How ten false flag narratives were promoted by pro-Kremlin media
By Givi Gigitashvili and Roman Osadchuk
via Digital Forensic Research Lab
Amid Russia’s ongoing military buildup around Ukraine’s borders, Kremlin-controlled and pro-Kremlin media outlets in Russia relentlessly amplify false or misleading narratives about Ukrainian aggression against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) in Eastern Ukraine. These ongoing efforts accusing Ukraine of threatening the lives of people in Ukraine’s breakaway regions could serve as pretext by Russia to invade the country.
The DFRLab analyzed ten false and misleading narratives, mainly coming from Russia-led separatist leaders in Eastern Ukraine, that were widely amplified by Russian media outlets. Each of these narratives accused Ukraine of being the aggressor in the conflict. Notably, Kremlin media outlets have intensified pushing false-flag narratives since early February.
