As part of the program Regional Initiative for combating disinformation “Western Balkans Combatting disinformation Center: Exposing malicious influences through fact-checking and Analytical Journalism“, we present you a new analysis of fake news and disinformation narratives.
Russia warns: Kiev is planning provocations using chemical weapons and falsifying evidence
Since the beginning of October, news about the alleged preparations of the Ukrainian army to use chemical weapons has been extensively spread in the media. These claims are not new—similar misinformation has appeared periodically since the start of the war in Ukraine, as part of a broader media propaganda effort. Russia seems to use this information selectively, particularly when it needs to divert attention from its internal problems. A similar situation occurred in March 2022, when Lieutenant General Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, accused Ukrainian forces of preparing provocations involving toxic chemicals, claiming that Ukrainian militants had delivered poisonous substances to local schools with the intention of destroying them when Russian troops arrived.
It often happens that military experts, analysts, or ordinary conspiracy theorists spread fake news and misinformation about the Russian-Ukrainian war through various media outlets and platforms. However, this specific disinformation, which continues to be propagated in Russian media, gained traction in early October when the Russian Embassy in Washington officially announced that, according to available information, Ukraine, with the support of Western countries, plans to carry out a series of provocations using chemical weapons in combat zones.
These claims were further bolstered by a statement from the Russian diplomatic mission to Newsweek, which asserted that “the Kyiv regime and its Western patrons are actively working to falsify evidence to accuse Russia of violating the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” as reported by Sputnik. According to the Russian Embassy, NATO allegedly supplied Ukraine with more than 70 modern devices for identifying toxic substances, and Ukrainian security personnel received specialized training at NATO centers. The goal of this training, according to the Embassy, was to prepare Ukrainian forces to fabricate evidence that would later be submitted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Such claims, although lacking concrete evidence, further complicate diplomatic relations and spread distrust toward international organizations like the OPCW, indicating a strategy to undermine the credibility of Western actors in the long term.
Sputnik also reports that the Permanent Representative of Russia to the OPCW, Vladimir Tarabrin, recently stated that Moscow has submitted the results of its investigation into alleged cases of chemical weapons use by Kiev. Tarabrin emphasized that the OPCW has been asked to take this information seriously. Additionally, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that “the atmosphere of impunity created by the collective West gives the regime in Kiev a free hand to commit crimes on a larger scale involving the use of toxic chemicals,” according to Russia Today (RT).
She also claimed that the Kiev regime collaborates closely with terrorist and nationalist-extremist groups linked to Islamists in the Middle East and Africa. Although she did not provide concrete evidence for her claims, she emphasized that, in her opinion, this is a fact. She warned that chemical terrorism is a serious threat that could arise from the actions of Ukrainian special services.
It is important to note that the only sources of information regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Ukrainian army are statements from Russian officials. We can conclude that such disinformation is part of the long-term strategy of the Russian media machine, and that these narratives are used to shape public opinion and justify the military actions of the Russian army.
Author: Nataša Stanojević
