DISINFO: Russian action in Ukraine aimed at helping civilians, Kyiv must not interfere

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

The material and links may contain distressing/graphic content.

In reality, thousands and thousands of Ukrainians have been killed and injured by Russian troops in Moscow’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, which appears to follow the same playbook as Russia's wars in Chechnya and Syria in an attempt to inflict as many civilian casualties as possible. Russia unleashed this war to force Ukraine back to the sphere of Moscow’s influence, rather than to protect civilians.

According to human rights organisations and to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the invasion of Ukraine was carried out through indiscriminate attacks and strikes on civilian objects such as houses, hospitals, schools and kindergartens.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 3,942 civilians killed and 4,591 injured, by 24 May according to the UN mission update, and 258 children have died and more than 427 were wounded, reports the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

There is plenty of evidence of attacks on civilian targets: attacks on cultural properties; attacks on hospitals and medical care facilities; Mariupol theatre airstrike; Mariupol hospital airstrike; mass shelling of residential areas; bombing of Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Odesa etc.

WHO records 100th attack on health care in Ukraine: Of the current total of 103 attacks, 89 have impacted health facilities and 13 have impacted transport, including ambulances.

Read OSCE Report on violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity commited in Ukraine since 24 February 2022.

See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War