Ukraine Admits “Ghost Of Kyiv” Fake, Media Quietly Rewrites History

Weeks ago, as the Ukraine/Russia war kicked off, one of the many incredible underdog stories the West was told was about the “Ghost of Kyiv,” a fighter pilot who supposedly singlehandedly took out dozens of Russian fighter aircraft against almost all odds. 46, according to MSNBC.

Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman
Confirms on MSNBC that the ghost of kyiv is indeed real. Fly High Fly Fast you badass ghost of kyviv! pic.twitter.com/VFbUe5OfQp

— luissaldarriaga (@luissaldariagga) February 25, 2022

It was a story intended to tap into everyone’s love for an underdog who is fighting a powerful and dangerous foe, to bolster morale in-country, and garner emotional and financial support abroad. Then last week, a pilot named Stepan Tarabalka, who had recently been killed, was identified by the media as the “Ghost.” The Times of London published a whole thing about it, originally titled, “Ghost of Kyiv’ who shot down more than 40 Russian aircraft dies in battle,” which appears to be the basis for most of the subsequent reporting of this information.

(MORE) Additional reporting from THE TIMES OF LONDON (UK): https://t.co/sscUP5ObLJ

— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) April 30, 2022

But now, The New York Post has published an article confirming that the “Heroic ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ fighter doesn’t actually exist, Ukraine admits.” Ukraine’s Air Force Command said, “Hero of Ukraine Stepan Tarabalka is NOT ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ and he did NOT shoot down 40 planes” because there is no ‘Ghost of Kyiv.” He doesn’t exist. He and his story were made up as propaganda to influence public opinion and perception. And in true modern journalistic fashion, the Times of London edited their original article, which was blatantly false, and which is now titled, “Ghost of Kyiv is alive in all pilots fighting for Ukraine, says Air Force.” Because why admit to spreading blatant misinformation and propaganda and take accountability for it when you could simply edit the misinformation and propaganda, hope that most people don’t notice, and thwart journalistic accountability and integrity altogether? But I digress.

Back when this and other similar stories came out, I discussed the reality that quite a bit of the information we were being fed about the Ukraine/Russia war was actually fabricated propaganda or manipulated information. And if we’re being honest, propaganda has played an important role in history, especially during war time. It’s helps garner home front support, secure funding, and boost morale. Propaganda always exists on all sides of every issue, and we have been fed a lot of propaganda about the Ukraine/Russia war. Doesn’t mean the war is fake. Doesn’t mean the Ukrainian people aren’t suffering. Doesn’t mean that Putin is suddenly a nice guy. Putin’s a terrible and deranged dictator who has brought devastation and destruction upon Ukraine and his own country, among others. But two things can be true at once— the war is very real and you are being fed a steady stream of propaganda, packaged as journalism, and intended to influence your perception and opinion.

At the time, people were BIG mad that I would say such things. I got comments about being a “Russian sympathizer,” of “denying” the war, and of course, of being a “conspiracy theorist.” But I stuck to my guns. We’ve watched for AT LEAST the last 2 years (far longer, if you’re willing to admit it,) as we’ve been fed a steady stream of propaganda, increasingly packaged as journalism, intended to influence our perception and opinion on major issues or events. So why would they suddenly tell us the whole and objective truth for this? And sure enough…

Of course, all the people who are watching as their narrative is undermined by the truth are now saying it “doesn’t matter” that fabricated stories and manipulated information were being routinely fed to the public about the war because it was “for the right reasons” or “for a good cause.”

But it DOES matter. It matters a great deal because, while propaganda may serve a necessary purpose, propaganda and journalism are supposed to be distinct from each other. But these days, propaganda has quietly replaced actual journalism. We’ve been shown that we cannot trust what they say because we know they are willing to lie and make things up to serve their purposes or further their narrative and agenda, as long as they can convince the public that it’s “for the right reasons,” and all under the guise of “journalism.”

It will never stop until the people make it stop by refusing to accept it, or else you will never be able to trust anything you are told on any subject. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how Russia and China are.