Russian media and anonymous Telegram channels are actively spreading the statement of the Kremlin press secretary Dmytro Pieskov that Ukraine is allegedly striking civilian targets in Russia using drones. At the same time, they claim that the Russian army is allegedly striking exclusively military targets. However, this is disinformation.

This was noted by experts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. They emphasize that in fact, Ukraine strictly complies with international humanitarian law, while Russia systematically attacks civilian infrastructure. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has destroyed 227 medical institutions and damaged 1,714. Also, 3,798 educational institutions have been seriously damaged, of which 365 have been completely destroyed. Particularly egregious examples are the airstrike on the maternity hospital and children's hospital in Mariupol on March 9, 2022, and the missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv on July 8, 2024, when 627 children were in the hospital. Russia uses attacks on civilian infrastructure as a tool to intimidate the population, which is a violation of the laws of war.

Russia is trying to create the impression that its actions in Ukraine are “defensive” or “responsive” to Ukraine’s actions, despite real evidence to the contrary. Claims of attacks on civilian targets are intended to portray Ukraine as violating international law in order to undermine its support in the international community. Disinformation is used to strengthen domestic propaganda, motivate Russian citizens, and justify continuing the war. Distortions are intended to create doubts among Ukraine’s allies about providing further military and humanitarian aid.

Pro-Russian anonymous Telegram channels are spreading a statement by Russian President’s press secretary Dmytro Pieskov that the Russian military allegedly “treats Ukrainian civilians with caution” and strikes exclusively at military targets. However, such statements contradict numerous facts and international reports that confirm the mass casualties among civilians as a result of Russian attacks.

This is reported by StopFake. Its experts claim that, according to the UN Monitoring Mission, more than 12,000 civilians have been killed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and more than 26,000 have been injured. For example, in Kryvyi Rih, a ballistic missile hit a residential building, destroying an entire family with three children. During another attack, a children’s hospital and residential areas were damaged.

Amnesty International calls such actions war crimes, as shelling of civilian objects violates international humanitarian law. In addition to civilian casualties, strikes on energy infrastructure are causing a humanitarian catastrophe, worsening the living conditions of millions of Ukrainians.

The purpose of spreading such disinformation is to create the illusion of the “morality” of the Russian army, to try to justify war crimes before the international community, and to manipulate the perceptions of citizens of Russia and other countries. This disinformation is aimed at minimizing the consequences of attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine, shifting the blame for the victims to the other side, and discrediting objective reports by international organizations.

On the evening of November 17, 2024, Russians launched a missile attack on a nine-story building in Sumy. At 08:47 on the morning of November 18, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that as of that time, 89 people were known to have been injured (including 11 children) and 11 people were killed (including 2 children) as a result of the attack. In turn, Russian propagandists write that the cause of the tragedy was not a Russian missile, but allegedly the unsuccessful work of the Ukrainian air defense.

However, this information is not true. This was reported by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, citing the Sumy Region Prosecutor's Office. According to them, on November 17, using methods of warfare prohibited by international law, the Russians launched a missile strike on a densely populated residential area in Sumy. This, and not the work of the Ukrainian air defense, was the cause of the tragedy.

With this fake, Russian propagandists are trying to justify yet another war crime by the Russian army – the murder of civilians.

November 18-19 in Sumy have been declared days of mourning for those killed as a result of Russia's strike on the city. This was reported by the acting mayor of Sumy, Artem Kobzar.

On October 14-15, more than 1,500 fake bomb threats were sent out in Ukraine, targeting schools, universities, business centers, media, courts, and diplomatic missions, including the US Embassy. Among the institutions that received these letters were also more than 60 Ukrainian embassies abroad, the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reports.

The author of the letters accused Radio Svoboda (Liberty) journalists Iryna Sysak, Valeriia Yehoshyna and Yuliia Khymeryk. The reason was their investigation into the FSB recruiting children to commit arson. Investigators from Scheme established that the sender of the letters lives in occupied Crimea and has a Russian passport. The letters were signed on behalf of the Fire Cells Group, a group that calls for attacks on Ukrainian military personnel and the Territorial center of procurement and social support employees via Telegram, promising a reward of up to $1,000 for the execution of crimes.

