Moscow theater shooting fans flames of a disinformation war

By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Immediately after the Friday evening attack in Moscow that killed at least 137 people, Russian officials were suggesting, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine was responsible. The accusations became one of the first salvos in a disinformation war that has clouded the hearts and minds of people trying to come to grips with the shocking attack. The claim of responsibility by a cell of the Islamic State did nothing to quiet the accusations, even though the group is a reliable villain to almost every country and despite Russia having claimed to have thwarted an IS-planned assault on a synagogue this month. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has rejected Russia’s accusations.