Last week was characterized by a dominance of disinformation articles and fake news in the misinformation ecosystem in Kosovo.
Disinformation articles related to Russian media regarding the joint military exercise called "Defender Europe 2023" and the unfounded claim of illegal organ transplantation in Ukraine, compare it to another similar, unconfirmed claim related to the "Yellow House" scenario during the war in Kosovo.
The fake news had to do with the claim that Albin Kurti will meet with Kamala Harris, about the spread of this virus, named "Axar", even describing it as a pandemic; about the killing of Serbs in the north.
Error regarding the temporary closure of a road in Pristina.
Unverified content claiming that the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has nominated James C. O'Brien as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, to replace Gabriel Escobar; and photos of the Kosovo Police in the north.
The Russian media outlet "Sputnik" in its Serbian service has published a survey regarding the political message of the large NATO exercises in Kosovo?
Unverified content/Conspiracy theory regarding the inscription "KLA" in a Serb-majority settlement.
Manipulation of facts by the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, regarding the joint military exercise called "Defender Europe 2023".
error
The information portal “Insajderi.org” has published an article titled “This street is temporarily closed today in Pristina”. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that this article presents a photograph of “Bill Clinton” street in Pristina, while the content refers to the closure of “Agim Ramadani” street. (here)
Unverified content
Several news portals have published an article claiming that the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has proposed James C. O'Brien as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, to replace Gabriel Escobar. However, after fact-checking conducted by hibrid.info, it has been proven that this claim made by several portals is incorrect. This is due to the fact that Gabriel Escobar holds the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs. Meanwhile, the position of Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs has been held by Karen Donfried, who is expected to be replaced by James C. O'Brien after the confirmation of the proposal by the US Senate. (here)
The information portal “Veriu.info” has published several photos on its official Facebook page, which it has captioned “Views of our police officers who intervened in the north with the Kosovo flag on their heads and arms”. After research conducted through the automated online program “InVID”, hibrid.info has managed to confirm that one of these photos, which shows two members of the Kosovo Police (KP) who are seen making the eagle symbol with their hands, was taken in 2018. So, the aforementioned portal has posted an old photo, claiming that the same was taken yesterday (May 26) in northern Kosovo. (here)
Fake news
The TikTok account named “lagraqsaqi” has published a video claiming that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will meet with Kamala Harris. The video content shows an image with a caption stating that the Kosovo Prime Minister will meet with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday. Hibrid.info has verified the facts and confirmed that the announcement of a meeting between Kurti and Harris is premature and that the meeting is not expected to take place today. (here)
An image of black smoke billowing from a bureaucratic-looking building has been circulating on social media, claiming it shows an explosion near the Pentagon. The explosion was denied by US authorities and the image was debunked by fact-checking experts. Disinformation experts say the fake image was likely created using artificial intelligence-generated software, which has allowed increasingly realistic, but often flawed, images to flood the internet in recent times. (here)
Videos have been published on TikTok by the account named “kiyameti2024”, in which it is claimed that a virus exists. The videos published in the last 24 hours warn about the spread of this virus, named “Axar”, even describing it as a pandemic. Although this is not the first time that hibrid.info has encountered the same claim, this time too it has verified and confirmed the facts to refute the claim raised through these videos. (here)
The TikTok account named “kiyameti2024” published yesterday (May 26) two videos with claims raised in the descriptions: “three Serbs killed in Mitrovica by ROSU unit” and “War in Mitrovica is shown to kill and injure”. These claims made by this account are false. This was confirmed by research conducted through online search engines and social media. This in-depth search did not result in finding any such reports published by credible sources containing the same claims. (here)
disinformation
The Russian media outlets Russia Today Balkan and Sputnik in their Serbian language service have published an article regarding the joint military exercise called “Defender Europe 2023” hosted by Kosovo. Russia Today Balkan and Sputnik raise the claims that “the NATO exercise with 24.000 soldiers and 1.300 members of the Kosovo Security Force, which is being held on the territory of Kosovo, sends a bad signal to the Serbs of Kosovo, especially in the north”. The other claim is related to, as it is said, how this military exercise constitutes “a drastic violation of public international law and Security Council Resolution 1244. According to that document, the only armed forces that can be found in Kosovo are KFOR. So, not NATO or the KSF and especially the armies of Albania, Turkey, America”. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it was found that the military exercises called "Defender Europe" with one of the hosts Kosovo do not constitute any violation, and that they are not related to Kosovo Serbs. (here)
The suspicious Albanian-language portal “Mergimtari.net” has published an article titled “Murder in Podujeva, one person injured with a gun”. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that the title of this article is incorrect. In the content of the article, the author refers to the 24-hour report of the Kosovo Police, which states that yesterday in the city of Podujeva, one person was injured as a result of gunfire and that the suspect was arrested and, by decision of the prosecutor, was taken into custody as a suspect for ‘Attempted Murder’. (here)
The Russian media outlet “Russia Today” Balkans edition, specifically the Serbian-language service, has published an article with statements by the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, about the performance of organ transplant operations in Ukraine. Zakharova, through this statement, aims to compare the unfounded claim of illegal organ transplantation in Ukraine with another similar, unconfirmed claim related to the “Yellow House” scenario during the war in Kosovo. She says that “organ transplantation in Ukraine requires attention” since, as she puts it, “such operations ‘on the ground’ were also performed by illegal ‘transplantologists’ in the late nineties in Albania”. (here)
Spin
The Russian media outlet "Sputnik" in its Serbian service has published a survey regarding the political message of the large NATO exercises in Kosovo? In the selection list, the Russian media outlet places several claims that: the fake state (i.e. Kosovo) will be the next NATO member; pressure on Serbia to give up Kosovo; intimidation of Serbs in Kosovo, and a manifestation of force to show who is "the boss" in the Western Balkans. After verifying the facts by hibrid.info, it was found that the political purpose of organizing the joint exercises of partners and allies does not correspond to the above-mentioned claims. (here)
Clickbait
The information portal “Insajderi.org” has published an article titled “Alarm raised, a person dies from a virus that causes bleeding in the eyes”. After verifying the facts presented in the content, hibrid.info has confirmed that the title does not clarify in which country this event occurred. (here)
Manipulation of facts
The Russian media Russia Today Balkan and Sputnik in the Serbian language service have published an article with the statement of the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, regarding the joint military exercise called “Defender Europe 2023” with one of the host countries, Kosovo. Zakharova, through this statement, claims that the development of this military exercise in Kosovo constitutes a provocation against the Serbs, but also a diversion against the fundamental bases for the settlement of the Kosovo issue. After verification of the facts by hibrid.info, it was found that the military exercises called “Defender Europe” with one of the hosts, Kosovo, are not related to the Kosovo Serbs. (here)
Unverified content/Conspiracy theories
The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia has issued a statement claiming that, through an inscription “KLA” on a children’s playground in the village of Uglare near Fushë Kosovë, a threatening message has been spread by, as this office calls it, “Albin Kurti’s chauvinistic politics”. Through this inscription, this office continues with unfounded claims that, “Serbs in Uglare have been living in an inhospitable environment for years and the attitude towards them is the best indicator of the extreme intolerance of the society that Albin Kurti and his ideological like-minded people are building”. Based only on this photograph, this office has raised a theory that, according to what is stated in the statement, this action is intended to threaten Serbian children. (here)