The SBU considers these actions to be part of a Russian information and psychological operation aimed at increasing panic and destabilizing society, in particular by undermining trust in government institutions and the military.

Russian propagandists used the flooding in Poland to create anti-Ukrainian sentiment and sow discord between Ukrainians and Poles. One of the main messages was that supporting Ukraine allegedly weakens Poland's ability to help its citizens. Propagandists spread information that Ukrainian refugees received more aid than the affected Poles, which caused negative emotions and fueled discontent. This is written by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

Examples of manipulations:

Accusations against Ukrainians of looting in areas evacuated due to flooding.

Using fake videos and data from other countries to exaggerate the scale of the disaster.

Manipulation of the numbers of dead and missing in order to distort the real state of affairs.

According to the PAP press agency, from September 13 to 25, 23,000 disinformation messages were recorded online, reaching around eight million users. The campaign also aimed to incite hostility, weaken the strategic alliance between Poland and Ukraine, and undermine unity in confronting Russian aggression. This is part of a broader information war aimed at isolating Ukraine on the international stage and reducing support among key partners. In response, the Polish authorities emphasize the continuation of comprehensive assistance to Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

Russian authorities have blocked the Discord messenger, popular mainly among gamers and students. The blocking of Discord did not stop even the fact that it is used by the Russian military. Now “war correspondents” (that is, the same propagandists) are criticizing Roskomnadzor, accusing it of almost sabotage.

The formal reason for blocking is the presence of “illegal and extremist content” and the unwillingness of the messenger’s management to remove publications at the request of the Russian authorities. However, as reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation, the Kremlin’s decision to block yet another Internet resource of Western origin is part of a strategy to isolate Russians from information so that they do not have access to any information alternative to Russian propaganda.

Earlier, Russian authorities blocked Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and some other resources. YouTube is facing restrictions in its work. The CPI adds that the blocking of independent resources in Russia will probably continue until the creation of the so-called "sovereign Internet" completely controlled by the Kremlin.

Information is being spread online that Ukrainian children with disabilities are allegedly being illegally taken to EU countries, where they are illegally adopted, in particular by same-sex families and drug addicts, or sold for organs. In their publications, propagandists cite the head of the Anti-Repression Foundation, Mira Terada.

However, it turned out that Mira Terada is a Russian citizen spreading Russian propaganda, and not an independent international human rights activist. There is no evidence that Ukraine is trafficking children from the war zone.

The Anti-Repression Foundation itself is an organization created by Yevhenii Pryhozhyn, the founder of the Wagner terrorist organization within the Russian army,  which is recognized by the Ukrainian parliament as an international criminal organization.

By spreading disinformation that speculates on the life of children in war conditions, in particular the so-called children of Donbas, Russian propaganda seeks to discredit Ukraine and the Ukrainian government in the eyes of both its own and Western society.

In the stories of Russian propaganda about the life of children in the occupied territories and in the combat zone, the Ukrainian authorities and military are portrayed as ruthless “punishers” whose goal is to exterminate the so-called people of Donbas, who “voluntarily chose to be with Russia”.

Former adviser to the US Secretary of Defense Douglas MacGregor made a statement that allegedly French journalists conducted an investigation and received testimony from eyewitnesses who claimed that there were no Russians in the Ukrainian cities where mass killings were recorded. According to him, Ukrainians killed their fellow citizens to create the impression that these were crimes of Russian troops. This is written by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

However, this statement is baseless and contradicts the findings of numerous international investigations that have confirmed Russian war crimes in cities such as Bucha, Izium, Mariupol and others. Russian troops are responsible for mass killings of civilians, which has been documented by various human rights organizations and journalists. Such fake news is spread in order to whitewash Russia's reputation and discredit Ukraine.

