The Kremlin launched a year-long disinformation campaign to soften up public opinion before its recent seizure of three Ukrainian ships and their crews in the Sea of Azov, the EU’s security commissioner has alleged.
Julian King said Russia had paved the way for its decision to fire on and board two artillery ships and a tug boat through the dissemination of fake news.
The false claims, said to have been spread for “more than a year”, included that Ukraine had infected the sea with cholera and that its secret services had been trying to transport a nuclear bomb to occupied Crimea, the British commissioner said.
King said the European commission’s East StratCom unit, responsible for highlighting disinformation, had discovered a complicated web of untruths emanating from Russian sources.
Source: Russia ‘paved way for Ukraine ship seizures with fake news drive’ | World news | The Guardian