Fake 1: «Nazi concentration camp,» or «secret prison» set up by Aydar Battalion.
A new boogeyman story is out there for the Russian audiences, this time about concentration camps in Ukraine, probably to scare us even more and make more Russians want to kill – and die – in the war. But still, this war is not being called by its name in Russia. In their media, it remains a “liberation operation.” So Russians are told they have to die for freedom. But whose freedom is that, no one explains properly. After all, no one has taken any freedoms from Russians up until they stood up against the whole world. So, within the framework of ideological brainwashing, Russians are now being told about a “concentration camp,” almost a private one, allegedly set up by the Aydar Battalion in Ukraine. The report is all over the Russian media: RT, RIA Novosti, Izvestia, Regnum, Ren TV, and loads of Telegram channels are in the game. The camp, they claim, had been set up in the village of Polovinkino, Luhansk region, eight years ago by the Ukrainian Aidar Battalion.
In fact though, the site is just an abandoned factory. It might be a depressing location, but in no way terrifying. No evidence or traces of atrocities or torture. Russian journalists tell of the “horrors” that these walls had seen, while showing a rusty building with nothing in the report to back their claims. The site has once been an Aidar training base, people say. But there’s no hype in this story, while a report about a concentration camp is totally a shocker, right? For greater “credibility,” the reporters talk to local militants with the “LPR” and pull up some experts, who were allegedly prisoners of the Aidar camp. But what a miracle, they are all free people now, with no injuries, no traces of torture they were allegedly subjected to by the Aidar forces. What a humane concentration camp, indeed! That’s despite the fact that the stories told constantly mention mutilations, torture, and severe beatings, allegedly committed by battalion members. It is clear that they are trying to impose on the Russians the myth about Ukrainian Nazis harassing the population of Donbas. A weak stunt, with no facts and no evidence whatsoever… Stanislavsky would have probably cried in desperation, seeing such poor acting.
Fake 2: Europe admits it won’t do without Russian gas
Russian propaganda is trying to convince Russians that the international stance on Russia could be changed due to their dependence on Russian oil and gas. But that strategy, like many others, also seems to have collapsed. Russia’s last trump card – energy – is being snubbed by the international community! Now western nations are massively refusing Russian gas and oil deals, concluding contracts with other suppliers. Apparently, the only party hurt in this situation is Russia. This has already happened back in 1973 when Europe and the United States successfully abandoned Arab energy sources. Now it’s Russia’s turn to be in the international spotlight of infamy. Germany, the European Union, the US, and Britain are already refusing Russian coal, oil and gas, while Germany’s Uniper has decided to stop financing further construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Bulgaria will not renew its contract with Gazprom for gas supplies, set to receive energy from alternative suppliers such as Qatar and Algeria. Meanwhile, Poland has announced the start of «de-Russification» of the Polish and European economies. First of all, the program provides for the rejection of Russian gas and oil. While Russia is failing to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, global de-Russification is already in full swing. And the Russians are already feeling its effects. More is yet to come.
Fake 3: Adoption of Ukrainian orphans has been eased dramatically
Photos and videos of rescued orphans are circulating on social networks with a call to «quickly adopt» them and the alleged readiness of Ukrainian authorities to hand orphans to the «good people». What kind of good people are those? Can’t they have cruel intentions after all? In fact, no one canceled legislation on the protection of children’s rights. This fake story is designed to make those who are actually ready to adopt a kid, at best, a victim of scammers or, at worst, violators of law. After all, child trafficking is punishable by up to 12 years in prison. Ukraine doesn’t just hand out orphans to whomever. Indeed, a simplified procedure does exist, but it concerns patronage, not adoption. The latter remains a lengthy process. The thing is that family is the main thing in the context of children’s safety and protection.
Russians are told that de-Nazification of Ukraine will begin with the upbringing of children, the rules for adoption of children who are not Russian citizens is set to be changed. It’s outrageous! First they kill their parents, and then move to de-Nazify their kids. Yes, millions of Ukrainian children have become victims of the terrible atrocities that Russia is committing against the Ukrainian people: someone lost their home, some lost their family, and more than a hundred children were killed by Russian bullets and missiles, including newborns who didn’t even have time to take their first breath and get a name.