“Ukraine lost war 18 months ago”: foreign disinfo for August 30

The Center published two examples of disinformation that appeared globally on August 30. 

Disinformation: Irish “journalist” Chay Bowes wrote on his X page: ''What NATO, the EU, and the U.S. State Department have done to Ukraine is utterly disgusting. They baited Ukrainian Nazis and Ultranationalists (they placed in power) into starting a civil war they knew would lead to Russian intervention.”

Refutation: Bowes promotes a narrative favorable to Russian propaganda to justify the Kremlin's aggressive actions against Ukrainians. For the past 10 years, Ukraine has not been experiencing a civil war or an "internal conflict." Instead, it has been facing an unprovoked, full-scale war waged by Russia. This war has resulted in significant human losses, widespread destruction, and the occupation of parts of Ukrainian territory.

Disinformation: Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Douglas McGregor said on the Daniel Davis/Deep Dive YouTube channel: "The war was lost by Ukraine at least 18 months ago, if not earlier. The Russians showed restraint and did not aggressively advance to the west (of Ukraine) because it wasn't in their interest."

Refutation: McGregor's statement aims to discredit Ukraine on the international stage and reduce the level of support from its partners. In reality, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are successfully defending the state and conducting counteroffensive operations, inflicting significant losses on Russian troops. Therefore, Russia's so-called “restraint” is not a matter of choice but the result of strong resistance from Ukrainian forces.

• Earlier, Australian pro-Russian blogger Semen Boykov aka Aussie Cossack stated that Russia's moral code doesn't allow wiping Ukraine off the map.