The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claims that the special services of NATO countries and Ukraine are allegedly preparing a provocation using chemical weapons in Syria together with local armed groups. They are allegedly going to blame Russia for this.

In fact, these accusations against the Ukrainian special services and NATO are groundless and unsubstantiated. Moreover, such theses are not the first time that Russian propagandists have made them. The Center for Countering Disinformation writes that this is one of the strategies of the information war waged by Russia.

In fact, Russia is one of the causes of instability in the Middle East and may commit a provocation in Syria, the Center for Countering Disinformation adds. Previously, Russian propaganda justified the use of chemical weapons in Syria by Bashar al-Assad's allied forces. That is, Moscow provides political support to authoritarian regimes that have killed thousands of civilians, which further undermines global security.

Against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East, Kremlin propaganda is trying to use this situation to create a negative context around Ukraine. Thus, Russia continues to promote the narrative of “Ukrainian terrorism” to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community.