Russian propaganda seeks to shift the blame for war crimes onto Ukraine itself, diverting attention from the real facts and documented evidence of Russian military atrocities. The purpose of spreading such claims is to encourage foreign audiences to question the objectivity of international investigations and accusations against Russia in order to ease pressure on it from the international community. Through such fakes, pro-Russian narratives attempt to discredit the Ukrainian army and leadership, creating the false impression that Ukraine is allegedly committing crimes against its own people, which could reduce support from Western countries. This type of disinformation is part of a broader Russian hybrid warfare campaign, where propaganda messages are used to undermine trust in Ukrainian institutions and attempt to raise doubts about international support for Ukraine. Russia systematically attempts to create a parallel information space where the events of the war are distorted in order to legitimize its own actions and justify aggression.

The spread of fakes about cooperation with terrorist groups is aimed at destroying Ukraine’s reputation with its international partners. It is an attempt to create an image of Ukraine as a country that supports terrorism. Accusing Ukraine of recruiting militants is aimed at distracting attention from Russia’s own actions, which are actively recruiting Syrian mercenaries to fight against Ukraine. This is part of a broader Russian propaganda strategy. This fake is also aimed at a domestic audience, where such statements can undermine trust in the Ukrainian government and military. Russia is trying to create fear and mistrust in the Ukrainian defense forces, making people believe that they are using “dubious” mercenaries to defend the country.

Experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation have recorded an information campaign by Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Citing the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, they claim that Ukraine, “at the instigation” of the United States, is preparing a staged Russian missile strike on one of the children's institutions in Ukraine.

The fakers were unable to provide any evidence to support their false thesis. That is, Ukraine is not planning any “shelling”. Russia shells Ukraine almost every day, destroying civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. The propagandists explain that Moscow allegedly does not resort to terrorist attacks, but targets “decision-making centers”. They say that the Kremlin only attacks facilities where military equipment is located or servicemen are present, and therefore does not violate any norms and customs of warfare.

In fact, Russia is trying to hide its criminal actions against peaceful Ukrainians, hiding behind the term “decision-making centers”. But it finds an excuse that shelling military facilities is the norm for war. However, Ukrainian cities are suffering from Russian missiles and drones.

But the infidels do not aim at “decision-making centers”, but purposefully commit genocide against Ukrainians, killing them in their homes, in public places. At the same time, Moscow tries to whitewash itself and deny any crimes. But documented cases of Russian terror show what the terrorist country is actually doing.

By spreading disinformation that speculates on the life of children in war conditions, in particular the so-called children of Donbas, Russian propaganda seeks to discredit Ukraine and the Ukrainian government in the eyes of both its own and Western society. In the stories of Russian propaganda about the life of children in the occupied territories and in the combat zone, the Ukrainian authorities and military are portrayed as ruthless “punishers” whose goal is to exterminate the so-called people of Donbas, who “voluntarily chose to be with Russia”. By telling such stories, Russian propaganda seeks to turn reality upside down and show that nothing will stop the Ukrainian authorities and armies from achieving their goal.

Read also: Ukrainians whom Moscow is turning into enemies: how Russia justifies the deportation of Ukrainian children

On September 3, 2024, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the Institute of Communications in Poltava. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry points out that the time interval between the alarm and the arrival was short and caught people during their evacuation to a bomb shelter.

As of September 5, 55 people were killed and 297 were injured.

Russian telegram channels are spreading information that as a result of Russia's missile strike on the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization in Poltava, the number of victims is allegedly actually 600-700 soldiers killed. This is allegedly confirmed by unnamed Ukrainian sources. The strike allegedly occurred during the formation of personnel.

But fact-checkers VoxCheck noted that the number of 600 was voiced by former Ukrainian MP Ihor Mosiichuk. Although he mentions 600 injured and dozens of dead, this does not coincide with the official data.

At the same time, Ihor Mosiichuk is not a reliable source. He has already been noticed in the dissemination of fakes and narratives of Russian propaganda. In particular, Mosiichuk promoted theses about the illegitimacy of Zelenskyi, accused the Ukrainian authorities of the Russian invasion, and claimed that the war could have been avoided through diplomacy.

Russians are creating fake pages of the Coordination Headquarters for the Collection of Confidential Information. This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

Fraudsters create so-called “doubles” of official resources, promising Ukrainians alleged “help” in finding relatives who have been captured by the enemy or “assistance” in obtaining information about them. These fake sites and pages are created with the aim of misleading citizens and forcing them to voluntarily provide their personal data.

