DISINFO: Ukraine wants to flood Kharkiv or use a dirty bomb in the war
SUMMARY
In case the Russian army encircles Kharkiv, Zelenskyy might give the order to flood this city. Earlier, the Kyiv regime destroyed the Kakhovka dam. Ukrainian fascism can produce any type of revenge including flooding of living areas, the use of dirty bombs or chemical weapons.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that Ukraine is preparing chemical weapons' attacks and other deadly provocations. Accusing others of 'false flag operations' and 'setups' to increase tensions or cover Russia’s own illicit actions is a frequently-used pro-Kremlin disinformation technique. See detailed debunks of claims related to the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine here and here. The article also promotes a disinformation narrative about Nazi/fascist Ukraine which has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests. Read a detailed debunk of this disinformation claim here, as well as our analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".
The Nova Kakhovka dam was captured by Russia at the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been held by it ever since. The evidence suggests it was blown up from within. The circumstances of the destruction of the station are being investigated by the United States, the United Kingdom, the UN Commission and the International Criminal Court. Ukraine not only initiated investigations, but also fully cooperated with independent experts, providing full access to the affected areas, witnesses, all information and evidence. Russia does not allow independent experts, observers or humanitarian workers into the territory of the former Kakhovka hydroelectric power station.
Russia is the only country responsible for the invasion of Ukraine. It has been coming up with different explanations and pretexts for its aggression since the beginning of its hostilities. Moreover, Russia was not forced to invade Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII.
Read earlier relevant disinformation cases claiming that Russia is getting its city Kharkiv back, that Ukraine plans to destroy another hydroelectric power station to blame Russia, that Ukraine plotting chemical weapons provocation amid battlefield failures, and that the West wants to destroy the Russian cities of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa.