X tops platforms in 'disinformation' and Russia taking advantage, EU official says. Live updates

X, formerly Twitter, is the social media platform with the "largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts," yet does not participate in a program aimed at stopping the spread of disinformation, a European Union official said Tuesday.

European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová accused Russia − entering the 20th month of its war with Ukraine − of waging a disinformation war that threatens upcoming elections. Moscow is investing millions in a "weapon of mass manipulation" aimed not only at Russians but also at the rest of the world, she said.

Jourová, VP for values and transparency, said Tuesday that Facebook, Google, YouTube and TikTok are among 44 companies that have joined the effort to stop the spread of disinformation, adding that X "is not under the (program) any more.'' The EU issued a report analyzing posts that will be illegal in EU nations under the Digital Services Act.

"The Russian state has engaged in the war of ideas to pollute our information space with half-truth and lies to create a false image that democracy is no better than autocracy," Jourová said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also warned of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Elon Musk, who owns X, said on the platform: "Don’t want to blow their minds, but there is a slight possibility that not everything is Russian disinformation."

Developments:

◾ Anthony Rota, the speaker of Canada's House of Commons, resigned under pressure Tuesday after unwittingly inviting a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to Parliament on Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the episode, in which Rota's guest received a standing ovation as a supposed Ukrainian hero, "deeply embarrassing.''

◾ Turkey is likely to approve Sweden's NATO bid if the U.S. follows through on plans to sell F-16s to Ankara, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

◾ Russian drones slammed the Danube River city of Izmail in southwestern Ukraine, wounding at least two people and burning a warehouse and dozens of trucks, local authorities said. Ukraine’s air force said it downed 26 of 38 Russian drones.

◾ Dutch Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren said she hopes the American people will realize the importance of supplying Ukraine weapons to counter the Russian aggression. "I mean, we’re not fighting the war,'' she told MSNBC's “Morning Joe” show. "The Ukrainians are fighting for us.''

◾ UEFA, the European soccer governing body, is reintroducing Russian under-17 teams into its competitions this season despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, saying, "Children should not be punished for (adults') actions.''

Video appears to show Russian admiral after Ukraine said he was dead

The Russian Defense Ministry released a video of the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet participating at a meeting the ministry said took place Tuesday, the day after Ukraine officials said he had been killed last week in an attack on a Russian naval base in Crimea.

Admiral Viktor Sokolov was shown speaking with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other officials via video link.

"Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish a response with a seemingly living Sokolov, our units (are working to) clarify the information," Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said in a social media post.

The Ukraine military had claimed in a Telegram post Monday that Sokolov died during an attack on the fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. The post said 34 "officers" were killed and more than 100 Russian troops were wounded in the attack Friday. Russian officials acknowledged the strike but have not commented on casualties from the assault, which Ukraine said destroyed the building.

Missile that killed two in Poland last year fired by Ukraine, report says

Polish experts have determined the errant missile that killed two people at a southeastern Poland grain facility in November, nearly setting off an international incident, was fired by Ukrainian defenses, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported Tuesday.

An investigation concluded the missile, which landed in the village of Przewodow near the border with Ukraine, was shot by Ukrainian forces as they attempted to fight off a Russian attack, the newspaper said. Ukraine has denied launching the projectile, identified by the experts as an S 300 5-W-55 air-defense missile.

"This rocket has a range of 75 km to 90 km (47 to 56 miles)," according to a source quoted by Rzeczpospolita, "At that time, the Russian positions were in a place from which no Russian missile could reach Przewodow."

The episode raised the possibility Russia had attacked Poland, a NATO member, which would trigger a response from the military alliance and likely a major escalation of the conflict. Polish President Andrzej Duda said at the time the evidence indicated the missile came from Ukraine unintentionally, but that Russia was ultimately to blame because it assaulted its neighbor.

Russia shrugs off arrival of Abrams tanks

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, says the U.S.-built Abrams tanks that began arriving in Ukraine this week will be a boon to Kyiv's push to take back land seized by Russian troops.

"They will give Ukrainian troops a lot more mobility, a lot more speed and certainly a lot more firepower to break through some of those Russian defenses," Kirby said.

But a retired Russian colonel is getting widespread coverage in Russia for his opinion that the Abrams tanks are "nothing special" and will have no impact on the war. Viktor Litovkin said the tanks are too heavy and will get stuck in the Ukrainian mud, becoming a "motionless target" for Russian artillery and grenade launchers.

"Abrams can be destroyed easily," Litovkin said. "Nothing will change in our theater of war. It is the image of U.S. weapons that is going to suffer."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine, Russia war live updates: EU targets X for 'disinformation'