Videos By Russia-Backed Separatists In Eastern Ukraine Calling For 'Emergency' Evacuation Were Filmed Two Days Earlier

[Rogue Valley]

Videos By Russia-Backed Separatists In Eastern Ukraine Calling For 'Emergency' Evacuation Were Filmed Two Days Earlier

Videos of Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine ordering an “emergency” evacuation posted on February 18 were actually filmed on February 16, an analysis by RFE/RL’s Russian Service of metadata from the messaging app Telegram shows.

www.rferl.org

Denis Pushilin, Moscow's proxy leader in the occupied Donetsk region.

2.19.22
Videos of Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine ordering an “emergency” evacuation posted on February 18 were actually filmed on February 16, an analysis by RFE/RL’s Russian Service of metadata from the messaging app Telegram shows. In the video posted online and on Telegram on February 18, Denis Pushilin, the de-facto head of the separatist-occupied Donetsk region, claimed an increase in the number of Ukrainian military personnel and weapons along the line of contact. He ordered the evacuation, claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was soon to give an order to “invade the territory” of separatist-controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk region. A leader in the separatist-controlled Luhansk region issued a similar call based on similar claims.

An investigation by RFE/RL's Russia Service shows that the videos were actually made on February 16, indicating that the sudden evacuation was actually preplanned. Both DNR and LNR leaders filmed their "evacuation videos" on February 16th, as Telegram metadata shows. Denis Pushilin even says "today, on February 18th...". Everything that happens today is clearly and undoubtfully staged. — Mark Krutov (@kromark)The White House has warned that the separatists who control areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine were preparing to fabricate a pretext to invade Ukraine.

Telegram metadata shows the videos were created on February 16, 2022.