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Disinfo: UK to use chemical labs for new provocations against Russia

Summary

The UK is planning to preserve its chemical labs, including the notorious Porton Down, to stage further provocations aimed against Russia, unjustly accused of using a nerve agent — which the West calls novichok — to poison two Russian nationals in Salisbury.

Disproof

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the Salisbury poisoning. The report's baffling suggestion that demonisation of Russia is the sole raison d'etre of UK-based chemical laboratories, such as the century-old Porton Down facility, fits the wider pro-Kremlin narrative of pathological Russophobia permeating Western government offices. The story also asserts that the substance "named novichok by Western countries" does not actually exist, thus advancing one of the 20 contradictory pro-Kremlin narratives concerning the nerve agent (p. 37) and 138 narratives on the Salisbury poisoning in general (pp. 21-46). See our debunking of the novichok-doesn't-exist claim here. Read more on the Kremlin's framing of the Salisbury poisoning here, here, and here.

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Sputnik English (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 145
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12/04/2019
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Country: UK, Russia
  • Keywords: novichok, Sergei Skripal, Provocation, Chemical weapons/attack, Conspiracy theory, Russophobia
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Apr 11, 2019
Disproof

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Ukraine and Western belligerence towards Russia, the West attempting to weaken and isolate Russia or to use Ukraine as NATO-springboard towards Russia.

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Apr 11, 2019
Disproof

There are no "buffer states" between Germany and Russia; the USA did not "establish" buffer states in Eastern Europe. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about German-American relations and Western dominance in Europe.

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If Poroshenko loses the second round of the elections, he might murder Zelensky

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Apr 11, 2019
Disproof

Conspiracy theory with no evidence given. Consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the elections in Ukraine.