{"id":32201,"date":"2020-04-15T06:45:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T02:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/myth\/russian-cluster-of-disinformation-and-its-internal-spread-in-georgia\/"},"modified":"2020-08-28T09:24:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-28T05:24:56","slug":"russian-cluster-of-disinformation-and-its-internal-spread-in-georgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/en\/russian-cluster-of-disinformation-and-its-internal-spread-in-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cRussian Cluster\u201d of disinformation and its \u201cinternal spread\u201d in Georgia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Bulk of disinformation and misleading information on COVID-19 circulating in Georgia is political in nature and spread by openly pro-Russian as well as Georgian-language news outlets. Key messages conveyed through it are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Virus is man-made, manufactured by the USA; some of the outlets assert that the Lugar Lab is the source of virus;<\/li>\n<li>The role of the Lugar Lab in the fight against pandemic is overstated;<\/li>\n<li>The EU has abandoned Italy; EU flags are removed in Italy and France;<\/li>\n<li>Only authoritative countries (Russia, China) can cope with the pandemic;<\/li>\n<li>Coronavirus undermines religious traditions in Europe;<\/li>\n<li>The virus has brought the immorality to a halt;<\/li>\n<li>Americans ask for forgiveness of coronavirus sins through prayers;<\/li>\n<li>Coronavirus is linked to masons;<\/li>\n<li>Bill Gates plans to fight coronavirus by implanting microchips on a large scale;<\/li>\n<li>Russians created a medication against coronavirus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"a2344d5f-dca4-4ccd-bcb9-692e292fbcaf\" data-title=\"Copy: Copy: fe\" data-type=\"interactive\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p><script>!function(e,i,n,s){var t=\"InfogramEmbeds\",d=e.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(\"script\");o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\",d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,\"infogram-async\");<\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Channels of spread<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sources of Covid-19 disinformation are both Georgian-language and Russian media outlets. Webpages and IP addresses of some of them are registered in Moscow as well as in other cities of the world.<\/p>\n<p><iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads.knightlab.com\/storymapjs\/9d6f2b480f060876ae2aebea2d161a75\/mdf-english\/index.html\" width=\"97%\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uploads.knightlab.com\/storymapjs\/9d6f2b480f060876ae2aebea2d161a75\/mdf-english\/index.html?fbclid=IwAR06SbGdwwq-OFc78aeBpd1MDYAtwhtYPbXoW2usIi35TI7C9t64aZGYpws\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Storymap<\/a>: Nestan Ratiani<\/p>\n<p>The CNN and BBC cloned pages are registered in Russia and IP addresses of both are in Saint Petersburg. It is worth to note that press.cnnnews.ru was registered on 3 April 2020, while the <a href=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/en\/myth\/disinformation-fake-bbc-cnn-abc-about-harvard-professor-allegedly-arrested-creating-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fake news<\/a> about the arrest of a Harvard professor on charges of creating coronavirus for China was published on 6 April, that is three days after the registration. Bbcnewss.website, which also published the identical disinformation on 6 April, was registered 12 days earlier, on 25 March; its IP address is in Saint Petersburg too.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32156\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"bad5b6cd-c934-4733-a404-6d1f14f87eab\" height=\"309\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_cnn.PNG\" width=\"388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_cnn.PNG 582w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_cnn-300x239.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32161\" alt=\"'\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"be671aa4-c138-4996-9125-fbcf9fb1d829\" height=\"314\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_BBC.png\" width=\"346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_BBC.png 809w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_BBC-300x273.png 300w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_BBC-768x698.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Clickbait sites, msoflio.ru and geoposts.ge, have one administrator (Tato) and identical design, font and sections (\u201cOur News Stories\u201d). Msoflio.ru is newly registered in Moscow, on 6 February 2020; geoposts.ge, while having a Georgian domain, is also registered in Moscow with the identical IP address.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32166\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"2fff9980-62e2-45b6-9df0-8515c1e25714\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_dph.jpg\" width=\"301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_dph.jpg 686w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_dph-241x300.jpg 241w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32171\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"b2756a53-283b-4ed1-9e84-533b680b9c1b\" height=\"368\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_sdph_0.jpg\" width=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_sdph_0.jpg 960w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_sdph_0-300x249.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_sdph_0-768x638.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32176\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"2d9ebd1a-ccb5-4826-9846-eea994f49ccb\" height=\"197\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_2222222222222_1.jpg\" width=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_2222222222222_1.jpg 975w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_2222222222222_1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_2222222222222_1-768x405.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 374px) 100vw, 374px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32181\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"c3ce9323-a0dd-4741-b7b7-0592eb47dc5a\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_111111111111111.jpg\" width=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_111111111111111.jpg 975w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_111111111111111-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_111111111111111-768x437.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Sputnik-Georgia, one of official Russian propaganda channels, has the Russian IP address and is registered by Rossia Segodnia in Russia.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32186\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"aefef439-0bad-47f0-890a-33b45d4450e1\" height=\"438\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_Untitled_3.png\" width=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_Untitled_3.png 735w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_Untitled_3-273x300.png 273w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Yet another pro-Kremlin news outlet, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/profile\/akhali-ambebis-phronti-news-front\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">News Front Georgia<\/a>,\u201d is registered on the Russian web hosting server reg.ru and its IP address is in the city of <a href=\"http:\/\/whois.domaintools.com\/news-front.info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Rostov, Russia<\/a>. The editor of the website is a pro-Russian, Moscow-based actor, <a href=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/myth\/news-front-saqarthvelos-moskovidan-shotha-aphkhaidze-marthavs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shota Apkhaidze<\/a>, who has connections with the anti-liberal movement, the \u201cGeorgian March.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32191\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"2aa2b1e9-0047-48c8-8e9e-18d0db34a003\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_ddv.png\" width=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_ddv.png 706w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_ddv-264x300.png 264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 366px) 100vw, 366px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Although the domain of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/profile\/saqarthvelo-da-msophlio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Georgia and World<\/a>,\u201d which has links to \u201cNews Front Georgia,\u201d is registered in Georgia, its \u201cmerits\u201d are acknowledged by the Kremlin. The Moscow-based editor of \u201cGeorgia and World,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/en\/profile\/chachia-alexander\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aleksandre Chachia<\/a>, was awarded the <a href=\"http:\/\/static.kremlin.ru\/media\/acts\/files\/0001201402130018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">order<\/a> by Russian President Vladimir Putin for a huge contribution to the friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation. The text of the decree reads that Aleksandre Chachia is the chairman of the popular movement \u201cSamegrelo\u201d and the editor of the magazine \u201cHistorical Heritage\u201d as well as the newspapers \u201cIlori\u201d and \u201cGeorgia and World\u201d in Georgia.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-32196\" alt=\"&quot;\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"01b264e7-0af0-46c1-aa4c-b86add482198\" height=\"318\" src=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_tsg_3.png\" width=\"543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_tsg_3.png 767w, https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inline-images_tsg_3-300x176.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Prepared by Tamar Kintsurashvili and Nestan Ratiani<br \/>\n<span style=\"color:#c0392b;\">Myth Detector Lab<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bulk of disinformation and misleading information on COVID-19 circulating in Georgia is political in nature and spread by openly pro-Russian as well as Georgian-language news outlets. Key messages conveyed through it are:&nbsp; Virus is man-made, manufactured by the USA; some of the outlets assert that the Lugar Lab is the source of virus; The role [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15012],"tags":[19101,19081,18378],"country":[],"violation":[],"topic":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32201"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=32201"},{"taxonomy":"violation","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/violation?post=32201"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mythdetector.ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=32201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}