The Russian Embassy in Spain reacted with humor to the appearance of a "Russian trace" in the case of the referendum on the independence of Catalonia, held on October 1, 2017.

“Attention: The information that appeared in the Spanish media about the arrival of 10 thousand Russian soldiers in Catalonia is incomplete.

It is necessary to add two zeros to the number of soldiers ... "- said in the message of the diplomatic mission.

As Russian diplomats sneer, “the most important thing in this conspiracy” is that these soldiers “were to be airlifted on Mosca (“ Fly ”, as the Soviet I-16 fighter was nicknamed in Spain.

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) and Chato (“ Snub-nosed ”, the nickname of the Soviet fighter I-15.

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), collected in Catalonia during the Civil War "and" hidden in a safe place "in the mountains on the territory of the autonomy," until the encrypted order to act is received through these publications. "

On October 28, the Catalan newspaper El Periódico published a material that presented statements by Judge Joaquín Aguirre, who is investigating the possible embezzlement of public funds in Catalonia (it is assumed that they could have gone to pay off the expenses of ex-head of the autonomy Carles Puigdemont in Waterloo, where he now lives) ...

Aguirre, referring to the recordings of telephone conversations of the Catalan politician, associate of Puigdemont, Victor Terradellas, claims that a certain "group of Russians created during the Gorbachev era" allegedly offered Puigdemont to pay off all debts of Catalonia in the event of its separation from Spain and send 10 thousand . soldier.

This telephone conversation allegedly took place on October 24, 2017.

Let's remind that three days later (October 27) the Parliament of Catalonia voted for the resolution on the declaration of independence from Spain.

It is also indicated that this "Russian group" allegedly wanted to make Catalonia a state similar to Switzerland.

At the same time, the autonomy's debts were allegedly supposed to be paid through some kind of cryptocurrency platform.

In addition, El Periódico linked this testimony with its own information published in November 2019, when it was stated that Terradellas offered a certain Russian the recognition of the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation by Barcelona in exchange for Moscow's recognition of Catalonia's independence.

It is noted that participation in these meetings was confirmed by political analyst Sergei Markov.

In addition, a number of other Spanish media also refer to Aguirre and data from the Spanish Civil Guard about the "strategy of disinformation and destabilization" that the Kremlin allegedly pursued in relation to the European Union.

In this regard, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, former CIA officer Edward Snowden, as well as RT and Sputnik editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan are mentioned.

Simonyan herself reacted to such accusations with an ironic message in her Telegram channel.

“During the Gorbachev era, I went to kindergarten.

But I have already planned a strategy! ”, Wrote the editor-in-chief of RT and Sputnik.

In addition, the Russian Foreign Ministry previously emphasized that such accusations in the West against the Russian media are discrimination against Russian journalists and the whipping up of an atmosphere of enmity and toxicity around them.

We also recall that in December 2019, the member of the European Parliament Jordi Cañas asked how the European Commission plans to resist Russia's “interference” in political and electoral processes in the EU, in particular, in Spain.

The parliamentarian cited his statements on the basis of data from "sources" of the media who claimed that the special services of the Russian Federation allegedly "encouraged the Catalan separatist movement."

Commenting on these assumptions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova pointed out that even the head of the Spanish Foreign Ministry, Josep Borrell, called such "fabrications a figment of a feverish imagination."

“I would like to note that on November 21, during his speech to the press in Madrid, such passages were parried by and.

about.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, Mr. Borrell.

He called such fabrications - I quote - pure slander, the product of a feverish imagination.

For our part, we can only share these assessments, ”she said.

"European trend - Russians are to blame for everything"

As the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Viktor Vodolatsky noted, such reports from the Spanish media are simply absurd.

“Today, probably, it is no longer news for any normal person that Russia is tied to any situations that occur in the world: to global warming, to the presidential elections in the United States, to the situation that occurs in outer space - Russia is everywhere.

This is already becoming ridiculous, because indeed the politicians who tie Russia to various situations by releasing fake news are trying to support the program that has long been developed in the West and has its own scenario.

The incitement of Russophobia in the countries of the West, Europe is one of the strategies of the Anglo-Saxons, and today it works very systemically, ”the parliamentarian said.

According to him, the comment of the Russian Embassy in Spain, which responded with humor to the publications of the Spanish media, was absolutely correct.

“Indeed, it is impossible to respond to this news except with humor ... I believe that our task today is not only to respond to these fake news, but also constantly through the structures of Rossotrudnichestvo, embassies, consulates to talk about the peacekeeping actions of Russia, about those directions, which today really give a result, concrete, effective and, most importantly, understandable to a normal civil society in any country, "Vodolatsky explained.

In turn, State Duma deputy Ruslan Balbek noted that "a certain Russian group created under Gorbachev" cannot have any relation to the Russian authorities.

“Blaming Russia has already become a mandatory European trend: crop failure - Russians are to blame, climate weapons are being tested, computers are frozen - hackers from Moscow are working, lost in elections - Russians helped their rival.

Europe has found a convenient excuse to explain all its problems, "said the interlocutor of RT.