Information campaign launched to discredit military intelligence, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence says

Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) has said that a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting the military intelligence agency and its units has been launched, with media outlets, bloggers and Telegram channels expected to be involved.

Source: DIU on Telegram

Quote: "Defence Intelligence of Ukraine informs you that a targeted disinformation campaign is being launched with the aim of discrediting military intelligence and the combat units of DIU.

To carry out the campaign, its organisers plan to involve media outlets, bloggers and Telegram channels with questionable reputations, including in exchange for financial rewards. We urge you to trust only verified official sources of information."

Details: DIU also called on media outlets, journalists and bloggers to immediately contact law enforcement authorities if they receive offers to publish or distribute unverified and dubious information.

Background:

• On 1 September, the Russian Volunteer Corps said that its deputy commander for combat operations, Stepan Kaplunov, had been abducted by unknown individuals in the courtyard of a residential building. 
• On the morning of 2 September, reports spread on social media about a shootout said to be between DIU and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) in Kyiv's Dniprovskyi district, and that it was somehow connected to Kaplunov's disappearance.
• Meanwhile, the SSU said in the morning that, together with DIU, it had foiled a terrorist attack against a leader of a Russian opposition political national movement who had arrived in Ukraine.
• Later, Kaplunov's lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, said that the serviceman had been released, but his whereabouts were unknown.
• On the morning of 3 September, the SSU released a video in which Kaplunov admitted having links to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and an attempt to recruit him to assassinate Defence Forces personnel and other individuals. However, his lawyer claims that the confession was made under pressure.
• Kaplunov himself said on 3 September that he had been abducted by SSU officers and described how he had been forced to confess following threats.

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