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The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

Most Russians believe information war is against Russia

18.11.2014   
Around 80% of Russians believe that Ukraine on the one hand, and the USA and western countries on the other are waging an information war against Russia. Only 12% often read information which gives a version of events in Ukraine which differs greatly from that on Russian television and other federal media

The latest Levada Centre survey, carried out from Oct 24-27 has found that around 80% of Russians believe that Ukraine on the one hand, and the USA and western countries on the other are waging an information war against Russia.  Only 12% often read information which gives a version of events in Ukraine which differs greatly from that on Russian television and other federal media.

Respondents were asked whether they consider that 1) Ukraine and 2) USA, western countries are waging an information war against Russia:

With respect to Ukraine: 54% - definitely; 29% - probably;  5% - probably not; 3% - definitely not; and 9% didn’t know;

With respect to the USA and western countries: 55% - definitely; 33% - probably;  3% - probably not; 1% - definitely not; and 9% didn’t know

12% often read or watch information which differs markedly from that on mainstream Russian media; 46% - sometimes; 37% - never and 6% didn’t know.

Of those who do not read or view alternative media, 26% consider it to be anti-Russian propaganda; 20% are not particularly interested in events in Ukraine; 17% consider that such media are “far from the truth”; 13% can’t find them; 9% said that they did not agree with such points of view and they irritate them.  A further 14% said that they didn’t know.

Respondents were also asked whether they agree as “many have been saying over recent months” that the Russian state media are waging an information war against Ukraine, and if so how they feel about this. 

13% agreed and said that this was correct and justified by the situation in Ukraine [on Oct 14, against 15% on July 14 and 17% on Aug 14);

11% agreed and saw the media policy as damaging and dangerous(against 10% in July and 12% in August);

59% did not agree and say that the Russian media give an objective image of events in Ukraine (against 58% in July and 54% in August).

17% didn’t know (with the same percentage in July and 18% in August).

http://levada.ru/print/12-11-2014/istochniki-polucheniya-informatsii-ob-ukrainskikh-sobytiyakh

On Nov 14, as Russian President Vladimir Putin headed to the G20 summit in Australia which he then left early, Russian state media showed satellite images which they claimed to show that a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet firing a missile at the Malaysian airliner downed over Donbas on July 17.   The images were immediately derided as a ‘crude forgery’.  Reports of the forgery, the story of how they originated on an Internet forum, etc. have been widely posted on various Russian independent media such as Ekho Moskvy and TV Dozhd. 

There have been a large number of versions of how the plane was downed on the Russian state media.  They came after pro-Kremlin media initially published damning reports from the Kremlin-backed militants boasting of having downed an AN-26 military transport plane in the east of Ukraine.   Video footage of the disaster was shown on LifeNews.  This was removed as the terrible truth became known, but a screenshot can be seen at:

Russian LifeNews inadvertently told the truth about downed Malaysian airline

The Russian media, as well as high-ranking officials, are still claiming that ‘mass graves’ were found in Donbas and that an international investigation into purported Ukrainian military crimes is needed.  The claims were not substantiated at the outset by the OSCE and have been since denied by that organization and international human rights organizations. 

See: ‘Mass Graves’ for Russian propaganda

See also information about a supposed ‘crucifixion’ of the 3-year-old son of a militant.  In that broadcast the woman gave totally wrong details about the central square in Slovyansk where the alleged crime was supposed to have taken place.

New low in Russian propaganda

The shoddiness of many of the lies and their persistence have prompted one group of activists to follow and expose all such fakes.  Please see: http://stopfake.org/en/news

Unfortunately most Russians won’t.

Halya Coynash

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