According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, such actions by the Russian side are aimed not only at collecting information, but also at having more dangerous consequences. The enemy seeks to gain access to private data for further blackmail and recruitment of Ukrainians, using the vulnerability of the families of prisoners of war. In addition, the enemy can manipulate public sentiment, creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust.

The purpose of these fraudulent actions is to destabilize Ukrainian society by using the families of defenders for psychological pressure. The enemy can also use the information obtained to threaten the safety of prisoners of war and conduct reconnaissance on military operations.

The Coordination Headquarters reminds: never provide your personal data, phone numbers, bank accounts or data of your loved ones through unverified resources, as well as third-party applications and anonymous sources. Disclosure of such information on fake sites can seriously harm not only Ukrainian prisoners of war, but also endanger the lives of their fellow prisoners. Do not give the enemy the opportunity to manipulate emotions and use you for their own purposes.

The pro-Kremlin media spread the ‘news’ that the attack on the Poltava Institute of Communications was successful thanks to information passed to Russian intelligence by the Ukrainian military themselves. The propagandists claim that Forbes wrote about this: “The publication notes that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces pays well for such services. Thus, a fee of up to 500 thousand dollars was allegedly paid for information about Poltava”.

However, this information is not true. This is reported in the StopFake project. In the Ukrainian and English versions of Forbes, apart from the news about the Russian attack on the Institute of Communications in Poltava, no other materials on this topic were published. Also, in the Russian version of the magazine there is no corresponding ‘news’.

The propaganda resources that spread this disinformation did not provide any links to supporting materials. No other authoritative media published this ‘news’, although such information would have been immediately picked up by many sources, because any information about spotters, collaborators immediately appears in the Ukrainian news. For example, about the spotter of the Kharkiv military administration, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

That is, this is another invention of the Russians, in which they used the brand of a famous magazine to make the fake more credible.

On September 3, 2024, Russia launched a missile attack on the Poltava Military Communications Institute and a hospital located nearby. According to official data, 55 people were killed and more than 320 were injured as a result of the ballistic missile strikes.

Russian forces have announced a strike on a temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the University of Sumy. One of the propaganda Telegram channels claims that a temporary deployment point for Ukrainian troops located in the building of the local university, where reserves were allegedly located for dispatch to the Kursk region, was allegedly destroyed in Sumy. However, this is a fake.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes about this. The information in them does not correspond to reality. No Ukrainian military personnel were stationed in universities or dormitories near the front. The representative of the Operational-tactical grouping Kharkiv Colonel Vitalii Sarantsev emphasized that such reports are part of Russian propaganda aimed at justifying possible terrorist attacks on civilian objects and spreading fear among the population.

Also, the Prosecutor General's Office reported that a 64-year-old security guard was injured as a result of a bomb attack on one of the university buildings in Sumy. The Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office has launched a pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

This is a typical Russian propaganda technique. Russia deliberately attacks civilian objects in Ukraine, committing acts of terror. Every time a Russian missile hits a hospital, school, shopping center or post office, propagandists claim that it was a “military object” or “Azov base”. In this way, the occupiers try to shift responsibility to Ukraine, claiming that “the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly use civilian objects and the population as a “human shield””.

Propagandists are spreading information that during Russia's missile strike on Kharkiv, facilities of the nationalist Azov battalion were hit, including a shopping center where the military allegedly set up their base. However, this is a fake.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes about this. They found out that this is a typical technique of Russian propaganda. Russia deliberately attacks civilian objects in Ukraine, committing acts of terror. Every time a Russian missile hits a hospital, school, shopping center or post office, propagandists claim that it was a “military object” or “Azov base”.

In this way, the occupiers are trying to shift responsibility to Ukraine, claiming that “the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using civilian objects and the population as a “human shield”.”

In fact, on September 1, Russian terrorists deliberately launched a missile attack on a shopping mall, the Sports Palace, and one of the Nova Poshta branches in Kharkiv. According to the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, 44 people were injured as a result of the shelling of these facilities, including seven children, the youngest child being only three months old.

