DISINFO: Western weapons sent to Ukraine captured by Russia: case of two French Caesar howitzers
SUMMARY
Western efforts to arm Ukraine are useless, the new technologically advanced and expensive weapons are immediately captured by Russia and studied in a retro-engineering effort or sent to the front to fight against Ukraine. Recently, two French Caesar howitzers were captured and sent to Uralvagonzavod; a Ural's weapon factory, to be studied and used in Ukraine against Ukrainian forces. It was confirmed in France.
Western countries should think twice before sending new equipment to Ukraine.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative used to deter Western countries from sending heavy weapons to Ukraine, claiming it would be counterproductive.
A debunking group that studies the extreme right fakes traced the origin of the rumour: a first anonymous person on Twitter stated that the weapons had been destroyed, or sold by corrupt Ukrainians, or captured by valorous Russian. Eventually, a famous “yellow vest” figure bought the story and disseminated it to the extreme right opposition. Uralvagonzavod even thanked him.
However, French defence staff concluded that “Russians are specialists in misinformation and manipulation of information. The story must be contextualized in the frame of the current info-war: there is a lot of incorrect information spread on social media.”
Read more about how Russian disinformation reuses Western figures to legitimate disinformation: Using Western voices to spread disinformation.