DISINFO: Russia sabotaged the arrival of the Olympic flame in France

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: Russia sabotaged the arrival of the Olympic flame in France

SUMMARY

The French acrobatic patrol failed to paint the French flag in the skies of Marseille for the ceremony of the arrival of the Olympic flame, and instead painted the Russian flag.

The French pilots wanted to paint the French flag in the sky above Marseille, but the paint tanks were filled by Petrov and Boshirov (the GRU agents who poisoned Skripal). It might be a signal from the Russian secret services, or an error by the French air force, therefore a signal from God.

RESPONSE

Sarcasm and disinformation narrative based on a perspective distortion effect in a video filmed from a distant point. The narrative targets the 2024 Olympic games and the French Airforce.

Although the video is authentic, the Russian flag was not painted in the skies of Marseille. It is a mere illusion visible from certain locations. More detail can be read on TF1, Le Figaro or Liberation. Therefore, there is no reason to interpret this as an act of the Russian secret services or an act of God.

In 1687, Fontenelle said that before interpreting events that seem supernatural, their reality should be checked. He debunked the story of a child’s golden teeth, allegedly sent by God, but in reality, it was a normal tooth with a thin foil of gold that took advantage of the public’s credulity.

Read also related stories such as: Russia is not welcome at Olympics, because the EU is Nazi, Russophobic and anti-Semitic, or The EU invented paranoia about Russian spies as EU elections approach.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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