Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Here Are Top 10 ‘War Myths’ Identified By Analysts In US

NewsGuard, US-based organisation that monitors trustworthiness of news & information websites, has said deceptive narratives are being pushed by the Russian state media sources and lesser known sites.

Damage caused by a Russian missile attack on the Kyiv TV tower in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 2, 2022 | Photo: Getty

New Delhi: The Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its eighth day Thursday. With the world eager to know the latest updates from the trouble-torn European country, many untrue claims regarding the conflict have also been trickling in along with news.       

Facebook and Instagram said on Monday that they were blocking access to RT and Sputnik, both Russian state media outlets, across the European Union. Twitter has also indicated that it would block RT and Sputnik in the EU. TikTok has done this already, and YouTube has blocked the Russian broadcasters on its platform in the UK and Europe. 

NewsGuard, a US-based organisation that monitors the trustworthiness of news and information websites, has published top 10 Russia-Ukraine “war myths”, and said deceptive narratives are being pushed by the Russian state media sources with lesser known sites joining them in the campaign.

According to analysts at NewsGuard, among the most common falsehoods pushed online are claims about genocide and authorities in Kyiv supporting nazism. In a report, NewsGuard said false narratives about Ukraine and its allies had started to proliferate online months before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and that many were promoted by the Kremlin’s “disinformation apparatus”.

It claimed to be tracking 114 web domains, including Russian state media sources such as RT, Sputnik and Tass, who “spread Russia-Ukraine disinformation narratives”, including the top myths cited in the report. 

Top 10 Russia-Ukraine 'War Myths' Published By NewsGuard 

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #1 

“Russian-speaking residents in the Donbas region of Ukraine have been subjected to genocide.” 

Fact: According to NewsGuard, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has not found any evidence to this effect.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #2

“Polish-speaking saboteurs attempted to bomb a chlorine plant in Donbas.” 

Fact: The “attack” video was recorded days before it is alleged to have taken place. Also, no evidence of any such attack has been found, NewsGuard said. 

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #3

“Ukrainian forces bombed a kindergarten in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, on 17 February 2022.”

Fact: The shelling was actually done by Russian-separatist frontlines.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #4

“Russia did not target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine at the start of invasion.” 

Fact: On February 25, Day Two of the invasion, Amnesty International documented at least three attacks by the Russian military on civilian areas in Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #5

“Nazism is rampant in Ukrainian politics and society, supported by authorities in Kyiv.” 

Fact: It is on record that in the last presidential election (in 2019) the candidate for the far-right nationalist party, Svoboda, won just 1.6 per cent of the total vote.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #6

“The west staged a coup to overthrow the pro-Russia Ukrainian government in 2014.” 

Fact: According to NewsGuard, there is no evidence that supports the theory that Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan revolution was a coup orchestrated by Western countries.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #7

“The US has a network of bioweapons labs in eastern Europe.” 

Fact: NewsGuard says the claims are based on a “misrepresentation” of the US Department of Defense’s Biological Threat Reduction Program.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #8

“Nato has a military base in Odessa, southern Ukraine.” 

Fact: Ukraine does not permit foreign military bases in its territory.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #9

“Crimea joined Russia legally.” 

Fact: The 2014 referendum that backed Crimea joining Russia was declared illegitimate by the UN Assembly.

Russia-Ukraine ‘War Myth’ #10

“Modern Ukraine was entirely created by communist Russia.” 

Fact: Russia and Ukraine share a heritage that dates back more than 1,000 years.