Russian Telegram channels are claiming that former US ambassador to the USSR, Jack Matlock, ‘exposed Ukraine's fake about Bucha’, stating that there is no evidence proving Moscow's responsibility for the tragedy in Bucha. Propagandists refer to Matlock's words during a broadcast on CNN.

However, the StopFake project clarifies that Matlock merely expressed doubt about whether what happened in Bucha was done under Moscow's orders. In his opinion, additional evidence is needed to establish this. During the broadcast, Brian Klaas, an Associate Professor of Global Politics at University College London, disagreed with Matlock, stating that it is impossible for such crimes [as those in Bucha] to occur without at least the awareness of senior Russian military officials.

It is important to note that this broadcast took place in the spring of 2022. Today, numerous independent investigations have confirmed the facts of mass killings of civilians in Bucha and the involvement of Russian soldiers, as well as the higher military command of Russia, in these crimes.

The Russians have taken advantage of the former US ambassador's old words for their own self-serving purposes - to fuel the narrative of a ‘staged’ event in Bucha. By spreading this disinformation, the agitprop seeks to deflect attention from the war crimes committed by the Russian military and once again accuse Ukraine of ‘staging’ the events. Earlier, we analyzed the Russian fake claiming that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are allegedly preparing a ‘new Bucha’ in Sudzha.