But let’s remind ourselves that this indictment was made after February 24, after the assault was launched. In early March the Russian Defence Ministry claimed it had uncovered “traces of the military biological program in Ukraine” financed by the US Defence Department.
Two days later, a Twitter post on WarClandestine, went viral. Until the account was suspended it had been disseminating QAnon conspiracy theories, that oftentimes seeped into mainstream media.
Did it gain traction? Not amongst Western media who aim to report facts. But predictably, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson repeated the Russian claim on air. When US officials actually acknowledged that diagnostic bio-defence laboratories had US assistance and were involved in research, Carlson dismissed the explanation.
Was Carlson battling for or against the truth? Russian falsehoods gain substantial credibility, if their said to come from established Western sources. As expected, Carlson’s commentaries were masterfully exploited to disguise such misinformation with Western authenticity. A RIA Novosti posting on Telegram generated one million views with the US reference.
Domestically, the Kremlin’s lies have reached a mostly receptive audience. In the weeks before the invasion, Russian rejected any accusations that its military was gearing up to attack Ukraine when the massive deployment of troops and equipment was clear proof of the opposite.
(Pikemalt saab lugeda Eesti Elu 21. oktoobri 2022 paber- ja digilehest)
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