Moscow came up with a “Donetsk revenge of Ukrainians” and is holding competition in aggressive patriotism.
The Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security has collected the main fakes and narratives of the Russian propaganda of June 7.
1. Russia is mirroring its sins
2. The FSB feeds Ukrainian prisoners with fake media
3. The “DPR” wants to be recognized by London?
4. Is Medvedev the new Zhirinovsky or the next Putin?
Russia is mirroring its sins
On June 7, Russian propaganda scriptwriters came up with a new story: the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ruthlessly shelling Donetsk residential areas to avenge the defeat of their troops.
Answering the question “Why is Donetsk bombed so strongly?”, a representative of the so-called “DPR people’s militia” Basurin said, “Before, the enemy suffered losses — about 700 people and about 100 units of equipment. They felt helpless, and that’s why they decided to kill people.” State Duma MP Nikonov (grandson of Molotov, the same one who signed the secret pact with Ribbentrop and denied it his entire life) summed it up as follows: “Ukrainians are taking revenge.”
IN REALITY, it looks very much like mirroring, when Russians are attributing their own wrongdoings to Ukrainians. It is known that the Russian army has been emotionally unstable, looting and committing other crimes. The facts indicate the following:
– The next day after commander of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division, Major General Mityayev, was KIA in Mariupol on March 15, Russians bombed the Drama Theatre, where, according to the investigation of Associated Press, about 600 civilians died as a result of the attack.
– On the same day, on March 16, Russians hit Mariupol basin “Neptune.”
– A few days after Moskva flagship was sunk, Russians hit the plant producing warheads for missiles called, coincidentally, Neptune.
– In the previously published handbook of the FSB, which ended up in the hands of the SBU, the proclaimed problem of the Russian propaganda was that “there was no massive inflow of emotional information about children killed in the DPR and LPR, about the nationalists’ massacres of Russians.”
This seems to be the real reason for the “massacre” on Rossiya-1 TV channel, rather than the mythical strike near “Chornobaivka in reverse,” for which the good-for-nothing propagandists could not even come up with a good name.
The FSB feeds Ukrainian prisoners with fake media
On June 7, Russian Defence Minister Shoigu said that “126 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine surrendered in five days, their total number is 6,489 people.”
The Russian media, of course, reports that they are held in adequate conditions: fed, provided with medical care and, in general, they “admire the Russian army” — videos with such staged content often appear on propaganda resources.
IN REALITY, the situation with the prisoners of war is terrible. Ukrainians are being tortured, including with the use of psychotropic drugs, and every effort is being made to manipulate them. The FSB has started producing fake newspapers, as well as TV and radio programs that will mimic the Ukrainian and independent press for prisoners of war in the Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention centre.
This was reported by founder of the human rights organization “Gulagu.net” Vladimir Osechkin.
According to him, “this is done to give fake information that the Ukrainian army has been defeated, and no one will come for them, save, exchange, and all of Ukraine is already under the control of Russian troops.”
Such psychological treatment of prisoners of war, according to its organizers, will help to better manipulate them, demoralize them so that they sign confessions, slander themselves and those with whom they served.
Even the price of these materials has been disclosed: 22,000 roubles per fake newspaper, explained Osechkin.
The “DPR” wants to be recognized by London?
On June 7, the trial of captured foreigners who fought in the Armed Forces of Ukraine began in the so-called “DPR.” They are accused of being mercenaries, for which they may even be executed in this unrecognized reservation.
The people in question are UK citizens Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, and Moroccan citizen Saadun Brahim. According to the occupiers, “they participated in Ukraine’s military aggression to seize power in the DPR for a reward.”
Five witnesses were also named, none of whom appeared at the court hearing. Three “eyewitnesses of the crime” are being held in a pre-trial detention centre in Taganrog, the reason for the absence of the other two is unknown.
IN REALITY, all the three prisoners had officially joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine even before Russia’s full-scale invasion and had been living in Ukraine for several years. We know that Aiden Aslin met his future bride during his trip across Ukraine, and he stayed in the country, and then in 2018, he started serving in the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy.
His friend, Sean Pinner, a 48-year-old former Royal English Regiment soldier, was captured together with Aslin. In 2018, like Aslin, he officially joined the Armed Forces and also served in the 36th Brigade.
Moroccan Saadun Brahim moved to Ukraine in 2019. His lawyer, Dmytro Yershov, claims that the young man studied at the KPI. However, he dropped out of the university, and in 2021, he signed a three-year contract with the Armed Forces. He also ended up in the Marine corps.
That is, all three served in the Armed Forces under a contract that makes them combatants, which means they are covered by the Geneva Convention. But since the court in the “DPR” is just as fake as the whole republic, the Geneva Conventions do not work there. So, anything can happen.
But we already know that the trial of foreigners will be used to fuel the Kremlin’s narrative that “Anglo-Saxons” are fighting against the “Russian world.”
There is another important but so far covert aspect of this “trial”. This way, Putin’s puppets seek to make London recognize their fake republic by an appeal, which would mean they engage in a type of legal relationship with the “republic.”
If this option works, they can use it with other countries as well. There was good reason why the occupiers kept looking for foreigners among Azov fighters and other Ukrainian units, and why they constantly talk about the numerous “mercenaries” in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Is Medvedev the new Zhirinovsky or the next Putin?
And finally, let’s briefly speak about Russia’s sitz-President Medvedev, whose term in office ended precisely 10 years ago. After his statement about “European imbeciles” of June 6, it seemed like he could not stoop any lower than that. But on June 7, talking about his Telegram posts, he also mentioned “freaks,” promising that “as long as I live, I will do everything to make them disappear.”
IN REALITY, we cannot rule out that he is actually speaking about his own posts on social media. The ambiguity of the wording allows for this interpretation as well. In this case, we are dealing with either a serious psychological problem of the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, or he tried to warn the world: “I am forced to write this nonsense under duress: sorry / help me.”
So, was Medvedev simply appointed as “the new Zhirinovsky”?
Here is another explanation why the official sounds so feverish: there is now official information that his son Ilya may soon be expelled from the United States, since Medvedev Jr.’s American visa has been cancelled. And the man is raging about his son potentially coming back to his homeland.
It is difficult to explain such rhetoric from a man who was considered a liberal and iPhone president 10 years ago, compared to the imperialist Putin, in any other way.
It is one thing to doze off and silently nod your head in the bunker during a secret discussion of another mischief in Ukraine or around the world. It is quite another thing to publicly scream about your hatred of European “imbeciles” and “freaks.” In any case, the situation is quite strange.
Even Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Mayo was forced to admit that “Medvedev’s statements are very serious and dangerous … These are threats against those who persistently seek peace.”
In addition, such aggressive public rhetoric may be a manifestation of the beginning of the struggle for the royal throne. In addition to Medvedev, FSB chief Patrushev, Chechen leader Kadyrov and State Duma Speaker Volodin are taking part in the competition for the coveted seat. Against the background of permanent rumours about the illness or death of Putin in general, the assumptions are not unfounded.
Or maybe, another staged show called “elections in Russia” is already being scheduled for 2024 or earlier, with the tandem of Putin and Medvedev, like in 2008. Especially since the stunt double’s hands are also covered in blood. Blood of Georgians. So, he does have experience. He has proven himself. He has nothing to lose. Maybe, apart from some remnants of common sense.
The Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security