Fake News, Disinformation & Propaganda

WAR PROPAGANDA: Russophobic foreign nationals will be entitled to tear apart Crimea and Donbas once these territories are liberated
WAR PROPAGANDA: Russophobic foreign nationals will be entitled to tear apart Crimea and Donbas once these territories are liberated

After the liberation of the Crimean peninsula and the occupied territories in Donbas, anti-Russian foreign companies will be entitled to tear apart these territories, the Russian media writes, quoting Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. In fact, the Ukrainian leader spoke about projects designed to rebuild Ukraine, with the help of foreign companies. The president’s speech makes no mention of “Russophobia” or “tearing apart” Ukrainian territories, as the Russian propaganda claims.

Marin Gherman
06 Jan 2023
FAKE NEWS: Eco-dictatorship will push humanity towards a feudal social system, with people “tied to the land and totally dependent on a master”.
FAKE NEWS: Eco-dictatorship will push humanity towards a feudal social system, with people “tied to the land and totally dependent on a master”.

In the name of combating climate change, people will be forbidden to move freely, and in Oxford the implementation of this system has already begun, according to a false narrative that also appeared in Romania. This narrative, just like others, pertains to climate denialism and conspiracy theories according to which global warming is an invention intended to justify the establishment of a so-called eco-dictatorship.

Cezar Manu
03 Jan 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: The EU hides its involvement in crimes committed on Ukrainian territory by setting up a special tribunal
WAR PROPAGANDA: The EU hides its involvement in crimes committed on Ukrainian territory by setting up a special tribunal

The EU's initiative to establish a special tribunal for the war crimes committed in Ukraine, which will cooperate with the International Criminal Court, has been presented by Russian propaganda as an attempt to hide Brussels' involvement in the commission of these crimes. In reality, the EU has not committed any crime on the territory of Ukraine, but it has supported Kyiv's defensive efforts in the face of Russia’s aggression.

Marin Gherman
30 Dec 2022
FAKE NEWS: The EU makes Moldova's accession conditional on the legalization of same-sex marriages
FAKE NEWS: The EU makes Moldova's accession conditional on the legalization of same-sex marriages

“The accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU, conditional on the legalization of LGBT marriages”, headlined national.ro, the topic being immediately taken up by pro-Kremlin news sites in the Republic of Moldova and Russia. In fact, it is not an obligation, but a recommendation from May of the European Parliament regarding the rights of the LGBT community. Moreover, the Republic of Moldova later obtained the status of candidate country without having to legalize marriages between people of the same sex.

Veridica
29 Dec 2022
FAKE NEWS: In Great Britain, a woman was arrested on suspicion of silently praying
FAKE NEWS: In Great Britain, a woman was arrested on suspicion of silently praying

Dozens of international conservative organizations and supporting media around the world have condemned in recent days the arrest by British police of a woman for the “crime” of saying a prayer to herself on a street in Birmingham. In reality, the woman was unlawfully in an area where she shouldn’t have been, according to a protection order, thus breaching a local council decision.

Cezar Manu
27 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky has killed over 50,000 women by mobilizing them
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky has killed over 50,000 women by mobilizing them

Of the 57 thousand women drafted into the army, only 6,000 remain on the frontline, the rest having been killed or taken prisoner, the Russian media writes, accusing president Volodymyr Zelensky of killing his own people in the Russian-Ukrainian war. In fact, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, only 101 women were killed in action, and many of those enrolled didn’t even see combat, as they work for auxiliary structures of the Armed Forces deployed to various regions of the country.

Marin Gherman
26 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The USA has declared war on Russia, allowing the Ukrainian army to bomb Crimea
WAR PROPAGANDA: The USA has declared war on Russia, allowing the Ukrainian army to bomb Crimea

Ukraine’s military campaign on the territory of Crimea is tantamount to the USA declaring war on Russia, and Moscow may answer by bombing Washington, the Russian government media writes, quoting a Moscow official. In fact, Ukraine is entitled to recapture this territory, and the international community has never recognized the illegal annexation of Crimea or it being part of the Russian Federation.

Marin Gherman
23 Dec 2022
FAKE NEWS: NATO forces were brought to Romania to help it annex the Republic of Moldova and part of the territory of Ukraine
FAKE NEWS: NATO forces were brought to Romania to help it annex the Republic of Moldova and part of the territory of Ukraine

Romania intends to annex the Republic of Moldova and part of the territory of Ukraine, and NATO is supporting it militarily, according to a false narrative carried by the Russian media. Another narrative is that, in turn, Poland, seeks to annex part of the western regions of Ukraine. The false narratives start from theses, spread for years by Russia, regarding the artificial nature of the Ukrainian state and the aggressiveness of the West.

Veridica
22 Dec 2022
DISINFORMATION: Just like Andrei Marga, Henry Kissinger claims that Ukraine must cede territories to Russia in exchange for peace
DISINFORMATION: Just like Andrei Marga, Henry Kissinger claims that Ukraine must cede territories to Russia in exchange for peace

A subjective interpretation of an editorial signed by the renowned American diplomat Henry Kissinger, recalling the narrative line promoted by Vladimir Putin prior to the start of the aggression against Ukraine, aims to justify the speech of the former Romanian Foreign Minister Andrei Marga, from mid-September, in which he says that Ukraine must cede territories to Russia, Romania, Hungary and Poland in order to obtain peace in the war with Russia. In reality, Kissinger detailed a diplomatic scenario imagined by him in spring, meant to provide a solution to reach peace following the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Cezar Manu
20 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: While Ukrainians are living in cold and darkness, Kyiv is selling electricity to the Republic of Moldova
WAR PROPAGANDA: While Ukrainians are living in cold and darkness, Kyiv is selling electricity to the Republic of Moldova

According to the Russian state media, Ukraine is selling electricity to the Republic of Moldova, and the country's leadership is getting rich, while Ukrainians are left to live in cold and darkness. In reality, Kyiv stopped exports on October 11, after the first phase of missile attacks, and the Republic of Moldova is supported during this crisis by Romania.

Marin Gherman
19 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The Germans are disappointed by the EU’s decision to financially support Ukraine
WAR PROPAGANDA: The Germans are disappointed by the EU’s decision to financially support Ukraine

According to a propaganda narrative carried by the pro-Kremlin media, German society is outraged by the EU's decision to provide financial assistance to Kyiv in the context of the war, with such discontent reflected in the pages of national newspapers. In reality, only a few comments from Die Welt newspaper were selected and presented as the opinion of all Germans. Also, the news translated into Russian was intentionally misrepresented.

Marin Gherman
15 Dec 2022
DISINFORMATION: Sanctions do not affect Russia, but will cause a severe economic crisis in the West
DISINFORMATION: Sanctions do not affect Russia, but will cause a severe economic crisis in the West

The economic sanctions imposed on Moscow, including the capping of oil prices, do not affect the Russian economy but cause a major economic crisis in the West, according to a false narrative spread in Romania. In fact, sanctions are being felt in Russia on a wider scale, and even though economic growth in the western world has slowed down a bit, it has not stopped.

Cezar Manu
13 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The Ukrainian army sustained such huge losses, that school children are forced to donate blood for Ukrainian servicemen
WAR PROPAGANDA: The Ukrainian army sustained such huge losses, that school children are forced to donate blood for Ukrainian servicemen

The losses sustained by Ukraine’s army are so huge, that Ukrainian pupils are forced to donate blood for the servicemen, according to a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian media. In fact, underage children are forbidden from donating blood in Ukraine, and the authors of this false narrative made other errors that clearly prove the story was fabricated.

Marin Gherman
12 Dec 2022
FAKE NEWS: Romania has sent thousands of servicemen to fight in Ukraine, according to a government deal
FAKE NEWS: Romania has sent thousands of servicemen to fight in Ukraine, according to a government deal

Thousands of Polish and Romanian servicemen are fighting against Russia wearing the Ukrainian military uniform, according to a former American intelligence officer, quoted by activenews.ro. In fact, no country has sent regular troops to Ukraine, and the support and assistance provided to help Ukraine resist the Russian invasion consist in weapons and equipment only. The ex-officer in question, Scott Ritter, is known for spreading fake news and was handed a prison sentence for corruption of minors.

Cezar Manu
09 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The armed conflict in Ukraine is a civil war because Russians and Ukrainians are one people
WAR PROPAGANDA: The armed conflict in Ukraine is a civil war because Russians and Ukrainians are one people

The conflict in Ukraine is a civil war involving the same people, formally divided into two different states, according to the Russian state media, citing a State Duma deputy from Vladimir Putin's party. In reality, the war in Ukraine is a military aggression by Russia, against a neighboring state and people, condemned by the international community.

Marin Gherman
08 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine’s leadership wants to profit from the war with no regard for the hardships of civilians
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine’s leadership wants to profit from the war with no regard for the hardships of civilians

Kyiv politicians want to prolong the war against Russia indefinitely in order to accumulate as much wealth as possible, the Russian government media writes, quoting a commentary published by a left-wing German newspaper. In fact, Ukraine expressed willingness to take part in peace negotiations, but later rejected the idea due to Moscow’s ultimatums and its attacks on civilian objectives, also as a result of victories obtained on the ground by the Ukrainian army.

