Russian propaganda machine spreading lies about Ukraine

By Kamal Ali

The Ukrainian embassy in Baku says that Russian propaganda against Kiev has gone beyond any moral boundaries. While accusing the government in Kiev of committing genocide against its own people, the Russian propaganda machine is trying to cover up crimes committed by Russian mercenaries in Ukrainian soil. It also seeks to ignite inter-ethnic strife.

Russia recently started a new phase of its propaganda campaign against Ukraine, seeking to discredit Ukraine and its efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Donbas. 

The false accusations leveled against Ukraine are aimed at distracting the international community from crimes committed by Russian mercenaries and terrorists against humanity and from Russia’s failure to observe agreements achieved in Minsk. They also seek to torpedo efforts by the Ukrainian government to normalize the situation in the east of the country.

Russia spares no efforts in spreading lies about Ukraine. It not only accuses the Kiev government of killing its own people but also continues to ignite inter-ethnic enmity and hatred. 

Russia has never condemned massacres of civilians by the terrorists despite all the evidence out there, including mass graves discovered in Slovyansk and other towns liberated from the pro-Russian separatists.

Against a backdrop of notorious crimes committed by rebels, including the torture and killings of the civilian population and obstacles put up by the separatists to prevent the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission from carrying out its work, the expressed desire of the separatists to cooperate with the mission and the “accidental” discovery of three graves near the village of Nizhnyaya Krynka raises particular suspicion and doubt.  

Using this information, Russia started to criticize Ukraine without providing any evidence to prove the Ukrainian military’s involvement in the killings or establish the circumstances of the tragedy. Russia accused Ukrainian armed forces and the National Guard of Ukraine of “mass killings” and “genocide of the Russian-speaking population”. 

These are sheer lies being spread by the Russian propaganda machine to discredit the Ukrainian authorities, its army and the National Guard in the eyes of both the people of eastern Ukraine and also the international community. Moscow is clearly using the well-known principle in its propaganda efforts: “Attack is the best form of defense”.

The Ukrainian embassy in Baku says Kiev is ready for a transparent and independent investigation of all places of mass burial and killings of the civilian population in Donbas. The Ukrainian government also calls for a thorough investigation of the graves discovered in Nizhnyaya Krynka. Investigators from the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior cannot access the site of the graves as there lie in the territory controlled by the separatists. 

All peaceful residents of Donbas are citizens of Ukraine irrespective of their languages, religious beliefs or ethnicity. To Ukraine, the death of any of its citizen is a great loss and tragedy. Therefore, the Ukrainian state is making every effort to end the bloodshed and achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. The best proof of this is that Kiev’s fully complied with the Minsk protocol.

Bakudaily.Az