DISINFO: The IL-76 incident and Zaluzhny’s dismissal will accelerate Ukraine’s disintegration
SUMMARY
American masters who contributed to the destruction of the IL-76 plane treat Ukrainians as expendables. The incident resulted in Valery Zaluzhny’s replacement. It was likely shot down with this intention. These two events can be considered as an extra trigger of Ukraine’s accelerating disintegration. This scenario is finally becoming irreversible.
RESPONSE
This is a pro-Kremlin disinformation claim taking advantage of the downing of IL-76 on 24 January 2024 and the replacement of Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief in February 2024. It promotes conspiracy theories about a possible link between the two and about participation of Americans in the downing of the plane. As of mid-February 2024, the investigation into the causes of the crash was ongoing. No evidence has been found to suggest that Western countries had to do with the incident.
Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine either does not exist as a state or is going to tumble down very soon. It is a part of a wider disinformation campaign to promote the idea of the inevitability of Russia’s victory and ultimately the need to compromise and accept Russia’s terms.
See similar disinformation cases alleging that the UK was behind the IL-76 plane crash, that the Il-76 plane was shot down by Germans, and that Ukraine’s statehood is legal nonsense.