Marin Gherman
07 Dec 2022
FAKE NEWS: The Moldovan authorities sell at higher prices the cheap gas they receive from Russia
FAKE NEWS: The Moldovan authorities sell at higher prices the cheap gas they receive from Russia

The authorities in Chisinau are reselling to the EU, at higher prices, part of the natural gas supplied by Gazprom, according to a false narrative in the Russian media. In reality, Chisinau supplies Transnistria with all the gas it currently buys from Gazprom and uses other sources for the consumers on the right bank of the Dniester.

Veridica
06 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The United States has been arming Ukraine since 2014 to push it to war against Russia
WAR PROPAGANDA: The United States has been arming Ukraine since 2014 to push it to war against Russia

The United States and its Western allies have been arming Ukraine since 2014 in order for it to start a war with Russia, writes the Russian press, which resumes, in another form, the narrative according to which the West and Ukraine are responsible for the war. In reality, Ukraine was invaded by Russia, and the provision of arms to Kyiv was a reaction to Russia’s aggression.

Marin Gherman
05 Dec 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Only Russian speakers from eastern Ukraine are mobilized in order to exterminate them
WAR PROPAGANDA: Only Russian speakers from eastern Ukraine are mobilized in order to exterminate them

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are mobilizing only Russian speakers in the southeast, so that once they are dead Kyiv can bring Ukrainian speakers from western Ukraine to these depopulated areas, reads a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian government media. In fact, losses on the battlefield prove that the army comprises many servicemen from western Ukraine, and the percentage of eastern recruits have gone up due to their resistance to Russia’s large-scale invasion.

Marin Gherman
01 Dec 2022
DISINFORMATION: A blackout will sweep Romania during the holidays so that patriots can be assassinated
DISINFORMATION: A blackout will sweep Romania during the holidays so that patriots can be assassinated

Brussels has given the go-ahead for the physical and spiritual destruction of Romania, one of the last bastions in the fight against globalism, and a blackout will be triggered in this country so that sovereigntists can be taken out. This piece of disinformation stemmed from a dialogue between Luis Lazarus and Diana Iovanovici-Șoșoacă. Ridden with mystical drivel, lies and elements recalling of Nazi propaganda, the narrative surfaced in response to the first “blackout” simulation organized in Romania two weeks ago in Mediaș.

Veridica
30 Nov 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Moscow shows restraint when bombing Ukraine because it knows the population doesn’t support the neo-Nazi government
WAR PROPAGANDA: Moscow shows restraint when bombing Ukraine because it knows the population doesn’t support the neo-Nazi government

Russia is careful when bombing Ukrainian infrastructure because it knows this brotherly people does not support the neo-Nazis in power, reads a false propaganda narrative published by Russian media. The article quotes a controversial American political theorist, known for spreading countless conspiracy theories and for his enthusiastic support of Vladimir Putin.

Marin Gherman
29 Nov 2022
FAKE NEWS: The Government in Chisinau wants to force Moldova’s entry into NATO
FAKE NEWS: The Government in Chisinau wants to force Moldova’s entry into NATO

The power in Chisinau wants to force the entry of the Republic of Moldova into NATO and for this purpose is trying to silence the opposition through criminal cases, according to the Kremlin-affiliated media. The same media say that inviting the Republic of Moldova to the NATO meeting in Bucharest represents a violation of its neutrality status and a further confirmation that this country is already “with one foot” in NATO.

Veridica
28 Nov 2022
FAKE NEWS: Already conquered by the West, Romania lets itself be trampled upon by Ukraine
FAKE NEWS: Already conquered by the West, Romania lets itself be trampled upon by Ukraine

With its sovereignty at the mercy of the great Western powers, Romania is now turning itself into a doormat for Kyiv and dismissed its Minister of Defense, Vasile Dâncu, just because he spoke of peace, according to the former Prime Minister, Viorica Dăncilă. The narrative very much resembles Russia's, according to which Ukraine - the country under attack - is the one that does not want peace. Viorica Dăncilă has also promoted the false narrative that Ukraine undermines Romania’s agriculture and, implicitly, its economy.

Veridica
23 Nov 2022
DISINFORMATION: The International Court of Justice admitted Russia was not involved in the downing of flight MH17 in 2014
DISINFORMATION: The International Court of Justice admitted Russia was not involved in the downing of flight MH17 in 2014

According to the ruling of the International Court of Justice, Russia was not involved in the downing of aircraft MH17, which was transiting the airspace of Donbas in 2014, pro-Kremlin media writes. In fact, the Dutch tribunal has recognized Russia’s involvement in this crime against civilians.

