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Disinfo: Ukraine is massively shelling residential areas in Donbas

Summary

Ukrainian forces have begun “massive” shelling of residential areas in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on war in Ukraine with repeated false claims about Ukraine's aggression.

The report is based on an unsubstantiated claim made by a RIA Novosti correspondent.

The same report cites a news item published by the separatist Donetsk News Agency (DAN) that quotes separatist military spokesperson Ruslan Yakubov as saying that the situation is quiet and that no shelling is taking place. The DAN news item makes no mention of any recent shelling by Ukrainian forces.

Radio Free Europe's Ukrainian Service also debunked RIA's claim.

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  • Reported in: Issue 127
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26/11/2018
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Keywords: Donetsk, War in Ukraine
  • Outlet: Ria Novosti
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Since 2014, more than 33.000 people left Ukrainian army without permission

More that 33.000 people left the Ukrainian armed forces without permission since 2014, being absent without leave or deserted.

November 26, 2018
Disproof

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukrainian army.

In fact, according to the Ukrainian Unified Registry of Pre-Trial Investigations, a pretrial investigation was carried out on 13237 criminal proceedings for unauthorized abandonment of a military unit or duty station (Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and desertion (Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), of which 11354 were actually sent to the court.

NATO is planning to invade Belarus

NATO military exercise Anakonda is an attempt to provoke Belarus and create a buffer zone on its territory.

November 26, 2018
Disproof

Disinformation that appeared when the Lithuanian news portal kaunas.kasvyksta.lt/ was hacked and an article accusing NATO of planning to occupy Belarus was planted. The article first appeared in an English language blog with imagery linking to a user-generated entertainment website.

The news portal kaunas.kasvyksta.lt was hacked using the credentials of a former employee via foreign servers. The article has been removed as soon as the media outlet became aware of it. The outlet kaunas.kasvyksta.lt was also the first one to report its own hacking. At least 7 copies of the article were disseminated across other news outlets and social networks using both fake online personas and cyber activity.

Ukrainian vessels violated Russian territorial waters

“Russia has confirmed its vessels have used weapons to stop Ukrainian ships that had entered Russian waters in the Black Sea illegally.”

“The three Ukrainian vessels – the ‘Berdiansk’, the ‘Nikopol’ and the ‘Yany Kapu’ – were ignoring “legal demands to stop” and “performing dangerous maneuvers,” and the Russian warships had to open fire to force them to stop, the FSB says. The ships were then seized and towed to the Crimean port of Kerch.”

November 26, 2018
Disproof

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on Ukraine and Azov Sea.

On November 25 border patrol boats belonging to Russia’s FSB security service seized two small Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels and their crews after shooting at them, wounding several Ukrainian servicemen. Russia argued that they were in Russian waters.

However a bilateral treaty between Russia and Ukraine, signed in 2003 and ratified by Russia in 2004, governs the use of the Kerch strait and the Sea of Azov, which in the treaty is considered to be the “internal waters” of both Russia and Ukraine.

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Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.