbetice, Czechia and the suspected role of Russia's GRU agency in the incident.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and the temporary Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Hamáček announced on 17 April 2021 that the Czech intelligence services collected evidence demonstrating Russian involvement in the 2014 Vrbětice explosion. More specifically, it implicates Unit 29155, a division of Russia's GRU agency previously linked to "assassination attempts and other subversive actions across Europe."