DISINFO: Ukraine and NATO train to destroy Donbas
SUMMARY
NATO is training to destroy Donbas. During the Sea Breeze 2021 military exercises, Ukraine and NATO troops were practising suppression of riots similar to what happened in Donbas in 2014.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets, claiming that NATO is helping Ukrainian troops to kill civilians in Donbas. In reality, Kyiv cooperates with NATO with the sole aim of enhancing Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Ukraine is not willing to kill civilians in Donbas, nor it is planning to attack Russia. Ukraine needs a strong army to defend its territory and prevent Russia-backed separatists from moving further.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces return fire when attacked by separatists, but its troops do not wage war against civilians. These war games were held in international and Ukrainian waters, which means that it is Ukraine's sovereign right to stage war games on its territory.
This year’s Sea Breeze exercises took place from June 28 to July 10 2021 in the Black Sea region. They had the largest number of participating nations in the exercises’ history with 32 countries from six continents providing 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams.
Relations between NATO and Ukraine date back to the early 1990s and have since developed into one of the most substantial of NATO’s partnerships. Since 2014, in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, cooperation has been intensified in critical areas. The Alliance firmly believes that a sovereign, independent and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security.
Read more disinformation narratives from pro-Kremlin media about NATO’s alleged provocative behaviour towards Russia, as well as about the alleged presence of Turkish troops and Polish and Lithuanian mercenaries in Donbas.
For more background information, see here.