Russian authorities are allegedly planning to conduct a staged "fake" video showing Ukrainian troops' attack as a pretext for Moscow to justify its incursion in the Eastern European nation.
On Thursday, United States officials claimed that Moscow has been creating a very graphic propaganda video. The American government's disclosure of the alleged plot is the latest development in a series of revelations that were designed to block Russia's attempts to invade Ukraine.
"Fake" Ukrainian Attack
The situation also comes after American authorities warned that Russia could make use of a false flag operation to justify an aggressive move in Ukraine. Moscow has continued to amass forces at its border with its neighbor, pooling forces and military equipment amid criticisms from other nations.
During a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, press secretary John Kirby said that the U.S. federal government believes that Russian authorities were planning to stage a fake Ukrainian attack against its forces. They added that the plan could also involve Russian-speaking people as victims, CNN reported.
Despite American officials accusing Russia of planning the fake attack, they did not release direct evidence showing the alleged plan nor did they specify how they found out about the information. Authorities said that releasing such data would compromise their sources and methods of gathering information.
However, a recent Russian disinformation campaign focused on false accusations of genocide and efforts in the Russian Parliament. It aims to recognize breakaway governments hiding in Ukraine that lent credence to the intelligence.
The New York Times reported that, if it is successfully carried out, the Russian operation would lead to an expansion of a propaganda theme that suggests what American intelligence officials and outside experts have said about Moscow. They said that Russia has been pushing propaganda on social media platforms, conspiracy sites, and state-controlled media since November.
Highly Graphic Footage
While speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior official under United States President Joe Biden's administration said that Russia has already recruited people to be part of the staged video.
In the official's remarks, he said that the federal government believes the Russian video would involve corpses and actors. They argued that the footage would depict mourners and images of devastated locations while showcasing military equipment at the hands of Ukraine or the West.
The plan is believed to include some of the equipment being made to look like it was the West that supplied them. Kirby added Russia's fake video would be a strategy "right out of their playbook." The official noted that the majority of similar activity requires approval from the highest levels of the Russian government. Kirby said that the Biden administration, feeling it a priority, decided to call it out in an attempt to prevent Russia from continuing the plan.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington's level of confidence regarding the accuracy of the information was derived from credible intelligence. He noted that, otherwise, the government would not publicly release the alleged plans of the Russian government, the Washington Post reported.
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