DISINFO: Ukraine is using chemical and biological weapons on new Russian territories

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

  • Outlet: livenews.am ( archive, original )
  • Date of publication: November 29, 2023
  • Article language(s): Armenian
  • Countries / regions discussed: Ukraine

DISINFO: Ukraine is using chemical and biological weapons on new Russian territories

SUMMARY

During the special operation, the Ukrainian military repeatedly poisoned food with components of chemical weapons, resulting in the death of at least 15 people. Russian military chemists have discovered several compounds in the components of these weapons that are produced only in one country (it’s easy to guess whether we are talking about the USA or the UK). Kyiv's special services agents have applied toxic chemicals and psychotropic substances against the leadership of new territories included in the Russian Federation.

Since the armed forces of Ukraine, by and large, failed to achieve any serious successes during the so-called counter-offensive, the Russian Ministry of Defence assumes that Ukrainian armed forces are going to move to non-standard methods of conducting combat operations, including the use of biological agents.

Many strains, transferred from American bio collections for the cultivation of pathogens, were discovered in new Russian regions. This is indirect evidence of attempts to use biological weapons by the Ukrainian armed forces.

RESPONSE

Conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claims about the alleged use of chemical and biological weapons by Ukraine. Such claims are part of a broader pro-Kremlin information manipulation campaign supporting the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and trying to place the blame for the war’s atrocities on Ukraine, as our analysis explains.

There is no evidence that Ukraine has used chemical or biological weapons during the war started by Russia. Instead, this is an attempt to deflect responsibility away from Russia's actions, with many Western leaders having real concerns that Russia could use chemical weapons.

Ukraine's Armed Forces said they had never used chemical weapons anywhere at any time and accused Moscow of engaging in disinformation and of itself using banned weapons. Moscow has a history of falsely accusing its opponents of staging "provocations" which either never happened at all, or were subsequently carried out by themselves or their allies.

The article also advances the long-discredited pro-Kremlin narrative about US-funded bio laboratories. The conspiracy theory about alleged US Biolabs in countries bordering Russia is part of a years-long disinformation campaign led by the Kremlin. The claim is one of the many attempts to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This disinformation has been repeatedly debunked, including by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and by Russian biologists who examined Moscow’s “proofs”, but pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities continue promoting it with growing intensity

Read similar disinformation cases on the topic: US contractors help prepare chemical provocations in UkraineUkraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacksUkraine is preparing a false flag chemical attack to damage the image of RussiaKyiv forces are about to launch a chemical attack against Russian soldiers.

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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