Russia Weaponizes Conspiracy Theories in its War Crimes in Bucha, and the Surprising Western Audiences Persuaded by Russian Propaganda

As civilians and journalists recount stories and evidence of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha - systematic, execution-style killing of civilians and mass graves, Russia has responded with denials and lies. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the atrocities “staged” and claimed the bodies were “fake dead bodies.” Liz and Jessikka discuss Russia’s war crimes and the conspiracy theories used to deny the atrocities with Jakub Kalensky, a former journalist and expert on Russian hybrid warfare. Beyond Ukraine’s borders, they discuss alarming statistics that shed light on how Western audiences are persuaded by Russian disinformation.