Ukraine Details 'Most Ridiculous' Russian Claims

Ukraine on Tuesday listed the "most ridiculous" claims made during the first 10 months of President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of the country.

In a Twitter thread, the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine accused Russia of "cynically lying" since Putin illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

"The Russian propaganda machine is a fakes production conveyor. Check out the most ridiculous and cynical fakes of 2022," the center said, listing the top 10 claims from last year.

"Biolaboratories producing combat birds and mosquitoes" was listed by the center as the first fake from Russia in 2022.

Just days after Putin's full-scale invasion began on February 24, Russia accused Ukraine and the U.S. of a plot to spread pathogens using migratory birds and bats.

"Russians claim the 'development' of biological weapons 'genetically formulated' against Slavic people. The weapons are 'delivered by birds and insects'. Who knows why this weapon doesn't work against Ukrainians?" the center tweeted.

The second false claim detailed by the center is of a "Ukrainian dirty bomb." In 2022 Russia doubled down on its claims that Ukraine intends to use a "dirty bomb," although both Ukrainian and U.S. officials rejected claims Kyiv was plotting to explode such a device.

A dirty bomb is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a mix of explosives and radioactive material such as powder or pellets.

"Russia lies that the Ukrainian authorities and the academic community created a 'dirty bomb'. This is nothing more than an attempt to brand Ukraine as a terrorist state. But #RussiaIsATerroristState and threats to use nuclear weapons," the center wrote.

Third on the center's list was Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's accusation in March that Ukrainian forces were preparing to strike Belarus.

"[Lukashenko] justified war as self-defence of Russia. Lukashenko never showed from where the attack on Belarus was being prepared. Instead, he became the character of another batch of memes," it said.

Russia also claimed multiple times in 2022 that Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky had fled Ukraine and declared the surrender of his country, the center noted.

"In fact, since February 24th, Zelenskyy crossed the border only in December to pay a visit to the United States," it said, referring to the leader's trip during which the U.S. pledged to provide Ukraine with the Patriot Missile System.

Russia's claim that some Ukrainians are "satanists" was placed fifth on the center's list.

"Russians have been talking about the occult practices among Ukrainian soldiers for over a year. In the fall, it 'turned out' that the Satanists had reached the leadership of NATO, the USA, the EU and, of course, Ukraine," the tweet read.

Ukraine also lashed out at Russia's claim that the March 2022 Bucha massacre was staged.

At the time, Ukraine's defense ministry alleged that civilians in Bucha and other towns and villages northwest of Kyiv were "executed arbitrarily," while it was occupied by Russian troops for several weeks, Russian state media and officials issued a series of denials and counter-accusations.

"Russia lied about 'actors' who 'played the dead' or claimed that Ukrainian or British special services killed people. However, the civilized world increased military aid to Ukraine, imposed sanctions, and recognized that #RussiaIsATerroristState," the center said.

Another "ridiculous" claim from Russia, the center said, is that Kyiv "sells electricity abroad while Ukrainians are suffering power cuts."

"Power outages happen only because of Russian attacks. Ukraine has a technological exchange with other states but receives the same amount of megawatts or more in the reverse direction," it said.

The center also pointed to Russia's claims that "Poland plans to capture the western regions of Ukraine."

"Russia wants to depict European countries as potential aggressors and Ukraine as a failed state. In fact, other neighbours don't make any territorial claims against Ukraine. Poland is a consistent partner of Ukraine," it said.

Ninth on the center's list is Russia's claim that "Ukraine is provoking a food crisis in the world."

"Russian occupation of territories, destruction of fields and blocking of seaports reduced Ukraine's export of grains. Russia blackmails the world with famine and tried to obstruct the implementation of 'grain agreements'," the center tweeted.

Finally, the center said, Russia claimed that the Ukrainian military "are guinea pigs for the United States."

"Propagandists spread absurd fakes about secret experiments on Ukrainian soldiers, who are allegedly getting pumped with experimental drugs," it said.

The center accused Russia of spreading propaganda with the aim of intimidating, confusing, sowing panic, spreading conspiracy theories and increasing divisions in society.

"We need to defeat this propaganda machine," it added.

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.

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