Thread by @PaulaChertok

Russian Embassy tweets on spy poisoning is a perfect window into how Russian officials lie, obfuscate, gaslight and troll to deflect Kremlin responsibility. Let's review some Embassy tweets on the poisoning of ex spy #Skripal & daughter in the UK with a chemical weapon last wk 1/

2/ Skripal & daughter Yulia were attacked with a chemical weapon in a lovely restaurant or pub in sleepy Salisbury. Russian Embassy doesn’t react w/ shock or sympathy–but immediately deflects blame, using the now standard Kremlin propaganda playbook. This was the press release.

3/ The Embassy’s #Skripal talking points are used so often by Putin & Kremlin officials, we know the script:
a) Russophobia–Hysteria–Russia's the real victim
b) Speculation–No Proof
c) Show us Classified Evidence
d) Deflection–confusion–gaslighting
e) West's Hypocrisy
f) Trolling

4/ a) Russophobia–Russia Hysteria–Russia’s the victim of anti-Russia propaganda. Embassy tweets repeat the talking point
"Skripal case follows the Litvinenko script"
"twisting the narrative"
"Russians are to blame"
"media sets an agenda for public opinion"
"Sells better this way"

5/ b) Mere Speculation/No Proof. This talking point exploits that some information is necessarily classified in intel work. UK has ID'd the nerve agent used in #Skripal attack. Yet Embassy tweets
“a lot of speculation”
“lack of information"
“no data”
“conclusions are classified”

6/ c) Related to “no proof” are demands for access to classified materials so Russia “can assess credibility.” Besides misleadingly confusing “lack of evidence” w/ classified evidence, the Embassy knows UK won’t reveal sensitive sources as exposing them will endanger more people.

7/ d) Deflection/Confusion: Russian propaganda often achieves goals by simply shifting focus. The Embassy even says fmr RUSSIAN spy Skripal 'was actually a British spy.” They imply MI6 is responsible here & in past: “What a coincidence” others were "linked to UK special services”

8/ e) West's Hypocrisy: This favorite form of whataboutism attacks democratic values–free speech, due process, rule of law, etc. Russia doesn't have any of these values at home, but the Russian Embassy gladly throws it in our faces in #Skripal case: “Presumption of innocence 2.0"

9/ f) Then there’s the characteristic trolling, mocking, dark sarcasm. This tweet from the Russian Embassy is outright menacing as it mocks calling #Skripal a Russian spy (which he is!). The photo is of James Bond pointing a gun straight at the viewer. 😧Not too mafia state!

10/ Amid all the propaganda deflections from the #Skripal terrorist attack, the Russian Embassy reminds the world precisely why the Kremlin is prime UK suspect–a clear pattern of Putin critics ending up dead. They even name the dead Russians: Berezovsky, Perepilichny, Litvinenko