Disinfo: US threats against Russia could spark second civil war in Ukraine

Summary

US threats against Russia could destabilise the situation in Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to quietly launch another civil war in the country's southeast.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative falsely painting the war in Ukraine as an internal conflict.

There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine. Russia is supporting its proxies with weapons, its active-duty soldiers serve there and its top military commanders visit the war zone to coordinate joint efforts with the separatists.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Moscow will continue to support these territories. The systematic issuing of Russian passports to several hundred of thousands of persons in the two entities is now also used as a pretext to claim the right to influence and perhaps intervene militarily. Russia is also reported to be using the occupied territories as a testing ground for new weapons.

The so-called People's republics DNR and LNR receive humanitarian, financial, and military backing from Russia. An InformNapalm study shows that thirty-one weapons systems found in the Donbas entered service with the Russian military between 2004 and 2015 and have never been produced in, or sold to, Ukraine.

On 21 February 2022, in violation of international law, President Putin recognised the independence of two breakaway regions of Ukraine and ordered Russian forces to perform so-called 'peacekeeping' functions. Several countries, including the EU, are expected to introduce sanctions against Russia in response to the move.

Read similar disinformation cases alleging that the conflict in Donbas is only internal, the Russian army is not a part of hostilities in Ukraine, that conflict in Ukraine is internal, Russia is not a party to it and that Ukraine is an integral part of the Russian World, only Russia can solve its domestic conflict.

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tass.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 272
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20/01/2022
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Donbas, War in Ukraine, Eastern Ukraine, Civil war, Dmitry Peskov, US presence in Europe, security threat
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Disinfo: Foreign actors were directly involved in the Kazakh protests

The Kazakh leader stated that foreign parties were directly involved in the protests, but it is not yet clear which forces were responsible

Jan 19, 2022
Disproof

A disinformation claim about January 2022 protests in Kazakhstan.

The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.

Disinfo: Poland artificially escalates the situation on the Belarusian border

The Polish functionaries continue to implement provocative actions [on the Belarusian border] and to spread false information [about the migration crisis]. Poland is trying to artificially escalate tensions and create the illusion of fighting with hybrid threats.

Jan 19, 2022
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets about the migration situation on the EU-Belarus borders. The claim that Poland aggravates the situation on the border with Belarus in order to fight with Belarus and reach its domestic goals is ungrounded.

According to the position of the Polish authorities, the ongoing situation on the Belarusian border is a hybrid attack on Poland in order to destabilise the country and the entire EU.

Disinfo: Attacks in Kazakhstan were carried out by foreigners

Foreigners and militants who have gained experience in foreign countries and "hot spots", participated in the attacks that took place in Kazakhstan in early January ... Thus, we are talking about an attack by international terrorist gangs that underwent training abroad.

Jan 19, 2022
Disproof

A disinformation claim provided with no evidence. The claim was neither critically challenged nor counterbalanced in the article.

The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the rest of the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive initiatives used for constantly preparing coups.