DISINFO: Residents of Donbas will be forcibly relocated to Lviv for re-education
SUMMARY
After Kyiv gains control of the border, the residents of Donbas will see immediate cleansing, deportation and total Ukrainisation. Everything is very simple: you speak Ukrainian – you stay. If you don’t speak Ukrainian – you will get a suitcase, go to a railway station and move to Russia. And this is in the best case. At worst, you will be forced to relocate to Lviv for re-education.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory with no evidence. See similar disinformation messages alleging that Kyiv is sabotaging the peace settlement in Donbas or Ukraine will fight with Donbas and kill its people. The source of this information was a fake document allegedly from the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine with incorrect details such as the address of the Council or names of the officials. It was spread in the social media platform "Telegram" with the help of an anonymous account. Moreover, the fake document does not contain any information about relocation to Lviv and the re-education of people from Donbas. At the end of October 2019, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced the need for a state strategy for the integration of Donbas and Crimea. According to him, such a strategy should include transparency, consensus, realism, and implementation of decisions. It is planned to discuss all these issues with the public. Advisor to the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council on integration and renewal of the Donbas, Serhiy Sivokho, noted that the Council planned to create a National Platform for Reconciliation and Unity. “We attract international practitioners to resolve military conflicts, analyse the experience of Ireland, Bosnia and other countries. It’s easier to find the most right and already proven options for resolving conflicts, and apply this experience to our situation, mentality, and perception,” said Sivokho.