MOSCOW (Sputnik) — She went on to describe the story of Omran, who was initially touted as the symbol of "Aleppo's suffering" by Western media but was later revealed to have been manipulated by the White Helmets.
"We can only tackle this [fake news] together. In this case, together and with the help of Chinese media," Simonyan said at the third Russia-China media forum in Moscow.
The editor-in-chief recalled that this family said humanitarian organizations had "literally captured" Omran without providing him with medical aid, took photos of him and gave them to journalists, which spread this "totally fake" story.
Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov denied the reports of Russia’s alleged role in the Karm al-Qaterji strike, since the residential neighborhood is directly adjacent to the Russian humanitarian operation corridors for the safe exit of local residents.
In early June, the RT broadcaster released a two-part interview with the boy's father, Mohammad Kheir Daqneesh, who revealed that the White Helmets had manipulated injured Omran into being photographed instead of offering immediate help. The volunteers later went on to threaten his father after the family went into hiding to prevent any more unwanted media exposure.