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DISINFO: The West is developing a Ukrainian version of the "White Helmets" known from Syria

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

Tags:

Chemical weapons/attack false flag White Helmets Syrian War Conspiracy theory

DISINFO: The West is developing a Ukrainian version of the "White Helmets" known from Syria

SUMMARY

Kyiv, in coordination with Western countries, is preparing for a scenario in Donbas similar to what happened in Syria. A chemical provocation attack into the Donbas region following the models of the Syrian "White Helmets".

It cannot be ruled out that there was an attempt in the Donbas to carry out a provocation, similar to the one that took place (or was being prepared) in Syria with the participation of the notorious “White Helmets.”

RESPONSE

A new pro-Kremlin media accusations presented without any evidence while blending in a recurring disinformation narrative used in the Syrian conflict that aims to paint the humanitarian group White Helmets as terrorists.

The OSCE Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has not reported any trace or sign of such an attack or preparations.

The claim is made without evidence and follows an established pattern of unsubstantiated accusations regarding the White Helmets' complicity in chemical attacks in Syria. Available evidence on such attacks all points to the Assad regime and no single incident is linked to others actors.

The White Helmets are a staple topic of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives on the Syrian civil war, having already been accused of numerous other provocations and war crimes including organ trafficking; aiding terrorist organisations; staging and/or perpetrating chemical attacks, sometimes with the help of Western intelligence agencies.

The majority of these claims are not backed up with evidence and often rely on meaningless formulations such as "according to information provided by X," "there are reasons to assume," and so forth. See here on the importance of White Helmets in Russian and Syrian disinformation.

Read similar cases claiming that the White Helmets used chemical weapons in order to accuse the Assad government; or that the White Helmets have close links to Al-Qaeda; or that the White Helmets are preparing a chemical attack in Syria; or that Germany is funding terrorism in Syria.

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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