Article

2014-03-03 Europe

Russia Launches 'Propaganda' War over Ukraine

[An Nahar] Russia launched an all-out propaganda campaign Sunday to whip up support for possible military action in Ukraine, as state media and ruling party officials claimed armed marauders were terrorizing the ex-Soviet nation.

This is actually phase II. The Russians launched phase I during Sochi.

Kremlin-controlled media launched a full-scale operation with footage aimed at discrediting the new Kiev authorities and rousing anger at alleged outrages perpetrated against the Russian-speaking population.

"Our propaganda on state channels is really running wild," commented former economy minister Andrei Nechayev on Twitter.

Fanning suspicions of international involvement in the Kiev protests, news channel Russia 24 aired an apparent confession from a young Russian who claimed he was paid to serve as a sniper with opposition forces.

"There are mercenaries there... they come from very different countries: the United States and Germany, they come wearing identical military uniforms," he alleged.

He said he feared violent reprisals for his revelations, alleging that the protest leaders in Kiev would "just put people in a cellar and kill them".

Named only as Vladislav, he was filmed being grilled by Sherlocks after being caught in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine.

A Russia 24 anchor added a warning that "mercenaries are now going to Crimea. Their aims are clear enough: to provoke a new wave of the crisis and rob people on the sly".

The same channel interviewed the governor of the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Yevgeny Savchenko, who warned that "crowds of armed people" were on the move and on Saturday tried to block a highway to Crimea.

Russian news agencies also issued simultaneous reports that Ukrainian armed forces were deserting en masse and going over to the side of the breakaway Crimean authorities.

The reports were first attributed to correspondents, and then to the region's self-proclaimed prime minister.

Posted by Fred 2014-03-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 This is not only second phase, it is lopsided, hook line and sinker. Just one week ago Russian media was expressing surprise at the lack of uprising and demonstartions in the Crimea over the ousting of Yanukovich. Notice the protests came after military assets moved into Crimea. On FSN commentators are talking about "Crimean fears of persecution" by the new Ukranian goverment. Seriously, who would threaten a cub when the mama bear is nearby? Finally, the tone and overall language of most print media is heavily Russia biased. Sochi envy or something more menacing? You decied.

Posted by jefe101 2014-03-03 02:46|| 2014-03-03 02:46|| Front Page Top

#2 Finally, the tone and overall language of most print media is heavily Russia biased.

Same as here.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-03-03 03:12|| 2014-03-03 03:12|| Front Page Top

Their aims are clear enough: to provoke a new wave of the crisis and rob people on the sly"

Some rob you with a six gun, some with a fountain pen.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-03-03 03:27|| 2014-03-03 03:27|| Front Page Top

#4 You, my friend, which you are not, are either misinformed or stupid. As we say in English, "you can't fix stupid".

Posted by jefe101 2014-03-03 04:07|| 2014-03-03 04:07|| Front Page Top

#5 This started over a year ago in the Russian media, demonizing western oriented people as "fascists", and "right wing extremists". If anyone was paying attention, it's all there, just like the pretexting Putin did in Georgia. And our lapdog press runs it, uncritically, direct from the authoritarian mouthpieces. And you, dear public, are once again "knowing" a great many things that simply are not so. Not misinformed, but deliberately mal-informed.

Posted by OldSpook 2014-03-03 13:17|| 2014-03-03 13:17|| Front Page Top

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