On the night of August 24, 2024, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk. At the time, it was housing foreign and Ukrainian journalists. As a result of the enemy attack, four journalists were injured, one British media worker was killed. Later, a Reuters report revealed that the deceased was their security adviser, 38-year-old Briton Ryan Evans. Evans is a former British military man who began working with Reuters in 2022. Immediately after the information about the shelling was made public, Russian propaganda began to spread manipulations around the death of the British news agency employee, trying to justify this crime. This was warned by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

In their messages on Telegram channels, the Russians lie that Evans was allegedly an agent of the British intelligence service MI6, appealing to his military past. They also spread disinformation that all “military instructors from NATO member countries” arrive in Ukraine as journalists, and the attacked hotel was a “location of foreign mercenaries”. In fact, the deceased arrived in Ukraine as part of a team of foreign journalists as a civilian security adviser for reporters working in the combat zone. He has already advised Reuters journalists on security in Ukraine, Israel, and at the Paris Olympics.

By spreading such fakes, hostile propaganda is trying to hide its crimes against civilians and present the hotel primarily as a “military target”. With the goal of a targeted strike on “Sapfir” (Sapphire), the enemy is trying to intimidate foreign journalists who have come to Ukraine and are covering the truth about Russia's armed aggression against our country.

Propagandists are spreading information on social networks that massive missile strikes on the Rivne NPP have damaged all power units and significantly increased radiation levels. In particular, rumors are being spread that the radiation background in the area of the NPP allegedly exceeds permissible levels by many times. However, this is a fake.

This was noted by specialists from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. In particular, the photo of the fire, actively spreading on the Internet, was taken during a fire at a warehouse in Tashkent in 2023, and not at the Rivne NPP. This was confirmed by journalists from the Raion.Varash publication, who conducted their own investigation. In addition, National Atomic Power Generating Company Energoatom, the Ukrainian company responsible for nuclear energy, officially denied these rumors. They confirmed that no emergency situations occurred at the Rivne NPP, and all nuclear units are operating normally, without exceeding the radiation background.

The dissemination of such fakes serves to sow panic among the population, cause fear and destabilize the situation in Ukraine. Such fakes are used by the enemy to reduce the morale of Ukrainians, increase social tension and undermine trust in official sources of information.

The Center for Countering Disinformation has highlighted a number of messages spread by Russian propaganda following Russia’s massive missile strike on Ukrainian territory on August 26.

The Ukrainian authorities allegedly withdrew almost all air defense systems from the rear to support the operation in the Kursk region, which allowed Russia to hit its targets unhindered.

This message is an attempt to discredit the Ukrainian military leadership, accusing it of negligence and irresponsible use of resources. Propagandists are trying to create the impression that the operation in the Kursk region is unjustifiably risky, and that the Ukrainian air defense is unable to protect the rear areas due to the fact that it was “thrown” to the front. This is another attempt to undermine confidence in the Ukrainian army, fueling doubts about its ability to ensure the safety of citizens and critical infrastructure.

Ukraine seems to have saved on the use of air defense systems in order to hide the theft of funds allocated for the restoration of energy infrastructure and shift responsibility to the actions of the Russians

The aim is to discredit the Ukrainian authorities by sowing mistrust and suspicions of corruption in society. Propagandists are trying to convince Ukrainians that the government is allegedly using the war as a cover for the abuse of budget funds. In this way, they want to stir up internal discontent and reinforce the impression that the government is acting solely in its own interests, neglecting security and national interests, distracting from Russia's responsibility for the strikes.

Responsibility for the latest attacks lies with the Ukrainian authorities, who allegedly “provoked Russia” by launching an offensive in the Kursk region and thereby disrupted possible negotiations to refrain from striking energy facilities.

This message is used to justify Russian aggression, in particular, attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Russian propaganda attempts to shift responsibility for the destruction and civilian casualties onto the Ukrainian authorities, blaming them for the escalation of the war. It also aims to create the illusion that Russia was forced to respond to Ukraine's actions, rather than the aggressor.

