FAKE NEWS recap

In various ways, disinformation messages attempt to explain Russian motivations for attacking Ukraine. Conspiracy theories speak of the existence of Ukrainian military laboratories and other dangerous facilities that Russia allegedly wants to destroy. Other theories also refer to an alleged mission to „denazify” the country. In a similar vein struck by Gonzalo Lira López, the current Ukrainian government is a „Zelensky regime” that would „(…) enjoy watching Ukrainians die” (time stamp 10:40).

Source: www.facebook.com

Gonzalo Lopez from Chile? Who is the man in the video?

Ukrainian fact-checking service StopFake has already analyzed the film and its author. Gonzalo Lira López presents himslef as an American writer, sometimes also as a director. His pro-Russian footage filmed in Kyiv, supposed to be an authentic account of current events in Ukraine, is hitting the web. As StopFake describes:

StopFake points out that López’s material is cited by all major sources of Russian propaganda, incl. Pravda.ru, Zvezda, Komsomolskaja Prawda, Wzgliad, RG.

The Russians don’t want to destroy Ukraine or injure civilians? The available evidence suggests otherwise!

In the video, we can hear these claims that often appear in pro-Russian disinformation, including that the Russian military does not aim at civilian objects or civilians themselves. As López puts it: „The Russians only hit military targets (…) they avoid civilians. (…) And when they encounter any resistance from the Ukrainian army, any serious resistance – they stop and pull back.” (time stamp: 3:25).

One of the most famous examples is the shelling of a hospital in Mariupol, which killed 3 people (including one child) and wounded 17. The Russians have tried to explain this attack as a military takeover of the hospital, for which there is no evidence. According to other false accounts described by StopFake, the Ukrainian army itself was said to be responsible for the bombing, as it shelled the building while retreating from the area.

Another example is a residential building in Kyiv. Russian media reported that it was hit by a missile fired by the Ukrainian army. The fact that it was a Russian missile that hit the building is proven by the direction from which the attack came.

There are more such examples. Bellingcat, an OSINT agency, has created an interactive map of Ukraine that highlights instances of attacks on Ukrainian civilians that have occurred during the ongoing war.

Source: www.ukraine.bellingcat.com

„Zelensky’s regime” responsible for casualties on the Ukrainian side? So says the Russian propaganda

The video spreads a vision of a „Zelensky regime” that distributes weapons to untrained civilians, who thus pose a threat to others, and „sets up heavy weapons in centers of civilian outposts” to create a threat to Ukrainian citizens. According to López, „it is dangerous, therefore the Russian army has the right and duty to destroy them.” (time stamp 10:40). This fits with the popular narrative that Russia’s attack is a „denazification” attempt to remove the ruling “regime”.

After Russia’s attack by air, land and sea, President Zelensky said that any citizen willing to defend the country would be issued weapons. The propaganda messages try to portray this as something dangerous for the civilian population. Meanwhile, the decision was prompted by the Russian Federation’s attack on Ukraine, and with arming the general population, civilians stand a chance of defending their country. Many Ukrainian citizens have a military background, and residents of some regions – faced with the risk of war – underwent weapons training.

Who is fleeing Ukraine? Mainly women and children

This „Zelensky regime” that López speaks of was supposed to have led to so many refugees fleeing Ukraine. In his own words: „The Zelensky regime is forcibly enlisting men between the ages of 18 and 60. They do not allow them to leave the country, and if they try even try to leave, they are arrested and forcibly enlisted. That is forcibly put in the army. Now, what has happened because of this? (…) every man between eighteen and sixty is running away from the cities. That’s why there are so many refugees.” (time stamp 14:00).

There is no evidence that this has led to mass flight. It is not true that the reason for many refugees is that men in this particular age bracket have fled the country. According to data published by the Polish Border Guard, more than 2 million refugees, mostly women with children, have entered Poland.

#Pomagamy🇺🇦
Dzisiaj tj.18.03, o godz. 09.00 liczba uchodźców z Ukrainy🇺🇦 przekroczyła 2 mln. To głównie kobiety z dziećmi.#FunkcjonariuszeSG są pierwszymi Polakami niosącymi im pomoc po przekroczeniu granicy. Często zwykłe słowa wsparcia znaczą najwięcej. pic.twitter.com/ZFligTcfxF

— Straż Graniczna (@Straz_Graniczna) March 18, 2022

It is also known that more than 320,000 Ukrainians living outside the country are returning to their homeland to fight alongside their fellow countrymen.

Summary

The video in question uses many themes popular in pro-Russian disinformation: narratives about a Ukrainian Nazi „regime” justifying the Russian attack, and presenting it as a „meticulous operation.” In doing so, it tries to legitimize Russia’s aggression on Ukraine by misrepresenting the series of events, in which it is the Ukrainian government that is dangerous to its citizens and not the Russian military.