DISINFO: Russophobes from Poland and the Baltic states agitate Kazakhstan to "kill the Russians"
SUMMARY
The entry of the peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) into Kazakhstan is accompanied by a massive disinformation campaign, the purpose of which is to provoke the Kazakhs into armed resistance against "Russian occupiers". The most active in this field is the Polish Telegram channel NEXTA Live, but it is not the only one. The efforts of the provocateurs are supported by both Ukrainian nationalists and Russian "liberals" - regulars of the Free Russia Forum in Lithuania.
A letter from a certain subscriber from Ukraine, who tells the Kazakhs how to properly deal with the regime, acquired a special resonance. “ Arm yourself to the maximum... " How do you order an ordinary Kazakhstani, who came to a rally against a sharp rise in the cost of liquefied gas, to react to this? It turns out that he needs to participate in hostilities, throw grenades, steal police cars ... A little later, NEXTA points out a new “enemy” to the Kazakhs: “Russian soldiers flew to Kazakhstan. If they think that they will be greeted there empty-handed, they are mistaken. Kazakhs are hospitable people, there is enough room for everyone in the steppe. " Can such a statement be regarded as a call to kill Russian servicemen? Of course.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobic Poland and the Baltic States, which appeared in the context of 2022 protests in Kazakhstan.
No appeals to "kill the Russians" can be found on the Nexta Telegram Channel. In fact, the channel is not Polish but a Belarusian channel, founded by Belarus' opposition blogger Stsiapan Putsila. This channel covers various issues from Brasil to Kazakhstan in the light of corruption and the lack of freedom across the world and has been a prominent target of pro-Kremlin and pro-Lukashenka disinformation.
The Kazakhstan protests began during the first weekend of January and were sparked by the government’s decision to uncap state prices on propane and butane, which effectively doubled the price of fuel overnight. The protests escalated into nationwide demonstrations over the next several days.
See the similar case US-sponsored Kazakhstan protests aimed to undermine CIS stability.
See also the statement by the EU High Representative here.