logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
26m 28s

Ukraine: The disinformation war

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Russia’s response to accusations of war crimes in Ukraine has been to blame the Ukrainians of bombing their own side. Some people in the UK have been sharing this version of the war on social media. Driven by a conviction that Western governments are responsible for many of the world’s ills, these academics, journalists and celebrities have shared misinformation in their attempts to raise questions about the official narrative of the war. Their detractors say they are useful to Vladimir Putin. They claim there’s a McCarthyist witch hunt against them. All wars are fought as much in the information space as on the battle field and Chloe Hadjimatheou looks at where the new red lines are being drawn in an age of disinformation.

(Image: Kvitka Perehinets has been following the conflict in her home country of Ukraine, from afar. Credit: Kvitka Perehinets)

Up next
Today
Searching for hope as a hostage in Gaza
After two long years President Trump has announced a ceasefire agreement which should see the remaining hostages returned home in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. How have the families of Israeli hostages and their loved ones, held captive in dark tunnels for hu ... Show More
26m 29s
Yesterday
Global dancefloor: Saigon
Frank McWeeny heads to the dancefloors of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to uncover what Vietnamese alternative culture looks and sounds like today. With 70% of the country under 35, young people are the driving force behind a different image of Vietnam, far away from poverty and war. ... Show More
36m 35s
Oct 8
The biker gang ‘securing’ deadly Gaza aid sites
We have identified seven members of an anti-Islamic biker gang who oversaw security teams at aid sites for starving Palestinians, run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Correspondent Andy Verity unearths who they are, what they believe and how their ideology may h ... Show More
22m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Reporting Russia’s war in Ukraine
The intensive media coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has rallied global public opinion behind Ukraine, while also resulting in accusations of Western bias.  In London, the New Statesman’s editor-in-chief, Jason Cowley, joins Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington, DC, t ... Show More
35m 52s
Dec 2022
Ukraine war: What we’ve learned about modern warfare
Drone strikes, like the one that damaged buildings in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Wednesday, have become commonplace in the war with Russia. While the conflict has seen violence, destruction and countless lives lost as wars do, it is a uniquely information-led war. From advances in ... Show More
16m 27s
Mar 2024
#358 — The War in Ukraine
Sam Harris speaks with Yaroslav Trofimov about the War in Ukraine. They discuss the widespread false assumptions that Russia would win a swift victory, Ukrainian attitudes toward Russia, the transformation of the Ukrainian military, Russian incompetence, Russian public opinion, t ... Show More
36m 12s
Mar 2022
Mention the war: Germany awakes
For decades, Germany was doctrinally pacifist: a legacy left over from the second world war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed that, seemingly overnight. As Russia’s military advance has stalled, it has turned its firepower against civilian targets, resulting in widespread ... Show More
26m 2s
Mar 2022
Russia’s war, Ukraine’s fight
The UN reports that 136 civilian deaths have been recorded since Russia invaded Ukraine seven days ago, although the real number is likely to be "far higher". Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and its second largest city, Kharkiv, are braced for further violence from Russian troops after ... Show More
27m 9s
Mar 2022
Mention the war: Germany awakes
For decades, Germany was doctrinally pacifist: a legacy left over from the second world war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed that, seemingly overnight. As Russia’s military advance has stalled, it has turned its firepower against civilian targets, resulting in widespread ... Show More
26m 2s
Sep 2022
Why Russia Is Losing the War in Ukraine
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the question most analysts were asking was not whether Russia would win. It was how fast. On almost every quantifiable metric from military strength to economic size Russia has decisive advantages over Ukraine. A swift Russian victory appe ... Show More
1h 17m
Mar 2022
Christiane Amanpour on Red Lines and War Crimes
Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine has left widespread destruction in some of the country’s major cities. But as Ukrainians fight back, there are fears that Vladimir Putin could escalate the conflict by using even deadlier weapons. In this episode, CNN Chief International Anchor Chris ... Show More
25m 20s