“First F-16s for Ukraine have already been destroyed”: Russian fakes and manipulations for May 31

This was reported by Espreso TV.

According to the National Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation, on May 31, Russian propaganda launched two fakes

Fake: The enemy Telegram channel Skeptic wrote: “According to sources, the first F-16 fighters delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already been destroyed. And the aircraft did not even have time to take off.”

“The sources are not specified, but it is already obvious that this is a lie, since Ukraine has not yet received F-16s, so all the reports of Russians regarding the allegedly destroyed F-16s are nothing more than fiction,” the Center emphasizes.

Manipulation: Newly minted Russian Defense Minister Belousov said: “Since 2022, Kyiv has received more than $278 billion from Western countries, and everything is being done to delay and escalate the conflict.”

“This is an obvious manipulation, as Ukraine receives Western aid to protect its lands and people from Russian invasion. The only ones who are escalating the so-called conflict are Russia and its satellites,” the Center said in a statement.

• On May 24, media reported that Russian propagandists were spreading fake information that the President of Ukraine had allegedly refused to return hundreds of captured soldiers.