Disinfo: There is a internal conflict in Ukraine

Summary

The driving force behind the neoliberal think tank is Marieluise Beck, who sat for many years in the Bundestag for the Green Party. In her capacity as spokesperson for Eastern European policy, she stood out as a particularly committed new cold war warrior with her aggressive tone toward Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. Beck, for example, has for years supported the idea of arms deliveries to Ukraine and specifically advocated an escalation of the internal conflict there.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine.

The RT German article deals with the recent classification of the German NGO "Center for Liberal Modernity" as a foreign undesirable foreign organization in Russia. The de facto ban on all activities of the organisation in Russia associated with the classification is explicitly welcomed in the RT-article and at the same time used for the dissemination of pro-Kremlin disinformation about the war in Ukraine, among other things.

There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has stated that “the information available suggests that the situation within the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol amounts to an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. This international armed conflict began at the latest on 26 February 2014 when the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government".

The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation".

Also, according to the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Russian special forces and troops operated to mobilise, lead, equip, and support separatist militias in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine from spring 2014 to the present, although their presence was denied by Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted Russia's military presence in Ukraine in 2015.

Read more similar disinformation cases alleging that Crimea reunited with Russia after a referendum and Russia is not part of the conflict in Ukraine, that Russia is not a party of the conflict in Ukraine at all and that Russia is not a party of Minsk Agreements and the internal Ukrainian conflict.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 249
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22/06/2021
  • Article language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine
  • Keywords: War in Ukraine
see more

Disinfo: Using chemical weapons in Syria was part of an information war

Syrians have gained new experiences over the past decade through the war. Even information wars are no longer able to have an impact and have lost credibility, especially after false accusations of using chemical weapons, which were destroyed in Syria at the request of the Russian side. Not because of Assad, but in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of organisations designated as terrorist.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative absolving the Syrian regime of responsibility for chemical attacks in general.

The declared Syrian chemical weapon stockpile was reported to be completely destroyed in 2014. However, the inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) could only authenticate that declared chemical weapons had been destroyed, even though there were suspicions in the West that Syria had hidden as much as 10% of its stockpile.

Disinfo: The EU knows Crimea is Russian and that the decision to annex it was based on a referendum

The European Union extended sanctions against Crimea and Sevastopol for a year. They know that under the constitution, Crimea is part of the Russian Federation. They know that the decision was taken on the basis of the Crimean referendum, and its results were reaffirmed in practice.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea. The claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.

The EU still does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and continues to condemn this violation of international law. In June 2021 the European Council decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2022.

Disinfo: Sputnik V is the most effective vaccine against the Indian Covid-19 variant

The “Sputnik V” vaccine proves more effective than all other vaccines against the Indian COVID-19 variant

Disproof

This is a claim provided with no evidence, and constitutes a recurring attempt by pro-Kremlin outlets to promote the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

The effectiveness of different vaccines against the COVID-19 Delta variants (referred to in the claim as the "Indian variant") is still subject to ongoing monitoring due to the relatively news appearance. However, preliminary analysis conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, Oxford University, the UK NHS, among others, demonstrates that established vaccines have been proven to be effective against the Delta variants with comparable results to the original Alpha variant.