The Kremlin spews a smokescreen of FIMI over drones in Poland

As the Kremlin spews disinformation narratives attacking Ukraine and the European Union, Russia also conducts drone operations against Ukraine, with some drones crossing into EU and NATO member states such as Poland.

Such was the case last week. The night of 9 September, some two dozen Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace before they crash-landed or NATO air defences brought them down.

Then the rhetorical assault began, as a Russian FIMI campaign disgorged disinformation narratives about the incursions. The tactic, as usual, was to say anything, everywhere, all at the once, as long as what was said served to deny and distract from Russian responsibility. Let’s have a look at the main lines of attack.

Nothing happened and we didn’t do it

Some pro-Russian commentators asserted that little, if anything, had actually happened. Pro-Russian commentator Alexander Dugin, for example, claimed, ‘There was nothing at all. Fragments, debris, explosions… And the Poles panicked.’ For his part, Vladimir Soloviev mocked Poland’s deployment of Patriots as owing to the incursions of ‘just three or four drones’.

Others tried more technical arguments, such as the notion that Russian drones only have a range of 700 kilometers, so they could not have reached Poland. In fact, the drones were modified to carry extra fuel tanks, giving them more range. Faced with conflicting claims and denials, one must ask, which version of the truth are we supposed to believe?

More generally, outlets and commentators fell back on the claim that Polish or EU authorities had provided ‘no evidence’ that the drones belonged to Russia. In fact, reports showing downed Russian Gerbera drones were plentiful.

‘They’ did it

‘They’ refers to the Kremlin’s list of usual suspects that it blames for aggressive acts or atrocities that its own forces have committed. So maybe Ukraine did it. Perhaps they tried to carry out a ‘provocation’ to drag Poland into the war against Russia. Or maybe Poland did it, attempting another provocation to drag NATO into the war. Or perhaps the whole thing was a secret Western operation intended to sabotage peace talks, or even provoke the United States into entering the war.

So many provocations, so little time. But you get the drift: deny the obvious while pointing the finger of blame at anyone around you.

And in Romania, here we go again

A few days later, a Russian drone breached Romanian airspace in what Romanian authorities believe was likely an intentional act. And surprise, surprise: pro-Russian outlets followed the same disinfo script: the drone was Ukrainian, Ukraine launched it to turn European countries against Russia, there’s no evidence the drone was Russian, Romania only protested the drone’s presence after NATO told it to do so, and so on.

The Romanian Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the drone was Russian. But pro-Kremlin disinformation asserts that maybe the Romanian army messed up and is now trying to blame Russia.

Just as Russia’s drones circle European skies, so too do its disinformation narratives, always veering between denial, distraction, and deceit, seeking to obscure the Kremlin’s hand while the truth, much like the drones themselves, is impossible to ignore.

Don’t be deceived.

Also on our disinformation radar this week:

• Russian FIMI outlets claimed Russia did not attack a pensioners queue in Ukraine. Here, Sputnik alleged that a Russian bomb did not hit a crowd of retirees queuing for their pension payments in a village in Yarova, eastern Ukraine near the front line, killing 23 people and injuring 18. But the bombing was confirmed by video footage, journalists on the ground, and testimony from survivors. Throw these lies on the pile.
• Another false claim circulated this week is that Ukraine recruits Brazilian mercenaries who train organised crime in Latin America. This sneaky narrative is no doubt crafted to cater to US fears of drug-smuggling cartels. Some Latin Americans have joined Ukraine’s International Legion, and Ukrainian authorities are investigating isolated cases of cartel members allegedly joining the Legion to benefit from drone training. But no evidence suggests that cartel leaders are meeting with ‘Ukrainian mercenaries’ to learn military techniques.
• Lastly, Russian FIMI outlets have been spreading the narrative that the EU wants to use Moldovans to fight against Russia after running out of Ukrainians’. This falsehood is a neat inversion of the fact that Russia is using North Koreans as cannon fodder in Ukraine to spare Russian lives. Instead, somehow, the EU will order Moldova to send its citizens into the fray. The narrative is part of a massive FIMI campaign targeting the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova that will take place on 28 September.

Article picture: (Dariusz Stefaniuk via REUTERS)