Russian Propaganda Claims Ukraine Killed American Ex-Porn Star, Who Is Alive

The Russian propaganda machine is desperate to discredit Ukraine and will use anyone to achieve its goal. The latest victim is ex-porn star Sasha Grey, whose obituary was posted on Russian social media sites. The Ukrainian army, the post claimed, kidnapped, raped, and butchered her in revenge for her work nursing wounded pro-Russian soldiers.

Grey is still alive and never went to Russia or Ukraine, much less served in a military or medical capacity there. The obituary featured her picture and told the story of Sasha Servoa, which means grey in Russian. Grey took to Twitter to blast those responsible.

I <3 my Russian fans, but this propaganda takes it too far. News that I was a NURSE killed in the Russian/Ukraine conflict. #fuckpropoganda

— Sasha Grey (@SashaGrey) February 18, 2015

People are dying. People are losing family members & BS outlets mock the deceased with Fappery like this

— Sasha Grey (@SashaGrey) February 18, 2015

Just an FYI some other conservative propaganda outlet labeled me & other Russian artists as friends of the Hunta just last summer/fall.

— Sasha Grey (@SashaGrey) February 18, 2015

So to make it clear FIRST I was the ENEMY & now I'm a FRIEND because this was supposedly the fault of Ukrainians.

— Sasha Grey (@SashaGrey) February 18, 2015

I have love & respect for all of my Russian & Ukrainian fans, I wish there was more I could do. #peace

— Sasha Grey (@SashaGrey) February 18, 2015

This is not the first such case. In 2014, Russia repeatedly inflated the importance of Ukraine’s Right Sector Party to drive support against the Ukraine uprising, even though the party’s influence in Ukraine is minimal. During the presidential election in May, one Russian outlet reported the Right Sector candidate was in the lead, when, in fact, he barely received 1% of the votes. On March 12, Lenta.ru’s chief editor Galina Timchenko resigned, but employees said she was pressured into leaving because she defied the Kremlin and published an interview that quoted the Right Sector leader.

After Russia annexed Crimea in March, BuzzFeed published a list of “insane moments” during Kremlin-funded Russia Today’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The network told its viewers the military is a “stabilizing force for Ukraine” and that Russia had no choice but to act on Crimea. Russia Today anchor Liz Wahl resigned because of censorship and the network’s backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.