Disinfo: Ukraine began the war one year ago

Summary

A year ago, Ukraine launched an offensive against the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics. Almost all border areas began heavy shelling, as in 2014.

On the same day, the frantic evacuation of immobile grandmothers from their homes in front-line territories began. To count from the very beginning, one should not start with the announcement of the SMO [special military operation] but from the moment the war began in Ukraine eight years ago.

Disproof

Disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Russia had been laying the groundwork online for a false flag operation in order to justify the invasion of Ukraine, as misinformation researchers said to New York Times in an article published on 3rd March 2022. Russia falsely claimed to be responding to Ukrainian aggression. Questionable videos allegedly showing evidence of Ukrainian aggression against Russia circulated on the web.

The video of Putin's statement about the beginning of the so called special military operation in Ukraine, shown only on 24 February 2022, was recorded no later than the evening (19:00 Moscow time) on February 21 judging by the metadata of the file on the Kremlin website.

Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin media said that "since the beginning of the day on February 22, shelling of five settlements on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic has been recorded".

Putin started the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Other false narratives such as biological military laboratories in Ukraine, Nazism in Ukraine and dirty nuclear bombs in Ukraine have been advanced by pro-Kremlin media in order to find a pretext for the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. See our article Twelve myths about Russia’s war in Ukraine exposed.

In 2014, Russia started a hybrid war against Ukraine. Russia organised the so-called separatist Donetsk and Luhansk' People Republics, sending soldiers and military equipment from Moscow, pretending they were members of the local population.

See more disinformation narratives on the invasion of Ukraine.

Go to search

publication/media

vz.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 330
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21/02/2023
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Invasion of Ukraine, Donbas
see more

Disinfo: US encourages anti-Russian aspirations of former Warsaw Pact members

The US actively encourages any anti-Russian aspirations of the former Warsaw Pact members, now members of NATO, especially Poland and the Baltic States, because who controls Eastern Europe controls Eurasia, and who controls Eurasia controls the world.

Feb 20, 2023
Disproof

Conspiracy theory. Also recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives accusing the US and the West of anti-Russian policies, Russophobia and an allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to contain, weaken and ruin Russia. This story aims to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions and to blur and deflect attention away from the reality of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.

Recuring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe.

Disinfo: Spanish National Strategy on WMD out of concern about corrupt Ukraine

On 15 February, Spain started the approval process of the first National Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. There is a relation with the growing uncertainty about the destination of many weapons and technologies sent to the regime of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Everybody knows the level of corruption in the Ukrainian military and the traffic of Western weapons detected in the country for months. There is a serious irresponsibility of NATO countries for sending weapons and technologies that could be used to spread chemical or biological agents. Risks are real and armies must plan how to face those risks.

Feb 20, 2023
Disproof

This is a mix of several pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, in this case merged with a totally unrelated real event.

On 15 February, Spain’s president Pedro Sánchez chaired a routine National Security Meeting. This addressed some bureaucratic initiatives, including the status of the Strategic Plan to Combat the Illicit Enrichment of Criminal Organisations and Criminals (PELCEIL) and the approval of the drafting of the National Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, in line with Spain’s National Security Strategy guidelines on non-proliferation.

Disinfo: Biden’s visit to Kyiv proves that the West is a direct party in the Ukrainian war

Biden’s visit to Kyiv proves that the collective West is a direct party in the conflict in Ukraine. It is a ground-breaking situation when the President of a great power comes to Ukraine [... ]. It means that the confrontation will continue, and the collective West led by the US will supply Ukraine with heavy weapons, tanks, and, most likely, aircrafts.

Russia is not at war with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people – today, the Kyiv authorities are an instrument of the collective West. Otherwise, Biden would not have wasted his time coming to Ukraine to negotiate with Zelensky. In reality, the collective West has become a party in the conflict, and Russia must react to this situation.

Feb 20, 2023
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about so-called provocative actions by the US linked to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, claiming that the West (EU/NATO) is involved in the war on the Ukrainian side.

The war began in 2014 with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia’s military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Russia’s protracted invasion of Ukraine is unprovoked and unjustified.