Disinfo: A Ukrainian drone killed a 5-year-old child near Donetsk

Summary

Two months ago, a Ukrainian drone threw explosives in the yard of a family house in Donetsk. The five-year-old son of the family was stepping out of the house. His remains looked so terrible that he had to be buried in a closed coffin, despite the Orthodox tradition.

Disproof

The disinformation claim above originates from April, 2021 when Russia started mobilising its military forces along the Ukrainian border and the occupied region of Crimea.

The claim, which was covered by EUvsDisinfo, remains doubtful and unverified. The involvement of Ukrainian armed forces in the tragedy also remains unlikely.

According to an OSCE report at the time about military activities in Donbas:

The Mission continued to follow up on the death of a five-year-old boy on 2 April in non-government-controlled Oleksandrivske (47km north-east of Donetsk), a settlement located about 14km south of the contact line (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report of 6 April 2021). On 7 April, in Yenakiieve (non-government-controlled, 41km north-east of Donetsk), the parents of the boy (man and woman, in their thirties) showed the SMM a medical certificate which states that the boy had died on 2 April due to blast trauma and multiple shrapnel wounds.
On the same day, about 6.5m south-west of the house at 36 Dorozhna Street on northern edge of Oleksandrivske, which the boy was visiting, the SMM saw a crater (20cm in width) assessed as recent. It saw multiple holes (2mm-7cm in width) in: the main gate and wooden shed about 12m north-east and 1m south-west, respectively, of the crater, in two metal water tanks about 4m south-west of the crater, and in a wooden fence surrounding a garden about 3.5m south of the crater. It also saw multiple holes (2mm-7cm in width) in two south-western-facing walls of the house as well as in its south-facing wall and front metal door. It also saw that three window panes of a window in one of the south-western-facing walls were shattered. Inside the house, the Mission saw a hole (5cm in width) in the ceiling of the kitchen and two holes (4-5cm in width) in the living room, both located on the south-western side of the house. The SMM could not assess the type of ordnance that caused the crater. It assessed all the above-mentioned damage as recent and probably caused by shrapnel.
On the same day at the house, the grandmother of the boy told the SMM that she had also been injured on 2 April when the explosion occurred. The SMM saw a cut and bruise behind her ear, reportedly caused by glass from a shattered window.

See other cases of disinformation about Ukraine by clicking here.

Go to search

publication/media

hu.news-front.info (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 249
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 14/06/2021
  • Article language(s) Hungarian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine
  • Keywords: Donbas, Eastern Ukraine, War in Ukraine
see more

Disinfo: The US and Europe are demonising Belarus

The US and Europe are demonising Belarusian authorities. They assert that Belarus is the source of threat for regional and international security. The aim of it is to justify any actions against Minsk.

Jun 13, 2021
Disproof

Recurring disinformation about the US and Europe plotting against Belarus.

West is reacting to events in Belarus, including oppression against civil society and the inadequate actions of Minsk, i.e. incident with the Ryanair flight 4978.

Disinfo: The far-right coup government in Kyiv emerged from the 2014 Maidan uprising

Neither the far-right coup government in Kyiv that emerged from the 2014 Maidan uprising nor its successor governments have been willing to take even one step in the spirit of the Minsk II agreement towards reconciliation with the breakaway provinces.

Jun 13, 2021
Disproof

Disinformation about Nazi/Fascist Ukraine and Minsk Agreements.

There was no far-right coup government or coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014; this is a longstanding pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine's Euromaidan protests.

Disinfo: West caused Ukraine coup, Belarus colour revolution

Why does the West allow itself to interfere in Belarus, with funds, coordination and technology of colour revolutions, after it caused the 2014 coup in Ukraine, and the subsequent division in the country? Why does it allow itself to recruit an opposition that openly works for its interests day and night, and then it is surprised by Russia's defence of its interests, lands and sovereignty?

Jun 12, 2021
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the protests in Belarus and Ukraine. This is consistent with the narrative about popular protests around the world which claims that they are incited and funded by Western states, including colour revolutions in post-Soviet states, the “Arab Spring” revolts, Euromaidan in Ukraine, protests in Catalonia and others. It claims that protests, disorders and civil uprisings are never manifestations of popular discontent but are “colour revolutions” directed and funded by the West.

First, Western countries did not organise protests in Belarus. Large-scale protests began in Minsk on August 9 against the results of the presidential election and then spread to other cities. People revolted against election fraud and police violence towards thousands of rally participants.