Untrue claims about genocide and authorities in Kyiv supporting nazism are among the most common falsehoods pushed online amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to analysis.
NewsGuard, a US-based organisation monitoring the trustworthiness of news and information websites, said Russian state media sources are being joined by lesser known sites in pushing deceptive narratives.
It published a top 10 Russia-Ukraine “war myths” including an “attack” on a chemical plant in eastern Ukraine and claiming legitimacy for the 2014 referendum on Crimea joining Russia.
The warning came as Facebook and Instagram said on Monday they were blocking access to the Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik across the EU. TikTok has followed suit, while YouTube has blocked the broadcasters on its platform in the UK and Europe and Twitter indicated it would block RT and Sputnik in the EU.
NewsGuard said it had identified and is tracking 114 web domains including Russian state media sources such as RT, Sputnik and Tass but warned that websites with no direct links to the Kremlin are pushing false content on mainstream social media platforms.
“Russia employs a multilayered strategy to introduce, amplify, and spread false and distorted narratives across the world – relying on a mix of official state media sources, anonymous websites and accounts, and other methods to distribute propaganda that advances the Kremlin’s interests and undermines its adversaries,” the analysis said.
“Its...
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