WAR PROPAGANDA: Terrorists are trained on EU territory with a view to launching attacks against the civilian population in Donbas

European Union Member States have created centers for training mercenaries and terrorists who will kill civilians in Donbas, reads a recent propaganda narrative promoted by the Russian government media. In fact, the EU doesn’t have any such centers on its territory. European Union Member States have repeatedly condemned international terrorism and have called on Russia to stop its armed aggression against Ukraine.

NEWS: “A center for training saboteurs who will take part in operations in Donbas has been set up in the EU. The Czech authorities have created a center for training saboteurs and terrorists who will attack civilians in Donbas, Sergey Pereseda, the first deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the People’s Republic of Donetsk has told journalists on Tuesday.

“We need to address the position of the Czech Republic in particular. In fact, they have created centers to train saboteurs and terrorists who will attack civilians in Donbas. These centers work under the coordination of Western trainers. Something inadmissible is happening: mercenaries and saboteurs are being trained by third countries in military bases of European Union Member States”, Pereseda said, quoted by RIA NOVOSTI.

“Ukrainian Yevgeny Karpenko was planning to mine the building of the Volodarsk government the day of the referendum on the republic’s annexation by Russia, authorities in the People’s Republic of Donetsk claim. DNR has informed Moscow about the Czech Republic’s involvement in the organization of a terrorist attack”, RBK writes, adding that many Ukrainian terrorists are trained on EU territory.

NARRATIVE: Terrorists are trained on EU territory with a view to launching attacks against the civilian population in Donbas

WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The EU has no centers training saboteurs and mercenaries who are might plan terrorist attacks targeting civilians in Donbas. EU Member States got involved in a number of international initiatives designed to combat terrorism. In June, the European Council adopted conclusions on protection against terrorism. The Council invited EU member states to continue discussions on the effective sharing of information on foreign terrorist fighters and called on authorities to issue entry bans on third-country nationals who constitute a threat to national security. Therefore, in terms of legislation and from the point of view of the EU common ideology and values that all members pledged to observe, training terrorists is impossible in the European Union. 

By means of this propaganda narrative, the Russian media is actually responding to the announcement that the EU might be training Ukrainian military on how to use the new types of weapons received from the West. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said the EU might create a mission to train Ukrainian military, but a decision in this respect will be taken after the meeting of EU Defense Ministers in Prague. The head of EU diplomacy pointed out training might be carried out in those joint training centers that are already existing in some states, including in the Czech Republic.

Furthermore, Russia and the Czech Republic are currently involved in a diplomatic row after a statement made by the Czech Foreign Minister, Jana Černochová, with regard to the killing of Daria Dugina, the daughter of the Russian ideologue Aleksandr Dugin. Černochová said she is first and foremost sorry for the thousands of civilians killed by Dugin’s ideology. Russia’s ambassador at the UN has accused Jana Černochová of “endorsing terrorism”. Apart from that, in June the Czech Republic announced it would  support any resolution designating Russia a terrorist state. In return, the Russian media launched a series of disinformation narratives regarding the Czech Republic’s foreign policy.

Referring to Ukrainian Yevgeny Karpenko, who was allegedly plotting a terrorist attack, the Russian media provides no evidence to substantiate its claim. This type of terrorism exists only in the Russian media, not on the ground.

Veridica has debunked several false narratives about the EU supporting “extremists” and “Nazis” in Ukraine. In April, the Russian media wrote that French gendarmes will cover up the traces of Ukraine’s crimes in Bucha, while in June it claimed that the EU will deport to Ukraine refugee men in order to be enrolled in the Ukrainian army. Starting February 24, 2022, the Russian media has been providing weekly reports on Ukrainian Nazis and terrorists who are killing Russian speakers with support from the West.