Users of social networks and publications disseminating pro-Russian rhetoric are spreading false information that the mother of a deceased Ukrainian soldier in Avdiivka was allegedly given a meat grinder. A photograph in which the same mother allegedly “joyfully” holds an electrical appliance is added to such “news”. “The mother of the Ukrainian soldier who died near Avdiivka was presented with humanitarian aid in the form of a meat grinder. It’s very symbolic.”, the authors of the messages add.

After disseminating such information, StopFake decided to check whether the mother of a Ukrainian military man was really given humanitarian aid in the form of a meat grinder. It turned out that this information was false.

The description of the photo does not indicate who exactly and where “donated” such “humanitarian aid”, and there is also no link to the source of this “news”. StopFake tried to find the source of the photo using a Google image search, but found only messages from Russian websites and anonymous telegram channels.

StopFake later discovered that the original photo of the mother “joyfully” holding an electrical appliance was published by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation charity organization. It does not depict assistance to the mother of the deceased, but the distribution of food and humanitarian aid to residents of Novohrodivka, Donetsk region. Propagandists simply added a “joyful” woman with a meat grinder in her hands in a photo editor and came up with a false description.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to discredit Ukraine and devalue the importance of the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.