Kyiv has lost the Donbas, Ukraine loses control over the Donbas, even the president admits this – such headlines heralded the latest fakes presented this week by Russia’s best and brightest disinformation entities.

propagande russe fake
Website screenshot mk.ru

Russia Today, NTV, TVCLenta.ru, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Ukraina.ru, Argumenty I Fakty, RBK,  Russian Defense Ministry channel Zvezda, Novorossiya and others all disseminated this fake story.

Russian media claimed that Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko admitted to losing the Donbas in a March 20 speech he delivered to the Regional Development Council.

Website screenshot president.gov.ua

Poroshenko did talk about the Donbas occupied territories in his speech, what he spoke about however, was losing influence in these territories, in no way did he suggest that these areas are lost to Ukraine.

The text of Poroshenko’s speech to the Development Council meeting is available on the President’s web site, the televised video of the event is available on Youtube.

Poroshenko said that Ukraine is losing influence in the Donbas as a result of an economic blockade that activists launched in January in an effort to stop smuggling and contraband.