Russian disinfo review - May 17

The Center for Countering Disinformation has published a selection of the latest Russian fake stories and disinfo.

Espreso shared the selection below.

Russia launched three major disinformation campaigns.

Disinformation: Russian propagandists continue to discredit Ukrainian defenders by spreading allegations that "the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired on Russian positions from residential areas, provoking them to return fire in order to make them responsible for civilian casualties."

Manipulation: Propaganda media report: "missile strike on Knauf plant in Soledar was inflicted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces", however, according to Soledar's authorities, the attack was carried out from the Russian troops' positions with a Tochka-U missile.

Fake: The Russian Defense Ministry said that "the neo-Nazis of the Azov Regiment had set up barracks in a kindergarten near Borova village and they had placed heavy military equipment, artillery and MLRS in the city. At the same time, civilians, including children, are forcibly detained in basements."