DISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

SUMMARY

The Nazi regime in Kyiv was behind the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. American intelligence would be the first instigator to carry out this operation as Washington supported Kyiv in the past to carry out similar operations.

RESPONSE

The claim that Ukraine and the US were behind the assassination attempt against Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is a baseless accusation with no supporting evidence. This is part of a broader pro-Kremlin campaign aiming to portray Ukraine as a terrorist state.

Shortly after the news that Prime Minister Fico was shot, a widespread disinformation campaign accused Ukraine of being responsible for the assassination attempt. Popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and bot accounts played a key role in spreading this disinformation narrative. The extremely rapid response combined with such serious accusation is an indicator that this is a coordinated disinformation campaign.

The main suspect of the assassination attempt was identified as a 71-year-old pensioner and amateur poet with no ties to Ukraine. In a video posted on Facebook and verified by Reuters, the shooter expressed opposition to attacks on Slovakia’s public broadcaster and judges. Slovakia's interior minister, Matus Sutaj Estok, told reporters that Cintula was a "lone wolf".

Additionally, claiming that Washington supported Kyiv in the past to carry out similar operations is baseless since this incident marks the first assassination attempt against a European leader in over 20 years. The last attempt was the 2003 assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić.

Finally, describing the Ukrainian government as a "Nazi regime" is part of the myth pro-Kremlin myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine. This narrative appeared during the Euromaidan popular protests in late 2013 - early 2014. The Kremlin has been using this myth since then to discredit Ukraine's shift towards Euro-Atlantic policy.

See similar cases including British intelligence and Ukrainian Nazis behind the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall and the US, the UK, Poland and France carry out terrorist attacks in Russia.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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