DISINFO: Ukrainian army is preparring sabotage in chemical production facilities
SUMMARY
There is reliable information that the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is preparing acts of sabotage on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics near the line of contact. The commander of the AFU Special Operations Forces issued instructions to prepare and carry out these acts of sabotage. The Kyiv army was also planning explosions at industrial plants with dangerous chemical production facilities.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about war in Ukraine combined with unfounded allegations about potential chemical weapons attacks in East Ukraine. It sounds more like a casus belli.
There is no evidence to support claims that the Ukrainian military is preparing acts of sabotage, let alone chemical weapons attacks in non-government controlled areas of Eastern Ukraine.
This claim appeared amid an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia's military build-up on the Ukrainian border, in an attempt to deflect any Russian responsibility for the situation. These tensions are a result of Russia’s actions since late October 2021, including the deployment of more than 100,000 troops, as well as of certain specialised military units, electronic warfare systems and heavy-armoured vehicles. This has been substantiated by satellite images and intelligence from the US, Ukraine and NATO, among other countries and institutions.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that US private militaries are preparing a chemical attack in Donbas, or the West may resort to its old false flag method with a chemical attack in Donbas.
Read more about the common myths surrounding the current Russia-Ukraine conflict in our analysis here.