The purpose of disseminating these messages is to sow doubts in Ukrainian society about the effectiveness of the government and the army, to cause distrust in the authorities, and to provoke panic and anxiety among citizens. The propaganda is aimed at weakening morale, disuniting society, and reducing the willingness to resist aggression. This is part of a broader strategy of information warfare, which aims to undermine Ukraine's internal stability and discredit it on the international stage.

Russian telegram channels are distributing a screenshot of supposedly one of the house chats in the capital. According to it, the Pechersk district state administration in Kyiv calls on citizens to evacuate if they live near “decision-making centers”.

However, the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, after verifying this “news” in the Pechersk district administration, reported that it was a fake. The administration did not send out any similar messages.

This disinformation was spread against the backdrop of a publication in one of the foreign media about a possible missile strike on “decision-making centers” in response to an operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. And the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, Andrii Kovalenko, responded to this in particular on his telegram. He called on Ukrainians to read less loud headlines about massive shelling.

Kremlin telegram channels are distributing a photo of an order allegedly from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated July 15, 2024. With reference to the decision of the Ministry of Defense, the document writes about the reformatting of the children's hospital in Kramatorsk into a military hospital for soldiers and their families. As a result, the admission of children will allegedly be prohibited.

VoxCheck analysts analyzed the case and found that the so-called order was forged, as indicated by numerous errors. For example, in the first sentence, the authors of the “document” did not agree on the words. In addition, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine did not publish any orders on July 4, 2024. The press service of the Ministry of Defense also did not report the orders of July 4.

The Russians also made a mistake in the number of the document itself, since the Ministry of Health of Ukraine issued the last order number 476 on March 20, 2024. The document is related to amendments to the Ministry’s Action Plan for the preparation of draft regulatory acts for 2024. In original orders, the signature of an authorized person, for example, the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko, must be at the bottom.

Pro-Russian sources through the social networks Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) times spread information to Western audiences that civilians in the city of Bucha, Kyiv region, were tortured not by the Russian, but by the Ukrainian military. In reporting this, propagandists refer to the words of the Czech military man Philip Seaman, who fought on the side of Ukraine and is now under investigation. Also, to the reports about the “atrocities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” in Bucha, they add a screenshot of news from the Czech news agency ČTK, which talks about the Czech who committed offenses.

In fact, Philippe Seaman is now really on trial, but his case does not at all concern the torture of civilians. Ukrinform fact-checkers write about this. The ČTK material cited by propagandists states that the prosecutor’s office accuses Siman of illegal service in the Ukrainian army and looting in the combat zone during the occupation of the cities of Irpen and Bucha in the Kyiv region in 2022.

As for the first, the Czech did not have permission from the president of his country to fight in a foreign army. As for the looting, according to the indictment, in his free time, Siman repeatedly appropriated the belongings of both dead soldiers and civilians. Accordingly, in April 2022, the man was detained by the Ukrainian army, but was subsequently fired and returned to the Czech Republic. Today he could be sentenced to five years in prison for serving in a foreign army. Moreover, he also faces exceptional punishment for looting.

In a comment to Ukrinform, the Czech news agency ČTK confirmed that the information about the torture of civilians in Bucha by the Ukrainian military is fake and that their journalists did not write about it.

In the end, such statements by the Russians were refuted by numerous journalistic investigations by leading international media, in particular Bellingcat and the Associated Press.

On anonymous telegram channels they write that the photos from the sites of the shelled children’s hospital “Okhmatdyt” on July 8, 2024 are staged. In particular, they claim that the Ukrainian authorities deliberately smeared the blood of one of the surgeons in order to achieve a “better effect” among the media. As “evidence”, propagandists will add a video that shows that a police officer allegedly deliberately pours blood on the clothes of a medical worker.

“Ukrainian channels published a video filmed in the center of Kyiv. In the video, a Ukrainian police officer pours blood from a bag onto a man in a doctor's coat. The doctor is an employee of the Okhmatdyt hospital, whose photographs were published by the world’s largest media”, the propaganda publication adds.

