DISINFO: Kyiv may carry out terrorist attacks to disrupt peace talks
SUMMARY
Ukraine’s leadership could authorise terrorist attacks against Russian diplomatic missions in Europe to derail peace talks, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR) has warned. Kyiv could target embassies in Germany, the Baltic states, the Nordic countries, or Hungary and Slovakia as part of its plan, according to its European sources.
RESPONSE
The claim is not backed by any evidence. Allegations made by Russia’s intelligence services - as is this one - cannot be considered as such, given their proven history of making unsubstantiated claims based on faked or non-existent proofs, for example about US biolaboratories in Ukraine or the presence of French combat troops on the Ukrainian frontlines.
The goal of this disinformation story is to associate Ukraine with terrorism, aiming to undermine international support for its self-defence against Russia’s aggression. Since early 2024, Russian authorities have tried without evidence to link Ukraine to terror incidents in places like Moscow, Dagestan, Slovakia, or invented a Ukrainian connection to fictitious terror plans in Syria, Africa, Hungary or the US.
This disinformation story also aims to portray Ukraine as being against “peace”. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly expressed willingness for peace negotiations, but on terms that respect international law and Ukraine's territorial integrity.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Kyiv is plotting an attack on a NATO vessel to drag it into war, that the Kyiv regime is a global terrorist threat, that Russia aims to denazify Ukraine and disarm its terrorist regime, or that Zelenskyy will use a dirty bomb or terrorist attacks if victory plan fails.