WAR PROPAGANDA: Foreign diplomats are fleeing Kyiv for fear of the Russian offensive

Foreign diplomats are leaving Ukraine, knowing a large-scale attack from Russia is imminent, the Kremlin-linked media writes, referencing the example of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia. In fact, Serbian diplomats left Kyiv in the early stage of the war, in March, and have not yet returned. This war propaganda narrative is designed to sow panic and confusion at the level of Ukrainian society.

NEWS: The Embassy of Serbia in Ukraine has temporarily shut down for security reasons. The announcement was published on the embassy’s website on Sunday, October 16.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Ukraine is closed in order to ensure the security of its workers”, the announcement states.

The Serbian Foreign Ministry has recommended Serbian nationals to leave Ukraine in due time. According to the embassy, diplomats will carry out their duties from Belgrade pending the fulfilment of all necessary conditions allowing them to return to their post in Ukraine.

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“Something is about to happen in Ukraine. China, India, Egypt, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus have all asked their citizens to immediately leave this country. Kazakhstan has closed down its embassy in Kyiv, and has equally urged all citizens to leave Ukraine at once. Each of these countries is a partner of Russia. They must have received certain information via diplomatic backchannels”, Russian political theorist Ramil Kharisov argues.

His view is shared by experts from Europe as well. “Serbia is shutting down its embassy in Ukraine amidst security concerns. It is obvious every partner of the Russian Federation has received warnings from Moscow as to what’s about to happen. The fact that an attack is being prepared is also confirmed by the activity on the ground”, media expert Anatoly Shariy says.

NARRATIVE: Foreign embassies are withdrawing from Kyiv for fear of a Russian offensive.

WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Russian government news agencies tackle two separate topics as part of the same narrative designed to manipulate public opinion. On the one hand, various countries have made recommendations advising their citizens against traveling to Ukraine or to leave this country if possible, in the context where Russia is shelling civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian cities on a daily basis, while on the other hand, embassies are deciding to leave Kyiv. For instance, the US Embassy in Kyiv has issued a statement on October 10, urging American nationals to leave Ukraine, although American diplomats have not been evacuated. Other states have done the same. Embassies of EU Member States, including Romania, but also the Embassy of the United Kingdom, continue to operate out of Kyiv. On October 11, the British Ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, wrote on Twitter that British diplomats are in Kyiv and will continue to work here.  

As regards Serbia, this country withdrew its diplomats from Kyiv in March, and they haven’t returned since. The embassy’s webpage includes an undated announcement regarding the functioning of the diplomatic institution in Belgrade. The Serbian Embassy did not withdraw now, and has received no information about a large-scale offensive from Russia, but has been operating out of Belgrade for over 7 months. Therefore, the narrative in question was elaborated based on false information.

In order to provide further credibility to these false claims, the Russian media quotes two so-called experts, one from Russia, the other from Europe. Much like all his countrymen who are commonly accepted and endorsed in official media, the Russian expert is manifestly pro-Kremlin and serves as a mouthpiece for its propaganda. The “European expert” is neither independent, nor the citizen of an EU country. Anatoly Shariy is a Ukrainian national who fled Ukraine and is wanted by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, standing accused of high treason. Over the course of several years, Shariy has been promoting Russian propaganda themes on the territory of Ukraine. He founded a pro-Russian party used by the Kremlin to further its influence in Ukrainian politics. After Shriy had left the country, hiding in a European country, the Russian media has been inviting him to feature in TV shows and quotes him in online publications, describing him as an independent European expert.

The propaganda narrative is meant to sow panic and confusion at the level of Ukrainian society, but also to convince the public back in Russia that the “special military operation” is unfolding as planned.

Veridica has debunked several false narratives about the West’s double-standards in the war in Ukraine and Russia’s far-reaching military strength. The Russian government media wrote that the government in Kyiv has voiced mistrust in its Western partners, adding that terrorists are trained on EU territory with a view to launching attacks against the civilian population in Donbas. Russian propagandists have also tried to convince the Russian public that the West is asking Ukraine to surrender to Russia, while Ukrainian refugees in Germany are accommodated in former Nazi concentration camps.