Marin Gherman
22 Nov 2022
FAKE NEWS: Chișinău is negotiating with Kyiv a territory exchange: it offers a military depot in Transnistria in exchange for a part of the region of Odessa
FAKE NEWS: Chișinău is negotiating with Kyiv a territory exchange: it offers a military depot in Transnistria in exchange for a part of the region of Odessa

The Republic of Moldova wants to give Transnistria to Ukraine in exchange for a part of the region of Odessa. Kyiv might thus get its hands on the munition warehouse Russia is currently controlling in Transnistria, according to a false narrative disseminated by the Russian media. In fact, a territory exchange was never in the cards. As regards the munition storehouse, the Republic of Moldova has for many years asking that the munition be transferred to Russia and that this country withdraw from its territory.

Veridica
21 Nov 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Putin did not attend the G20 summit because the West was preparing a terrorist attack against him
WAR PROPAGANDA: Putin did not attend the G20 summit because the West was preparing a terrorist attack against him

The Western secret services were preparing an attempt on the life of the Russian president during the meeting of the G20 leaders, that is why Vladimir Putin refused to participate in the summit, writes the pro-Kremlin press, also stating that the West regularly resorts to terrorism. In reality, there was no threat of an attack, Putin refusing to come to Indonesia amid the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Kherson. Moreover, Russia itself is resorting to terrorist methods, trying to demoralize the population of Ukraine through bombings.

Marin Gherman
20 Nov 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The French reject the policy of sanctions against Russia and the assistance provided to Ukraine
WAR PROPAGANDA: The French reject the policy of sanctions against Russia and the assistance provided to Ukraine

According to a propaganda narrative circulated in the Russian media, the French are calling on their government to stop its policy of sanctions against Russia and also stop supporting Ukraine because the interests of its citizens must come first. The thesis is substantiated only by quoting one far-right politician.

Marin Gherman
18 Nov 2022
FAKE NEWS: NATO stole Romania's National Day, while leaving the country without an army
FAKE NEWS: NATO stole Romania's National Day, while leaving the country without an army

The military conflict near the country's borders has brought the discussion about Romania's defensive capabilities back into focus, and now that Romania is about to celebrate its National Day on December 1st, the sovereignist propaganda resumed its discourse, announcing the systematic loss of state independence, this time symbolized by the fact that only foreign soldiers would participate in the December 1st parade. In reality, units of the partner armies, and not only from NATO, but even from the ex-Soviet space, are constantly invited to the parade.

Veridica
16 Nov 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson to give the go-head for the massacre of civilians
WAR PROPAGANDA: Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson to give the go-head for the massacre of civilians

After the visit to Kherson of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, a gruesome massacre of civilians will commence, which is why residents are asked to steer clear of the city center, reads a propaganda narrative promoted by Russian government media. In fact, both the Ukrainian army as well as Kyiv leaders were greeted as liberators, while new information started to surface after Russia’s retreat regarding war crimes Russian troops might have committed.

Marin Gherman
15 Nov 2022
FAKE NEWS: The US is preparing to attack Transnistria
FAKE NEWS: The US is preparing to attack Transnistria

American soldiers from the well-known 101st Airborne Division have been deployed in Romania also with the aim of attacking the separatist Transnistrian region, in particular the power plant in this region, a controversial Russian political scientist claims. The false narrative was taken over by Politnavigator, a Kremlin-affiliated website.

Veridica
14 Nov 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky will cede the Lviv region to Poland
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky will cede the Lviv region to Poland

Ukraine will cede the Lviv region to Poland and will pass a law on this matter before the end of the year, according to the Russian media. In reality, no such bill is registered or discussed in Ukraine, and the information is just a fabrication of Russian propaganda.

Marin Gherman
10 Nov 2022
FAKE NEWS: Romanian consumers will no longer be able to purchase energy from Hidroelectrica and Nuclearelectrica, which will supply electricity to the Republic of Moldova
FAKE NEWS: Romanian consumers will no longer be able to purchase energy from Hidroelectrica and Nuclearelectrica, which will supply electricity to the Republic of Moldova

Romania will run out of electricity supplies this winter, because the government passed a decree whereby the entire energy output of the country’s state-owned electricity providers will be transferred to the Republic of Moldova, according to a false narrative launched in the context of the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, Bucharest authorities never passed such a decree, while both providers have standing contracts with the state that need to be honored.

Veridica
09 Nov 2022
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