We, Ukrainian politicians of different ideological views, industrialists and businessmen, turn to CNN. We are grateful to you for the most complete and objective coverage of the war in Ukraine. We are also grateful for explaining to your audience what the Kremlin’s manipulations are.
At the same time, we would like to point out Russia’s key anti-Ukrainian tricks that it uses for Western audiences. What is it about?
In declaring his brutal and devastating war, Vladimir Putin called it “demilitarization” and “denazification.” Putin said Russia is dropping bombs on peaceful Ukrainian cities to stop the genocide of Russian-speaking residents by neo-Nazis. The Russian authorities call the AZOV National Guard Regiment an example of such neo-Nazis. We urge CNN to be very careful when commenting on the AZOV topic. As CNN columnists Tara John and Tim Lister rightly say in their columns, this is a favorite target of Russian propaganda. But in our opinion, respected observers have partly become the objects of such propaganda. What is it about?
Firstly. This is about deliberate confusion between the AZOV National Guard Regiment and the National Corps Party. It is true that former AZOV commanders formed a party after completing their military service. It included some veterans of AZOV. The AZOV Regiment is not a wing of the party. It is part of the National Guard of Ukraine under the command of the General Staff and the Supreme Military Command of Ukraine. As for the party, Ukrainian law prohibits communist and Nazi ideology.
Secondly. The authors quote politician Andriy Biletsky, when he allegedly called for a “white crusade” in 2010. This quote was first made by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in 2015 to explain Russian aggression. Since then, it has been used by various media, including the authoritative Guardian newspaper, on which CNN relies. At the same time, the only living witness to Biletsky’s statement is Mr. Lavrov. There is no other evidence that the ex-commander ever said that. The same Lavrov now claims that Russia is not waging a war against Ukraine.
Thirdly. The authors of CNN claim that AZOV was financed not only by the state, but also by the oligarch Kolomoisky, on whom the United States imposed sanctions. The fact is that the oligarch Kolomoisky did support some voluntary associations, but the AZOV Regiment was not among them. In this context, Russia uses Kolomoisky’s name, realizing that this adds additional toxicity for the American audience.
So we are not dealing with accidental inaccuracies, but with clever disinformation narratives that are hitting the most painful points in the West with the sole purpose of weakening military and political aid to Ukraine. We urge CNN to publish our letter on AZOV and Russian propaganda. We also urge CNN to apologize to the military and remove false information. The narrative that the defenders of Ukraine are Nazis hurts the families of soldiers who have already died or are now completely surrounded in Mariupol. It also demoralizes Ukraine’s opposition to Russian aggression.
Alexander Pitenko – Shareholder UVK, CEO TOTALCHEQ
Alexander Tsepko – Partner at Skylum Software, CEO at Lawrina
Alo Streimann – CEO E-Mobile Group B.V.
Andrii Riabchuk – Founder Platon.ua
Andriy Kozin – Managing Partner Focus Estate Fund
Anton Yakovenko – CEO Agrii Ukraine
Artur Kheruvymov – CEO FREGAT
Dakhlalla Maria – CEO All Motion Group LLC
Dmitriy Drebot – Founder D&D group
Dmytro Bugoslavskyi – Director Winner Automotive
Dmytro Novytskyi – CEO JSC Kharkivgas
Ekaterina Malkova – co-Founder TOP Cosmetics Ukraine
Ievgenii Vandin – Founder 2Mac, Mitrax
Ievqen Suzdaltsev – Managing Partner Junimed Health and Organic group
Igor Kabuzenko – Managing Partner Ward Howell Ukraine
Iryna Gorova – co-Founder, CEO MOZGI GROUP, producer
Iryna Povarchuk – CEO DCH Infrastructure & Real Estate
Iryna Varagash – CEO Ekonia
Karlova Tetiana – CEO Invogue Fashion Group
Kostiantin Diachuk – CEO ATIS Pharma
Kostiantyn Voitov – CEO Vector-VS
Lana Sinichkina – Partner, Practice Leader Arzinger Law Firm
Lesia Maliuta – Owner, CEO Promo-Tex
Maksym Onufriiev – Owner, CEO SHATRO LLC
Maryna Dyachenko – CEO MANEZH
Mykola Kanin – co-Owner AKVILON GROUP
Nataliia Iaromenko – CEO Color trend Ltd
Nataliya Morozova – CEO Havas Village Ukraine
Nonka Ruslan – Partner Gamedev
Oleg Biliavets – co-Founder, Managing Partner AGROKRAY LLC, Biligrain
Oleg Bodnar – Regional Director, Cisco
Oleh Kovalov – СЕО Ug-Svet, Vatra-SR, Tesla-Montaz
Oleksandr Pochkun – Managing partner in Ukraine Baker Tilly Ukraine
Oleksandr Sorokotyaga – Head of Representative Office in Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia MMD LLC
Olena Shulika – CEO Premier Hotel Palazzo
Olga Nemchenko – Founder, President Porcelain Medical Group
Roman Valesiuk – СЕО Investment Holding Managing Partner
Sergey Boyar – CEO Gazer
Sergey Miroshnychenko – CEO HSM Ukraine and AEC
Sergii Shkliar – Founding Partner Arzinger
Sergii Stopa – CEO Amikum Pharma Ltd
Sergio Bielousov – co-founder AIR MEDIA-TECH Inc, Managing Partner AMG Inc, ScaleLab LLC
Sergiy Slupsky – Founder Slupsky Event Agency
Sergiy Sydoruk – CEO Unique Trade
Sergiy Tsipovyaz – СЕО Aeras group
Taras Kozak – President UNIVER Investment Group
Valerii Los – CEO Zdravo LLC, Harwind LLC
Vladyslav Volzhyn – CCO ASBIS APPLE VAD CIS
Volodymyr Brovko – co-Founder VP Mario Ltd
Volodymyr Shemshur – CEO UniMail Ukraine
Yana Matviychuk – CEO ARENA CS LLC
Yevgen Chernetskyy – Founder, CEO Contact-Invest real estate
Yuriy Kryvosheya – Managing Partner, President of Toronto-Kyiv, Yakaboo, KC Hospitality Solutions, PromPrylad, CUCC
Yuriy Ostapyuk – Owner Dneprochem LLC
Yury Urubleuski – Owner VG HOLDING LLC
Sergey Gaydaychuk, President CEO Club Ukraine
Miroshnichenko Ivan – owner of “Zernari” & “Agrodar Group”, ex PM
Evgeni Utkin – is a notable pioneer and leader of the high-tech industry in Ukraine and CEE,
Promoter of Ukrainian and Slavic culture in Ukraine and Europe. Chevalier of The Order of Arts and Literature.