“Stop sending weapons to Ukraine! Zelensky is bombing Donetsk and Luhansk!” A single message, written on two signs, identical down to the letter. One sign is brandished during a demonstration against France’s pension reform in Paris on February 11, 2023, and the other, during a climate rally in The Hague on January 28.
The same scene is repeated in other images: Each time, a group of three men take pictures of themselves holding signs against Ukraine or NATO. Behind them, the crowd of demonstrators who have come for an entirely different reason gives the impression that their cause is attracting a large gathering. The images are then shared on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
The world, in partnership with the organization Dossier Center and several European media outlets, has identified a dozen of these fake demonstrations in several European cities. Internal documents from the Russian intelligence services, which The world analyzed and authenticated, show that Russia coordinated these operations.
