Category War crimes

No, this video does not prove that an attack on Odesa was staged by Ukraine

A video has gone viral on social media, with users claiming it shows proof that the destruction of a historic cathedral in Odesa on the night of July 22 to 23 was staged by Ukrainian authorities. They argue that a woman in the video picks up the debris with too much ease for it to be real. However, the woman is actually picking up a light material, most likely polystyrene, so this does not prove that the attack was staged.

Read MoreNo, this video does not prove that an attack on Odesa was staged by Ukraine

Fake: Russia Has Never Used Cluster Bombs Against Ukraine

Numerous reports from international human rights organizations prove that
since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has
regularly deployed cluster bombs against Ukrainian civilians and Ukrainian
civilian infrastructure. One such cluster munitions attack was the April
8, 2022, Russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station, which
killed at least 58 civilians and injured some 100 people.

Read MoreFake: Russia Has Never Used Cluster Bombs Against Ukraine

Fake: Wikipedia Article Shows Kyiv Knew in Advance Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral Strike

Information about the destruction of the Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral
appeared in the Wikipedia article about the church shortly after it became
clear which buildings were damaged by the Russian attack on Odesa during
the night of July 23. Ukrainian Wikipedia administrator Anatoliy Lutsyuk
explains that the editing history of Wikipedia uses UTC time, which
currently is three hours ahead of Kyiv time.

Read MoreFake: Wikipedia Article Shows Kyiv Knew in Advance Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral Strike

Fake: Pope Francis Calls on Ukraine to Dismiss Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Abbot

Russian media and Telegram channels' claims that the Pope has allegedly called on Ukrainian authorities to dismiss the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra abbot is baseless. As of today, none of the Vatican's official resources have published anything about this.

Read MoreFake: Pope Francis Calls on Ukraine to Dismiss Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Abbot

Fake: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Icons To Be Auctioned in Paris

A French auction house representative told StopFake that a billboard
advertising the sale of Ukrainian icons from the Kyiv Monastery of the
Caves is fake, and no such an auction is planned. The Osenat website has no
auctions scheduled for October 1. Claims that the West is exporting and
selling Ukrainian artworks are Russian disinformation.

Read MoreFake: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Icons To Be Auctioned in Paris

Deadly Kramatorsk missile was Russian – not Ukrainian

On June 28, 2023, a Russian missile hit a crowded restaurant in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. 13 people died in this attack, including at least 3 children and a leading Ukrainian poet and author (as of July 3).

As with pretty much every major strike on civilians, to add insult to injury, false stories immediately began being circulated by pro-Russian influencers online.

Read MoreDeadly Kramatorsk missile was Russian – not Ukrainian

Manipulation: UN Accuses Ukrainian Security Forces of Torturing Civilians

The UN report on the detention of civilians during Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine focuses mainly on the atrocities committed by the Russian military on the territory of Ukraine. The report documents more than 900 cases of arbitrary detention of civilians, including children and the elderly. The "vast majority" of these cases were committed by the Russian Federation. Moreover, executions committed by Russian troops are equated with a war crime. No such executions have been recorded on the Ukrainian side.

Read MoreManipulation: UN Accuses Ukrainian Security Forces of Torturing Civilians

Fake: The West is Stealing Art Objects From Ukraine

Ukraine decided to temporarily evacuate sixteen Byzantine icons from the
Khanenko Museum to the Louvre due to continuous Russian shelling of the
civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage sites. The Ministry of
Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine assures that the icons will
return home as soon as the situation allows. As a reminder, in October
2022, as a result of a Russian missile attack, the historical building and
interior decoration of the Khanenko Museum were damaged.

Read MoreFake: The West is Stealing Art Objects From Ukraine