However, StopFake analysts investigated the case and found out that the video was fake. This is indicated by some differences between the hero of the fake video and the real doctor. For example, a real surgeon's shirt clearly shows an expired stripe on the back.

The production hero is wearing a shirt without such a stripe. The situation is similar with trousers as they are also different. A real surgeon has a pocket, but an actor does not.

Russian propaganda is actively working on the theme of the shelling of Okhmatdyt, trying to convince its audience that in fact the perpetrators of the crime are Ukrainians, or, at least, this is just a staged act. However, as part of our Disinformation Chronicles, we have repeatedly refuted such messages and proved that Russia simply wants to object to the shelling of civilian infrared weapons from its side.

Read also: It is not children who are treated at Chronicle, but Ukrainian military personnel, which is why the attack on the hospital is “justified”

Russian telegram channels add that it was not children who were treated at Okhmatdyt, but Ukrainian military personnel. This supposedly proves that the hospital was a “legitimate target” for Russia.

VoxCheck analysts explain: in fact, there were no reports of military personnel injured or killed as a result of rocket attacks on July 8 in Kyiv. There are many photos and videos online of wounded civilians, including doctors and children. In total, at the time of the hit, there were 627 children in Okhmatdyt.

During a series of attacks, the Okhmatdyt children's hospital was damaged - the Russians destroyed some of the buildings of the medical facility. Health Minister Viktor Liashko said that intensive care, operating rooms and oncology departments were damaged as a result of the attack. And he added that the hit was in the toxicology building, where children received dialysis.

That is, the thesis of Russian propaganda about the presence of military personnel who were allegedly treated at Okhmatdyt is a fiction.

Russian propagandists, taking advantage of the anniversary of the downing of flight MH-17 over Donbas, continue to try to blame Ukraine for this tragedy. They are actively disseminating reports that Ukraine allegedly “intentionally did not close the airspace” and that the plane was allegedly shot down “according to the SBU plan”, which provided for the introduction of NATO troops into Ukrainian territory after this terrorist attack. All these statements by Russian propagandists are unreliable.

Specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council drew attention to them. They explained that responsibility for the downing of flight MH-17 lies entirely with Russia. An international investigation has found that the plane was shot down by a missile from a Buk anti-aircraft missile system delivered from Russia to territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s hypocrisy is also evidenced by the fact that it is hiding three people on its territory; a court in the Netherlands in 2022 found them guilty of involvement in the downing of the plane.

This behavior demonstrates Russia's systematic strategy of avoiding responsibility for its actions, aimed at disinformation and manipulation of public opinion. Despite all efforts, Russia is, however, on the side of Ukraine, and the international community continues to support Ukraine in its quest for justice for the victims of this terrible terrorist attack.

Pro-Russian sources disseminated information about the alleged fakeness of photographs of the State Emergency Service from the scene of the tragedy that occurred as a result of the Russian shelling of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital on July 8, 2024. In particular, on his page in X, American blogger Jackson Hinkle published one of the photographs of the State Emergency Service, which depicts children's toys in the ruins of a hospital, and wrote: “The Ukrainian government inserted fake children's toys into the image of the hospital it destroyed in Kyiv”.

In fact, no one inserted toys into the photo, writes the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. You can verify this by checking the photo using the InVID & WeVerify tool to see if it has been altered.

Thus, deep learning approaches for detecting manipulations and fakes Mantra-Net and Fusion found traces of editing in the upper right and left corners - logos were superimposed. However, there are no changes in the toy area of ​​the image, which indicates the authenticity of the photographs.

In the end, it is these children’s toys that can be seen in other photo and video materials from the scene of the tragedy, which indicates their originality.

This is not Hinkle’s first fake about a missile attack on Okhmatdyt. Thus, an American blogger, known for his commitment to Russia, claimed on his page on the social network X that Okhmatdyt seemed to have been hit by an American Patriot air defense missile, which was allegedly fired by Ukraine. However, SBU investigators determined that the attack was carried out by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.

By spreading such lies, the blogger is trying to discredit the Ukrainian government and divert the attention of the world community from yet another Russian war crime.