Internet/social media
Sunday 17 November 2019
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![Alexander Isayev]()
Alexander Isayev
Reporter, Sputnik Moldova
“The annual training exercises for young ‘civil activists’ from 15 countries were held in the capital of Moldova -- in an atmosphere of strict secrecy and with American money, volunteers were told about strategies for fighting the authorities, [and] about the organization of and media support for mass protests.”
Read more...Open source information debunks the claim that #CampCamp2019 is a base for planning protests and the overthrow of the government. The U.S. was not the sole sponsor -- it was a multinational effort. Videos from the forum were shared openly via social media. -
![RIA Novosti]()
RIA Novosti
State news agency
“Specialists of MIA [International Information Agency] Rossiya Segodnya analyzed 82,000 stories about Russia published in the top media of the seven leading Western countries in the first half of 2019. So, 49.81% of the materials were negative. Another 48.12% of the [stories] were neutral.”
Read more...One third of the articles surveyed came from the UK. The Russian news outlet Meduza found many of the negative articles share the same author -- an expat based in Russia. His articles tend to be translated from Russian tabloids. -
![Dmitry Peskov]()
Dmitry Peskov
Russian Presidential Representative for Digital and Technical Development
"First, Telegram is not banned in Russia. Second, I do not just use it, but today we have a network that is built on [the basis] of 150+ Russian universities, and it uses Telegram channels for its management."
Read more...After Telegram refused to turn over its encryption key to the Federal Security Service (FSB), a court ordered that the messenger service should be blocked. It is still being used in Russia because authorities lack the technical means to stop people from using it. -
![RT]()
RT
Russian state media outlet
"While the story might seem humorous at first glance, there’s nothing funny about being catfished by your own defensive alliance, or so we’re told. In fact, according to NATO’s Center for Strategic Communication, located in Riga, Latvia, the test revealed that the alliance must do more to protect its naive troops from… Russia."
Read more...While the technology may seem novel, there is nothing particularly unusual about this cybersecurity exercise. The fake social media accounts are the cyber equivalent of troops playing the “enemy” in traditional exercises. Russia has taken similar measures with its military. -
![Olga Skabeyeva]()
Olga Skabeyeva
Rossiya-1 television host
“Never [presented Ukraine in a negative light] on purpose.”
Read more...After Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian state media should not paint Ukraine in an unfavorable light, Rossiya-1 state television host Olga Skabeyeva claimed she had never trashed the country on purpose. The data, however, suggests Ukraine-bashing is Russian state-media policy. -
![Sputnik News]()
Sputnik News
Russian state funded radio broadcaster
“Russia has been repeatedly accused of meddling in the US elections by Western powers. However, subsequent probes failed to find evidence pointing to any Russian interference in the US election.”
Read more...After “Putin’s Chef,” Yevgeniy Prigozhin faced another raft of sanctions for funding efforts to influence the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, Russian state media have once again falsely claimed charges of Russian interference are unfounded. -
![Press TV]()
Press TV
Iranian State-Owned Media Outlet
“In 2009, independent research conducted by a team of international scientists discovered, after analyzing some dust samples from the debris in the area where the skyscrapers collapsed, that they all contained a red layer of active thermitic material, incorporating nanotechnology.”
Read more...The claim was debunked years ago. The “research” cited in the article did not actually find “thermitic material,” and thermite and similar compounds are not used – and, in fact, cannot be used -- in controlled demolitions. -
![Robot FEDOR]()
Robot FEDOR
Android Skybot F-850
“Admiring our Earth from the porthole of Soyuz-MS14 at the end of the working day. She is beautiful. Studying and exploring space makes people smarter and makes them work together. And we, machines made by humans, are ready to help our creators go further.”
Read more...The picture of Earth from space that Robot FEDOR tweeted as its own is 9 years old and belongs to the American Astronaut Douglas Wheelock, who first tweeted it in 2010 -
![Kommersant, newspaper]()
Kommersant, newspaper
“In fact, only his compatriots could have dealt with him - both Russian Chechens and “Ichkeria” militants, hiding in Europe from criminal prosecution [in Russia].”
Likely falseChechens “hiding” from Russia in Europe would not ask to speak with the Russian EmbassyRead more...The suspect in the murder investigation arrested by the court in Berlin demanded to talk with representatives of the Russian Embassy – a request that is highly unlikely to be made by Chechen separatists “hiding” from Russia in Europe. -
![Maria Zakharova]()
Maria Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman
“A division of the State Department of the United States -- and, directly, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow -- published the itinerary of the so-called walk that lay ahead on Saturday.”
Read more...The U.S. State Department routinely publishes warnings to U.S. citizens about demonstrations in foreign cities, especially if there is a danger of clashes with law enforcement. -
![Russian Embassy in South Africa Twitter Account]()
Russian Embassy in South Africa Twitter Account
Official Russian Foreign Ministry social media account
“Thought police is already here - @twitter suspends account of the Russian Embassy in #Syria (!) after it posted factual criticism of the #WhiteHelmets, quoted @mod_russia data. Wasn't verified account yet - only proves "ordinary" accounts not allowed to have differing opinions”
Read more...Twitter did not say why it banned the account in question. However, the Twitter accounts of a number of Russian embassies have repeatedly disseminated false information about the White Helmets. -
![Murad Gazdiev]()
Murad Gazdiev
Reporter, RT International
“The Mueller report did not provide any proof of the troll factory’s ties with the U.S. election interference.”
Read more...The Mueller investigation into the Russian “troll factory’s” interference in U.S. elections and political processes resulted in a grand jury indictment of 13 Russian nationals. IRA and its financial sponsor Concord were also indicted along with Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
