Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Top 5 Russia’s fakes from EU Stratcom’s Disinformation Review | Issue 11

European Union’s special Task Force StratCom East collects examples of the Russian disinformation attacks and publishes them in a weekly “Disinformation Review.” Euromaidan Press chose Top 5 of the most absurd and outrageous fakes ofissue 11 of the booklet, released on 19 January 2016.

Fake #5: Ukrainians are feverishly buying Russian products

On th 8th of January the portal “Antifashist” has published a news claiming that Ukrainians are “feverishly” buying Russian products before the trade embargo begins. Due to the source, Russian goods are “swept away” starting from deodorants to pampers. The representatives of the big and medium business allegedly think, that Russian goods will be entering Ukraine with different marking (e.g. of other CIS states) and will be more expensive.

No evidence or statistics regarding changes in consumers’ behavior in Ukraine was given, no expert or businessman was quoted.

Russia boycott embargo trade Ukraine
The initiative of boycotting Russian products has started in late 2013 when Russia started blocking Ukrainian goods on its borders. This photo was taken in one of Kherson supermarkets in February of 2015 by activists from Vidsich organization.

Fake #4: German government buys Czech prostitutes for the refugees

Couple of Czech outlets (prvopodstata.com and svetkolemnas.info) published information on 8 January, that the German government buys Czech prostitutes to satisfy the needs of young refugees. Due to the media, the prostitutes then spread refugees’ sexual diseases among the Czechs. It is explained as a revenge by German government and Angela Merkel for the Czech government’s unwillingness to accept refugees.

refugees Hungary border
Refugees at the Hungarian border. Photo by Reuters

No official source was quoted, no evidence was given.

Fake #3: Poroshenko announced he was the reincarnation of Mazepa and Bandera

“One night I dream that I am a hetman Ivan Mazepa, another night I dream that I’m Stepan Bandera. Our scholars did some research and I had to take part in some of it… Due to our very respected in the whole world scholars, this is about reincarnation” – LiveKuban.ru and Oppps.ru quoted Ukraine’s president on 11 January.

Cossack leader Mazepa sided with Charles of Sweden against Peter I in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, and Stepan Bandera was a leader of the Ukrainian nationalist and independence movement in the XX century. Both figures are controversial and hated in Russia.

The fake was so obvious, that even Vladimir Solovyov, a popular TV-anchor and pro-Kremlin mouthpiece, denounced it.

Ivan Mazepa Ukraine hetman portrait
Portrait of Ivan Mazepa by Kurilas O., 1909
Photo: Wikimedia

Fake #2: Ukrainian nazis were taught to hate Russians

Russia’s Defense Ministry television channel “Zvezda” published news claiming that Ukrainians were taught to hate Russians with an eloquent title “Cutthroat Nazism: how Ukrainians were taught to hate Russians.” The article was illustrated with a photo of a purported Nazi march.

In fact, the photo was taken in Moscow during the 2013 nationalist meeting known as the Russian March.

Unsurprisingly, after StopFake published the refutation, Zvesda has changed the title photo of the article to a less obvious one.

Russia Zvezda nationalists fake
The original illustration to the article about Ukrainian nationalists illustrated with a photo from Russian March in Moscow. Screenshot by StopFake
Among the first photographs that Google’s Search Engine locates when searching for Russian march 2013 is this man with this scarf covering his face
Among the first photographs that Google’s Search Engine locates when searching for Russian march 2013 is this man with this scarf covering his face. Screenshot by StopFake

Fake #1: A Russian girl was raped in Berlin by migrants

The news about migrants raping a Russian girl in Berlin made the rounds through majority of Russian mainstream medias on 16b January: Perviy Kanal, Vesti.ru, Zvezda TV channel, NTV and Ren TV channels. Berlin police representative Kerstin Ismer in a comment for Deutsche Welle later demented that information. “As a result of investigation, neither kidnapping, nor rape didn’t take place,” – she said on 17 January.

Berlin police denounced the information about alleged kidnapping and rape, making this story sound just like the infamous Russian fake about a boy purportedly crucified by the Ukrainian army.

meme crucified boy russia propaganda ukraine
A “witness” of alleged little boy’s crucifix who has been reguralry appearing in Russian media as a “witness” of different scandals. Meme by politkuhnya.info
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares
Related Posts