The information war waged during Ukraine war has never been seen before and its being waged especially by western politicians, think tanks, analysts, social media, activists, influencers who are supported by vast networks of western media in trying to change the narrative in favor of Ukraine and against Russia.
When the war started, it was almost impossible to figured out what exactly was going on as hundreds of thousands of videos started circulating on social media of Russian forces being destroyed, from warships, fighter jets, helicopters, armoured vehicles, tanks to Ukrainian troops choosing to die instead of surrendering who then were declared national heros and given medals only to find out that they are still a lives after a week.
We are seeing staged videos now days of people coming out of destroyed maternity hospital, information saying Ukraine has air superiority when Russia’s convoy remained out side Keiv for a week without any problem to videos of children crying because their fathers are staying to fight the invaders. Surely the information war has been intense but altleat things have started settling as Russia’s troops continue to advance towards the capital Keiv as it takes more cities, towns and villages in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Russian warship called Vasily Bykov allegedly to have been destroyed and sunk by Ukrainian forces resurfaces, seen unscratched in Crimea.
The Ukraine military claimed to have severely damaged the warship in Black Sea on March 7th whoever a video circulating on line show Vasily Bykov sailing in to black sea port of Sevastopal in Crimea.
According to a viral video and photos, Vasily Bykov was seen without any damage while sailing in Crimea port of Sevastopal. The reappearance of Vasily Bykov come at time when US said Russia’s ships were shelling targets in Odessa in southern Ukraine.
Reports indicated that Vasily Bykov was involved in Russia’s attack on snake island on February 24th where videos of Ukrainian soldiers defiantly resisting Russian orders to surrender the black sea outpost went viral on social media.
Soon after, Ukraine Navy claimed to have destroyed Vasily Bykov in black sea near Odessa. Vasily Bykov was reportedly hit during a firefight after a small Ukrainian vessel lured it towards the shore.
The video purportedly showing a barrage of missiles hitting the ship followed and went viral on social media. As soon as the vessel was hit, Ukraine soldiers could be heard in the video saying we f**king hit them.
Vasily Bykov is one of the most modern warships of Russia under Russian Navy’s project 22160 which is one of the prized modern warship projects and Vasily Bykov was the first project 22160 patrol ship to enter service after being commissioned in 2018.
Russian Navy sofar has three of those warships on active duty all assigned to black sea fleet where most of the Russian warship were transferred after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
From the beginning, Ukraine’s claims to have destroyed Russian vessel were questioned as experts doubted the likelihood of off shore based short-range unguided artillery rocket system could hit a large vessel.
Whoever, reports released claimed that Ukraine Navy personnal managed to lure the Russian vessel close to shore until the ship was within range. A video showing a burning vessel was then released on social media and used it as evidence of the attack that damaged the warship before sinking.
Destroying one of the most prized project 22160 patrol ship would have been a great loss for Russia’s Navy according to experts. After the resurfacing of Vasily Bykov, many experts didn’t get surprised that Ukraine authorities were quick to claim that they had destroyed Vasily Bykov.
The battle for who is telling the truth is still on as some analysts from the west think that the video of resurfaced Vasily Bykov is propaganda while others claimed that Russia’s Navy could have repainted one of other two remaining ships to look like Vasily Bykov.
But that possiblity was rejected by many Navy analysts after comparing the lastest videos and photos of ships from before March 7. Some analysts say that the purportedly video of Russia’s destroyed vessel burning may have been of a commerical ship targeted near black sea.
After the first videos of purportedly showing Russia’s Vasily Bykov on fire, there was speculation that the ship was damaged by an errant Russian missiles early in the conflict and that it remained on fire for weeks.
Its to counter so much speculation that the Russian Navy published new videos and photos of Vasily Bykov supported by independent sighting of the warship in Sevastopal port in Crimea.
This should teach many people who are interested in Ukraine war to always double check facts from different sources or take time before believing what you are seeing or hearing on social media and mainstream media.
Ukraine war has been more of propaganda war on part of Ukraine government and the west especially US and UK and it should give us a hint into what may be coming in future wars where the control of information will be very important and may even determine the outcome of the war.
