Russians Scoff at ‘Cheap Fake News’ of ‘Planned Invasion of Ukraine’

Dec. 5, 2021 (EIRNS)—Both Russia’s news agencies TASS and Sputnik carried responses from Moscow officials to the Western media reports about Russia’s alleged plans to invade Ukraine.

The Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs Deputy Leonid Slutsky wrote on his Telegram channel today that Western media are publishing “fairy tales about Russia’s plans to attack Ukraine.” He attacked the German tabloid Bild by name, saying “this cheap fake news item is being seriously presented by a seemingly reputable newspaper that decided to follow suit of U.S. media outlets.”

He concluded his comments with, “It seems that somebody really doesn’t want for the truth to be heard about the actions of the regime in Kiev on undermining the Minsk Accords and the true mediating role of Russia in the settlement in southeastern Ukraine.”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also scored Bild, “noting that its ‘map of planned invasion’ was assembled from disconnected pieces,” according to Russian reporting. “She pointed out that the Ukrainian city of Lvov is called ‘Lemberg’ (as opposed to the official German name ‘Lwiw’). The spokeswoman recalled that the city was called this in 1942 by the occupying Nazi forces—and wondered what map Bild had based its ‘invasion plan’ on,” Sputnik quoted her as saying.

She mused that perhaps Bild didn’t get its map from “anonymous NATO sources,” but instead was “inspired” by the map published in the Washington Post, allegedly showing Russian troops massing on the border of Ukraine.

She also refuted numerous assertions by the article. For example, she “pointed to the lack of knowledge on the part of the article’s authors. The latter claimed, citing NATO sources, that the alleged Russian first strike will come from the south in part to secure a corridor between Russia and Crimea to ensure supply lines. Zakharova, however, noted that this line of supply has already been in existence for years—ever since the Crimean Bridge was built by Russia.”

The coverage in Sputnik concludes, “The Kremlin, for its part, has repeatedly stressed that Russia does not pose a threat to any country and slammed the publications claiming otherwise as a ‘fake news campaign’ directed against Moscow. Russia further insisted that the movements of the nation’s troops on its own territory are of nobody’s concern.”

Sputnik quotes her characteristic humor in its headline: “ ‘Let’s Spoil Their Weekend?’ Russia Breaks Down German Tabloid’s ‘Ukraine Assault Plan’ Propaganda.”