DISINFO: Bloomberg: The EU’s ‘drone wall’ idea is a PR stunt
SUMMARY
EU’s ‘drone wall’ is a PR stunt, says Bloomberg. The EU’s plan to set up a so-called “drone wall” to counter potential Russian incursions is largely a symbolic gesture, as any real framework would face multiple hurdles, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
RESPONSE
This is a disingenuous distortion of the original article at Bloomberg, titled “Lacking Air Defense, Europe Races to Catch Up in Drone War”, which in reality does not mention any “stunt” or “symbolic gesture”. The disinformation refers to a single quote: “One person familiar with the matter described the idea as a PR label, masking a complex reality”. The statement is just one of many sources cited in the article, some of which had very different opinions on the matter. Others stressed in particular the issue of implementation time, logistical or bureaucratic difficulties, and other potential alternatives. However, by cherry-picking and manipulating this isolated sentence, this disinformation story tries to portray the whole concept of a defence system against Russian drones in Eastern Europe as an unfeasible fantasy.
Quoting Western legitimate sources while distorting their content to introduce a pro-Kremlin message as if it were part of the original story is a frequent pro-Kremlin manipulative technique.
See other examples of similar manipulations, such as claims that according to the Financial Times, Ukrainian armed forces are losing hope, that The Guardian points to ruling elite as the real instigators of the US crisis, that Ukraine is struggling with flow of wounded soldiers according to CNN, that The New York Times reports that Russia is barely affected by sanctions, that a Danish outlet reveals evidence of US fingerprints in Nord Stream sabotage, that CNN confirms the FSB's accusations against the CIA, or that Putin’s refusal to condemn Hamas is bearing fruit according to The Washington Post.