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“The unprecedented stream of faux information about what is occurring in Ukraine is meant to fire up feelings and remove rational considering,” the Russian Protection Ministry writes on Twitter, referring to the websitewww.waronfakes.com, the place “a bunch of consultants” and “journalists” are allegedly exposing the “most outrageous” false claims. However what is that this alleged fact-checking website all about? DW’s fact-checking crew took a more in-depth look.
The creators of the web site, which was registered on March 1, declare there are indicators of an data conflict in opposition to Russia. The web site, they write, offers “goal publications” to make residents much less fearful and unsure about what is occurring. “Truth-checking” articles in English, French, Spanish, Chinese language and Arabic are supposed to present what is de facto happening within the conflict in Ukraine.
“Warfare on Fakes” has been set as much as attain a global viewers
What’s putting is that Russian, of all languages, is lacking from this web site. The goal, it seems, is to succeed in a global viewers. The unique Russian model of this web site and the related Telegram account are older, in keeping with analysis by the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab. The Telegram account was reportedly arrange on February 23, the day earlier than the conflict started. The primary submit appeared a day later. The account now has greater than 625,000 subscribers and is among the high Telegram channels in Russia, with a attain of greater than 30 million each day views.
Each the Russian and English web sites and the Telegram account are being closely promoted on social media. For instance, Russian tv station RT quoted “Warfare on Fakes” in a Telegram submit on February 27.
Provided that this channel itself has tons of of 1000’s of followers, it’s doubtless that a lot of the expansion of “Warfare on Fakes” is because of their promotion, and that of different accounts. Moreover, Russian embassies, just like the one in France, have additionally featured it on their social media accounts, together with Twitter.
The ploy of the web site operators appears refined: The authors debunk false claims, together with these from the Ukrainian aspect that seem on this website as properly. Nonetheless, Russian propaganda is then used to supply background for the very fact checks, as the next two examples present.
Russian troopers additionally killed civilians
In a single “reality test,” the declare {that a} Grad a number of rocket launcher system, also called BM-21, is getting used in opposition to Ukraine is introduced as false. Within the course of, a extensively circulated video purporting to point out using such weapons is revealed to be outdated — appropriately so. In truth, a video from 2021 was handed off as present, as a reverse picture search reveals.
Nonetheless, the web site “Warfare on Fakes” doesn’t deny using such missile programs in any respect. Its argument to clarify the very fact test is to assert that the Russian Protection Ministry has repeatedly emphasised that no missile, artillery or airstrikes are carried out on Ukrainian cities. That is false.
As reported by DW, the Russian navy can also be concentrating on cities. In keeping with UN figures, no less than 406 civilians have been killed thus far, together with 15 kids, and 801 folks have been injured, together with 29 kids (as of March 7).
Russia started its present conflict in opposition to Ukraine on Feb. 24
The web site additionally makes use of one other “reality test” to place Russia in a greater mild: This text analyzes the tweet of British journalist Larisa Brown, who works for The Instances newspaper. On February 25, she shared a video of a person tearfully saying goodbye to his spouse and youngster earlier than they boarded a bus. Brown writes that these scenes are taking part in out throughout Ukraine, following the Ukrainian protection minister’s decree that males between the ages of 18 and 60 stay within the nation to defend Ukraine. The submit gives the look that the person is saying goodbye to his household, who’re fleeing the Ukrainian conflict.
The “Warfare on Fakes” authors reveal that the shared video is outdated and is a few household from the separatist Donetsk area who had already left for Russia on February 21, earlier than the Russian navy attacked Ukraine on February 24.
That is apparently true, because the Spanish fact-checkers of the web site Maldita additionally revealed. The “Warfare on Fakes” piece makes use of the disclosure of the false declare to say that the mom and the newborn are actually “not in peril,” implying that they needed to save themselves from the Ukrainians. This ignores the truth that the conflict in Ukraine began on February 24.
These examples present how the web site purposefully makes use of false claims to painting Ukraine in a nasty mild, whereas on the identical time spreading and substantiating Russian propaganda.
Opposite to its claims, the Russian navy has been concentrating on cities
All of the examples on the web site are structured in the identical means: Two to 3 sentences are utilized in every case to refute the alleged Ukrainian fakes, nevertheless, the declare is rarely correctly addressed. The writers additionally do not present proof or strategies used to show the “fakes.”
Who’s behind the web site?
So who runs “Warfare on Fakes”? To seek out out who’s behind it, we ran it by means of the who.is web site. It revealed that the web site was launched solely very not too long ago, on March 1, and focuses solely on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The identify of the operator is hidden, however an deal with in Moscow is given as a contact choice. Nonetheless, this deal with solely results in the corporate that registered the web page.
The given cellphone quantity seems to be a preferred rip-off quantity beforehand utilized in 2019 to tear off folks financially. An evaluation of the web site utilizing Scamadviser additionally reveals that the web site needs to be handled with warning. In a rating as much as 100 belief factors, “Warfare on Fakes” scores a single level.
There isn’t any data on the positioning itself, nor does analysis reveal who these “journalists” and “fact-checkers” are who’re publishing articles on the positioning and its corresponding Telegram accounts.
At this level, it can’t be mentioned with any certainty who’s behind “Warfare on Fakes.” However its sudden look, fast development, and widespread help from state-run Russian media elevate questions on its origins and affect.
This text was initially written in German.
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