The Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR) stated that Russia is conducting information operations against Ukrainians in the besieged Gaza Strip, attempting to spread panic for propaganda purposes.
This was reported by The Kyiv Independent. According to reports, Ukrainians are receiving calls from Russian callers attempting to convince them that Ukraine has abandoned them – subsequently offering them evacuation by Russia. The Ukrainians are then reportedly asked to give an interview to a state Russian news agency if they agree to a Russia-supported rescue.
The conclusion of the Ukrainian intelligence service suggests that the aim of these efforts is to create propaganda material to discredit Ukraine. The evacuation of Ukrainians from the Gaza Strip is underway; reports indicate that this week 203 of them were flown out via the Rafah checkpoint. About 358 Ukrainian citizens have applied for evacuation from the embattled Gaza Strip, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko last week.
Image: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Vladimir Putin 18.03.2021.jpg, via Wikimedia Commons (no changes made)
