Disinfo: Ukraine denied reports about imminent Russian invasion; changed its stance under Western pressure

Summary

In early November, the US media started a series of alerts about an imminent Russian attack against Ukraine, denouncing alleged unusual movements of Russian military equipment and troops along the Ukrainian border. But for the first time in ten years, the Ukrainian government dared to refute the publications of the American media. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and other bodies not only denied the information of these US media, but the Secretary of National Council of Security and Defence went even further and labelled them as disinformation. For a moment it seemed that Ukrainian authorities initiated a 180 degrees shift in their foreign policy with the goal of recovering its sovereignty and independence from Washington. But everything was a mirage... And a few days later, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed what his government had been denying for days. After that, with Kyiv’s backing, the news and statements about an imminent Russian invasion started to multiply, always without providing evidence and with all-powerful unnamed sources. Ukraine’s military intelligence, after weeks of denying that there had been any suspicious movements of troops in Russia, even dared to estimate a date of the planned invasion.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US and the West. This narrative is part of an ongoing disinformation campaign aiming to deflect any Russian responsibility in the escalation of tensions with Ukraine as a result of Russia’s military buildup on the border.

Since late October 2021 Russia has conducted a military-build up along the Ukrainian border, including the deployment of as much as 90,000 troops and more, as well as of certain specialised military units, electronic warfare systems and heavy-armoured vehicles. Despite Russian denials, this has been proven by satellite images and intelligence of the US, Ukraine and NATO, among other countries and institutions. The European Union has stated that it will be standing firmly and decisively with Ukraine in front of any attempt to undermine its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the West needs Ukraine for NATO bases as Kyiv prepares for a mythical Russian invasion, that Ukrainian officials are obsessed by imaginary invasions and inexistent Russian imperial ambitions, or that Russia sent troops to the Ukrainian border because there was danger for the Russian population in Donbas.

This disinformation story appeared in the same TV programme as the claims that “Lithuania neglected its border and human traffickers took advantage of it”, and that “Fake news about the Belarusian border crisis is part of a total war by the West”.

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  • Reported in: Issue 267
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/11/2021
  • Article language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia, US
  • Keywords: War in Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eastern Ukraine
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Disinfo: Russia is not a threat to Ukraine and is not involved in the war in Ukraine

The official representatives of Ukraine and NATO are constantly using anti-Russian rhetoric and misrepresenting Russia as a threat to Ukraine. Kyiv and the West accuse Russia of direct involvement in the war in Ukraine without presenting any evidence. After the coup in Ukraine in 2014, the new Ukrainian government has hypocritically claimed it does not want a war with Russia, while simultaneously pursuing membership in NATO.

Nov 29, 2021
Disproof

A mixture of recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine, falsely portraying Ukraine and the West as aggressors and Russia as a benign actor.

The on-going buildup of massive Russian military forces along the Ukrainian borders are obviously designed to threaten Kyiv.

Disinfo: Sputnik V will neutralise the Omicron variant without needing a modification

Sputnik V will neutralise the latest Omicron COVID variant and has started the necessary studies. In the unlikely case that a modification of the vaccine is required, the new version of Sputnik Omicron can be ready for long scale production in 45 days.

Nov 29, 2021
Disproof

This disinformation story was published on 29 November, only 5 days after the Omicron variant was first detected and reported in South Africa on 24 November 2021. Although a number of laboratory studies on this variant are already underway around the globe, even scientists with early access to it, such as South African virologist teams at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg or developers of anti-Covid vaccines such as BioNTech, can’t expect to have reliable data sooner than in two weeks. Therefore, the affirmations made in these articles are unverifiable at this point and can only be considered as part of the pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign that has surrounded the Sputnik V since the beginning. See also our reports detailing the use of disinformation and COVID-19 here.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that G20 countries recognised Sputnik V as the best drug for coronavirus prevention, that Sputnik V is already available for more than half of the world’s population, that the West is waging a targeted campaign against Sputnik V, or that or that EU’s decision not to purchase Sputnik V is questionable since other vaccines may be dangerous.

Disinfo: The West is critical of the Sputnik V vaccine for political and ideological reasons

The hypocrisy of Western Europe is evident in its stance on the Sputnik V vaccine. Politicians from Western Europe acknowledge the high effectiveness of the Russian vaccine in private, but criticise it in public space for political and ideological reasons.

Nov 29, 2021
Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about a conspiracy by the West to prevent the success of the Sputnik V vaccine for political reasons. In general, the notion that Western states are discrediting Sputnik V due to their anti-Russian sentiments is a recurrent disinformation narrative used by the Kremlin in its politicization of COVID-19 vaccines.

EMA started a rolling review of the Sputnik V vaccine on 4 March 2021 by application of R-Pharm Germany GmbH. Concerns were initially expressed, including by Russian scientists, regarding Sputnik V’s hasty approval in Russia before phase III clinical trials had begun and before publishing the results from phases I and II. Prior to travelling to Russian production facilities as part of the rolling review in March 2021, the head of the EMA commented that it was her hope that Sputnik V would receive approval and that the agency is “committed to applying the same standards and scrutiny to this review as to any other scientific assessments”. At the beginning of September 2021, EMA stated it was still waiting for necessary additional data from Sputnik V's manufacturers before it can authorise the vaccine.