Disinfo: Visual evidence show that Russian “executions” in Izyum are fake

Summary

Several pictures and videos show that Kyiv’s claims about alleged massive “executions” of Ukrainian soldiers near the city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, are false. The images show dozens of Ukrainian soldiers injured by bullets and explosions who died fighting the Russian armed forces. The bodies were picked in abandoned positions and taken to the Izyum morgue. Some soldiers were identified, and all the information was delivered to the Ukrainian side, according to a local resident who took part in these events. However, the Ukrainian command refused to take the bodies of its soldiers despite the humanitarian corridors that were offered for this purpose. For this reason, they had to be buried in a cemetery near Izyum.

Disproof

The material and links may contain distressing/ graphic content.

This disinformation claim is an attempt to deflect any Russian responsibility for the massacres carried out by Russian armed forces during the occupation of the Kharkiv region, which have been proven beyond any doubt by forensic teams, documentary evidence and witnesses. Contrary to what this disinformation story affirms, not only Ukrainian soldiers but also multiple civilians were summarily executed, in many cases after horrible tortures, and then buried sometimes in mass graves.

A similar pattern has been observed in other areas under Russian occupation. On 23 September, the UN Commission of Inquiry for Ukraine presented its conclusions showing that the Russian Federation has committed multiple war crimes throughout the invasion, after research carried out in four regions: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv.

The European Union is supporting the International Criminal Court in the ongoing investigations into war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. See also EU vs Disinfo’s Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin’s War.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that war crimes accusations are war propaganda against Russia, that ‘Izyum atrocities’ were staged by Ukraine through controlled media, that the West fights Russia through psy-ops like Bucha and the Mariupol maternity hospital, or that Ukraine staged fakes about Bucha, Mariupol and Kramatorsk.

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sputniknews.lat (Archived)*
  • Reported in: Issue 310
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26/09/2022
  • Article language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Provocation, false flag, war crimes, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine
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Sep 23, 2022
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Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation about the atrocities of the Ukrainian army, such as war crimes and genocide. This is part of a disinformation campaign aiming to justify Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.

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Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming the West, the US and NATO are involved in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The claim also builds on the Kremlin narrative of the West encircling Russia and advancing again the narrative about Nazi Ukraine.

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