Pro-Kremlin social media accounts are using the release of the latest batch of documents related to US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to bolster their efforts to spread baseless claims that Russia allegedly rescued Ukrainian children from human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This follows from a survey by the AFP agency, which was published on Thursday, writes TASR.
- Pro-Kremlin accounts spread misinformation about Ukrainian children.
- They are taking advantage of the publication of documents about Jeffrey Epstein.
- The claims suggest that Putin was rescuing the children rather than abducting them.
- These posts have received millions of views on social media.
Misinformation associated with files
AFP found posts on social networks Facebook, X and TikTok with millions of views, spreading a narrative that contradicts the actual Russian forcible deportations of Ukrainian children since the beginning of the military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Epstein documents, released on January 30, concern several prominent figures around the world. But the pro-Kremlin accounts also spread the idea that they prove Ukraine is a global hub for human trafficking for sexual exploitation — a long-standing claim by Russia.
According to the conspiracy, Putin was supposed to save Ukrainian children
As some users have said, the files reveal that Russian President Vladimir Putin was actually trying to save Ukrainian children from an Epstein-linked network.
One recent post on X, which has been read by more than three million people, for example, states how the Epstein files “confirm… that Putin did not kidnap children from Ukraine, but evacuated them to protect them from being sold for child sex trafficking.”
Kiev claims that Russia has illegally deported nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children since the beginning of the invasion. Moscow admitted it had deported some of the children, saying it was for their safety.
The publication of Epstein’s writings plays into the hands of the Russians
Some posts even suggested that the latest batch of files proved how Epstein tried to meet with Putin to thwart his efforts to stop child sex trafficking, writes AFP.
Such claims have surged on social media following the release of the latest set of Epstein documents, with more than 15,000 posts on the X platform in two days, the London-based think tank Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) said in a report published Thursday.
Although there is no evidence that the Russian state is behind the contributions, the publication of Epstein’s files “plays into their hands” in strengthening the previous claim, said Liana Sendetská, one of the authors of the report.
