Spain summons Russian ambassador over disinformation

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador this week over misinformation posted on the embassy’s social media, several Spanish media outlets reported on Friday.

The Foreign Ministry demanded the Russian Embassy to immediately remove a video from its social media accounts that falsely portrayed Spanish troops fighting in Ukraine, ministry sources told Europa Press.

In the video, soldiers speaking Spanish were shown fighting in Ukraine. The footage was contrasted with Spain's Defense Minister Margarita Robles saying Spanish troops would never fight in Ukraine.

The video has since been removed.

Spain's Foreign Ministry maintains that no Spanish troops are present on Ukrainian soil and that this incident is just another example of disinformation coming from the Russian Embassy.

The diplomatic dispute arises just days after the new Russian ambassador to Spain, Yuri Klimenko, presented his credentials to Spanish King Felipe VI, following months of delays.

In April 2022, citing security threats, Spain expelled 27 Russian diplomats and embassy staff from Madrid.

Despite this, the Russian Embassy in Spain remains highly active on social media, recently surpassing 40,000 followers on Twitter.

This week, the account labeled reports of the massacre in Bucha as "fake news," shared a meme of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as a Jedi master, and claimed that Russia is working to support families while Europe encourages people to have fewer children.