Disinfo: West wages deliberate campaign against Sputnik V

Summary

The West is waging a deliberate campaign against Russia’s Sputnik V anti-COVID vaccine. It refuses to admit that Russia’s research can help ensure health and well-being for the whole of mankind.

Disproof

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets, trying to portray Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as the best in the world and accusing the West of having a prejudiced attitude towards it.

Russia's claim about the allegedly high efficacy of Sputnik V is based on an article from The Lancet which was published in February 2021. It asserted that Sputnik V’s efficacy was 91.6 per cent without considerable side effects. The article seemed to be a study carried out mostly by Russian experts. There are some doubts as to Sputnik V’s efficacy, especially where the trial procedures are concerned (see here and here).

The World Vaccine Congress Washington 2021 recognised Moderna as the world’s best anti-COVID vaccine, which made Sputnik V’s developers raise questions and call the decision ‘a strange choice’. Contrary to what is claimed, this choice was not biased. Sputnik V does have some serious disadvantages, which has made several countries reject it. Brazil rejected Sputnik V for safety concerns in April 2021 and Slovakia sold most Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines back to the country of origin in July 2021. Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez tested positive for COVID in April 2021 two months after being jabbed with Sputnik V, which was negative publicity for the Russian vaccine.

There is neither Russophobia nor any political bias whatsoever in the way the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is dealing with the Sputnik V vaccine. EMA and EU leaders have publicly stated they will welcome Sputnik V if it meets the applied standards for vaccines. A rolling review by EMA is in progress and EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said in March 2021 she hoped that the Sputnik V vaccine would be approved.

See more disinformation cases claiming that the West is trying to discredit Sputnik V for political reasons.

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iz.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 254
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07/08/2021
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, Slovakia, Brazil
  • Keywords: coronavirus, Sputnik V, Anti-Russian, Russophobia
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Disinfo: Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw develop anti-Russian “information weapons”

The anti-Russian "information weapon" is being created in Warsaw. The anti-Russian propaganda centres operate in Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw, where dozens of specialists are being prepared every quarter. Today, information is one of the weapon types.

Propaganda strategy centres were set up in Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw. The information weapons are being developed there – they will be introduced and spread in Russia. Among other activities, these centres spread numerous unpleasant rumours. There is not a single similar centre in Russia, which would train specialists in information attacks. At the same time, there are several centres in Europe that train Russian citizens to be such specialists.

Aug 06, 2021
Disproof

A recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West of “hostile and aggressive anti-Russian actions”.

The claim that Poland, Latvia and Estonia created anti-Russian propaganda centres involved in the development of the anti-Russian “information weapons” is not supported by evidence.

Disinfo: Referendum in Crimea was held in strict accordance with international law

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the new authorities and residents will never love Crimea as much as Ukrainians do, and Crimea will never be Russian. Zelenskyy promised that the return of the peninsula is only a matter of time.

The Russian side has repeatedly stressed that the Crimea issue is closed for Russia, and the referendum on the peninsula was held in strict accordance with international law.

Aug 06, 2021
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Disinfo: European countries and the US support terrorist groups in Syria

European countries, since the beginning of the war on Syria, have been supporting and directing the arrival of terrorist groups towards Syrian territory. We witnessed, during the beginning of the war, that all American and European officials memorised even the names of the neighborhoods of Syrian cities, and they were always crying and wailing over these neighborhoods, but in fact they feared for the fate of the terrorists whom they brought into Syria.

Aug 06, 2021
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West’s alleged support for terrorism in Syria. The claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.

The EU has never supported terrorism in Syria. In fact, many of its members such as France and Germany have been actively fighting terrorism on Syrian territory. Pro-Kremlin media frequently label all opposition against President Bashar Al Assad as “terrorist”, as a means of denying it any legitimacy.