DISINFO: Russia is not an aggressor or occupier in Donbas, Syria, South Ossetia
SUMMARY
For example, the authors accuse the "Putin regime" of involving Russia in numerous conflicts, "both near its borders and abroad, South Ossetia (2008), Donetsk region (2015), Syria (2017)".
This accusation is downright ridiculous, and when it comes from admirers of the US system, it is even pure demagogy. Because unlike the dozens of current wars and war-like operations of the US and the Western community of values around the world, Russia is not the aggressor or occupier in any of these cases mentioned in the report! On the contrary, everything is in accordance with international law.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine and Russia's involvement in the War in Syria, and the Georgian region of South Ossetia, claiming that for the case of Ukraine - Russia is not part of the conflict in Donbas and that Russia has nothing to do with the war in Eastern Ukraine.
The claim that 'everything is done according to international law' is grossly false. On Syria: There is ample evidence that the Syrian leadership (supported by Russian armed forces) is responsible for numerous massacres, bombings and chemical attacks on civilians in Syria. Russian airstrikes on hospitals, water treatment plants and mosques [causing hundreds of civilian deaths] have also been well documented.
On Ukraine, Donbas: There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas. The EU condemns the clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014. The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation".
The so-called People's republics DNR and LNR receive humanitarian, financial and military backing from Russia. An InformNapalm study shows that thirty-one weapons systems found in the Donbas entered service with the Russian military between 2004 and 2015 and have never been produced in, or sold to, Ukraine. In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted Russia's military presence in Ukraine and (proudly) informed of his early planning for seizure of Crimea.
On the Georgian Region of South Ossetia: A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative trying to deny any role for Russia'war of 2008 which resulted in the further occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by additional military forces from Russia; a clear violation of Georgia's sovereignty. Many international organisations condemned the further occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, see for example the European Parliament's declaration.
The EU's independent investigative commission into the 2008 Russia-Georgian war confirmed that Russia had been provoking Georgia for a long time and "Much of the Russian military action went far beyond the reasonable limits of defence.
Russia continues its military presence in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of international law and commitments undertaken by Russia under the 12 August 2008 agreement, mediated by the European Union.