Telegram channel spreads unconfirmed claims about drones and Iskander launch from Belarus

🤦‍♂️ A Telegram channel primarily covering the Russian war in Ukraine has once again spread outright disinformation.

This so-called military information aggregator claimed, citing unconfirmed reports from Ukraine, that kamikaze drones were flying from Ukraine toward Belarus and being shot down by Belarusian air defenses. Later, it added that Belarus had allegedly launched an 'Iskander-M' missile at the drone launch sites.

It remains unclear whether this was merely a hype-driven leak amid the interview of Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, who denied claims about the disabling of Belarusian signal repeaters allegedly used to guide Russian 'Shahed' drones.

1️⃣ First: yes, there are 'repeaters' in Belarus noticed by short-sighted Ukrainian intelligence — storks, which have become a viral trend in the Belarusian segment of Threads.

2️⃣ Second: while anyone can fall for a fake, a responsible channel would at least apologize and issue a retraction once the falsehood is exposed. This channel, however, remains completely silent.

3️⃣ Third: this 'Observer' channel has long engaged in sensationalism and hype-chasing on hot topics.

It gained some legitimacy in the information space only after being cited by the 'Solovyov' Telegram channel. However, this collaboration ceased in March 2024.

Notably, no reputable Belarusian channel has referenced this false report. Yet, opposition-aligned aggregators, as usual, immediately pushed the story to the top and began spreading panic.

Separate concerns exist about the channel's legality. It does not appear in Roskomnadzor's registries, despite still displaying the official notification in its description. It is also absent from the blacklist — either due to incompetence in verification 😅 or other reasons. Perhaps Roskomnadzor (@rkn_tg) can clarify?