DISINFO: Unlike Israel, Russia has respected international law in its military operation
SUMMARY
In its military operation in Ukraine, Russia has respected international law, unlike Israel in Gaza. Russia’s president presented a claim admissible in virtue of the anticipated collective legitimate defence doctrine, as applied in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
RESPONSE
This is an opportunistic attempt to exploit current events – namely, Israel’s 2023 offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas' terror attacks on 7 October 2023 – to promote a baseless disinformation narrative about the legality of Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and its respect for rules of war.
Since its start, of the unprovoked and illegal agression agaisnt Ukraine, Russia has consistently violated international legislation and committed multiple war crimes, including conducting mass executions and torturing people, deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and forcefully abducting children (see here for a full debunk). Law experts have pointed that Moscow’s invoking of Article 51 of the UN Charter is not supported by actual international law since Ukraine did not present any threat to Russia.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Russia only attacks military facilities in Ukraine, that Ukraine violates international humanitarian law while Russia respects it, that war crimes accusations are war propaganda against Russia, or that Ukraine staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk.