Intimidation As a Method
In a recent study written for the Legatum Institute (http://bit.ly/1Q9xxyI), analyst Timothy Thomas gives a valuable overview of various strands of new-generation warfare. Some key “weapons” deployed include: misinforming the population; provoking conflict and distrust; undermining the authority of government; and usage of emotive messages via social networks.
This week gives many examples of the above practices, and in particular the practice of pro-Kremlin media to intimidate people in various European countries with aggressive disinformation aimed at raising concerns for life, personal health, or a country’s territorial integrity.
For example, in the table, you will see multiple articles disinforming about “secret laboratories” that leak viruses among the Ukrainian or Georgian population. These viruses (allegedly developed with the help of the Americans) are supposedly now spreading towards Russia - which is given as a reason for why Russia should invade Ukraine and stop this threat.
Other articles focus on scaring the people of Moldova that they will lose their sovereignty to Romania (http://bit.ly/20853A5 // http://bit.ly/1QGBW0w // http://bit.ly/1Ut5gH7 // http://bit.ly/1TpMhii). In the latter case, this is supposedly due to the Association Agreement with the EU (http://bit.ly/1KjEfW5).
Finally, there is scare-mongering with ISIS terror attacks in Ukraine (http://bit.ly/1nRuvbz), and kidnapping on the territory of Turkey (http://bit.ly/1PJV3bb). In the table, you will also find numerous examples of threatening a new nuclear war or third World War.
All this comes only a few days after a fake terror threat aimed at the people of the Netherlands appeared on Youtube (we informed about this incident last week: eepurl.com/bObLLT).
The Clash of the Ministers
There was further development in the “case” of the allegedly raped 13-year old girl from Berlin. Pro-Kremlin media kept repeating various disinformation about this incident, although German police insists that neither a kidnapping, nor a rape happened. The behaviour of pro-Kremlin media already led to a public clash between the German and the Russian ministers of foreign affairs. Apart from several examples in the table, you can get a broader picture in the article on Russia’s Manipulation of Germany’s Refugee Problems by Judy Dempsey: http://ceip.org/1UuM3oy
Due to the strong emotional potential, children are a favourite theme of pro-Kremlin media disinformation. Investigative journalists from Re:Baltica have devoted a whole series of articles to the issue of disinformation about alleged paedophilia in Norway: or about a “trend” where social services in EU Member states take away children to give them to gay couples (http://bit.ly/1Sq2q8n; http://bit.ly/1Sq2t40; http://bit.ly/1UFWV2W; the articles are also in Russian here: http://www.rebaltica.lv/ru/).
Disinformation about Ukraine: Never Ending Story
Again, we received multiple disinformation pieces about Ukraine: about the “coup”, about the illegitimate government, about solely Ukraine not respecting the Minsk agreements, about the Kyiv government fighting its own citizens…
We even saw some new disinformation experiments where Ukraine allegedly wants to eradicate one of the most popular religions in its own country (http://bit.ly/1nCCv0s). Or that Russia never violated the Budapest memorandum, which promised Ukraine independence, sovereignty, and existing borders: http://bit.ly/1Pl8vjD
In this regard, Kharkiv Human Rights Group draws our attention to a film that will be aired by Canal+ after the deadline of this Disinformation Review: http://bit.ly/20m8Zx7. According to Kharkiv Human Rights Group, the film will repeat some glaring examples of pro-Kremlin disinformations circulating since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
DOWNLOAD DISINFORMATION REVIEW ISSUE THIRTEEN
For contributions, please e-mail jakub.kalensky@eeas.europa.eu
When you advertise this product, please use this new link for automated subscriptions.
Thank you very much for your reports, very are looking forward to new ones,
East StratCom Task Force
Follow us on Twitter @EUvsDisinfo
|
|
|
|
