At the same time an international committee of fact-checkers issued a comprehensive listing of other misinformation on https://ukrainefacts.org/ which included information provided by the daily journal Haaretz. This concerned the use of photographs taken during the Israeli oppression of Palestinian people which had been altered to appear as if taken in the Ukraine.

Particularly disconcerting are the Hollywood style war sets where actors are to be seen being made up to appear with blood and open wounds before performing heroic actions in disused warehouses which have been made to appear as hospitals, clinics and nurseries. In one instance, a model known for her role in advertisements for maternity wear is portrayed as a stretcher-borne victim of shelling.

Most of this manipulation is attributed to Ukranian sources and then released via the social media . Probably the propaganda unit of the dreaded neo-Nazi AZOV special operations detachment of the National Guard of the Ukraine is responsible for some of the grimmer stuff and has made use of material shot in 2014 when its regiment recaptured Mariupol from the pro-Russian separatist movement. This action included the killing and torture of civilians which is still being investigated by the UN war crimes commission. In 2018 the US blocked all further financial and military aid to AZOV and other fascist elements of the Ukraine but has now resumed its support. The Russians are equally skilful through their intelligence agencies in subscribing to the war of lies even though its electronic distribution has been limited by imposed sanctions.

The political forces on both sides are immensely influenced by oligarchs and other opportunists who are concerned with a long term strategy of accumulating more wealth and consequent power. They have no pity or thought for the sufferings of ordinary people who now flee from or courageously resist an insanity. All wars are obscene affronts to civilised cultures but what is ominous in this new style 21st century conflict is its prescience of an apocalypse. Hearts may no longer beat and minds no longer think if the elitist New World Order is enabled by default to impose its desired destiny upon us.

Roberto Cavaleiro, By email