The Washington Post is reporting Thursday bizarre and sensational claims by US intelligence saying that Russia planned to stage a false flag to justify a massive invasion of Ukraine. 

Specifically Russian intelligence is being accused of producing a fake video showing a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB-2 drone attacking pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions, which was to "fabricate a pretext for an invasion."

Oil surged as the bombshell claims against Moscow quickly grabbed world headlines, emerging as the NY Times and CNN top story by early afternoon.