DISINFO: Ukraine nationalists planning false-flag operation in Transnistria / Moldova
SUMMARY
The Ukrainian nationalist Azov battalion is among the Ukrainian units which will soon perpetrate a false-flag operation in Transnistria. The aforementioned units will be wearing Russian Army uniforms to covertly invade the region and then blame it on Russia.
RESPONSE
The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative regarding Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
No evidence is presented in support of this claim. On the same day, an official Telegram channel affiliated with the Moldovan government refuted Moscow's allegations: "The [Moldovan] state authorities do not confirm the information disseminated this morning by the Russian Ministry of Defence."
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. In the weeks leading up to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Moscow repeatedly falsely claimed that Ukraine, assisted by US or Western forces, prepared a chemical attack or attacks on industry sites storing chemical agents, or is going to use the dirty bomb.
The inclusion of the Azov battalion in this claim is another indication that TASS, one of the key Russian state news services, try to fuel the fire. Russian state and pro-Kremlin outlets have been running a long campaign to portray the Azov battalion as "nazi".