The Czech Republic's unfounded accusations about Kremlin involvement in the Vrbětice explosions are part of a vast Russophobic campaign promoted by the West.
Summary
NATO “Spring Storm” military exercises in Estonia serve to elaborate the scenario of an attack against Russia. Suspicions are reinforced by the fact that UK and France transported to the Baltic country helicopters and armoured vehicles, which are used in offensive operations. Previously, Belarus’ General Staff announced works on the development of military structure in the Baltic countries and Poland. Minsk points that a bridgehead is being created in NATO’s eastern borders for an offensive against Russia and Belarus.
Disproof
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation about NATO, framing it as an aggressive body always plotting against Russia.
Contrary to the claim, Spring Storm 2021 is not a preparation for an attack against Russia or Belarus, but a military exercise to test the integration between NATO troops and the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), strengthening their interoperability and responsiveness. This exercise takes place every year.
An article in the Estonian Defence Forces magazine called Sõdur claims that the most common pro-Kremlin defence related narratives are:
– NATO is an aggressor – that’s usually used during military exercises deemed provocative by Kremlin;
– NATO won’t defend Estonia – when this narrative is published in the Western countries, it is heavily exploited by pro-Kremlin media;
– locals are against NATO – citizens are either against NATO troops on the ground or excessive military spending that’s crippling social expenditures;
– Estonia lacks credibility – used when the Global Firepower list is published or there is news about armament procurement that’s covered in ironic terms;
– Russophobia and hysteria – the pro-Kremlin media claims that the Baltic states sow panic about the Russian threat to receive more allied forces that would keep the Baltic economies hit by Russian sanctions afloat.
See other examples in our database, such as claims that the exercises “Defender Europe 2021” is NATO’s preparation for war with Russia and are destroying the European security system, that NATO lost its meaning of existence without the Soviet Union, that NATO is pursuing its own bureaucratic survival through nonexistent threats, that NATO manipulated the coronavirus crisis into a sort of armed conflict, or that the EU is NATO’s white label.