DISINFO: Ukraine deliberately shells civilians, Russia only military targets
SUMMARY
This is the regime [of the Ukrainian authorities] that loudly announces its plans for the massive shelling of the Russian civilian population and civilian objects.
Russia's retaliatory measures are only being taken against military facilities used by the Ukrainian army.
It is unfortunate that the West is only reacting to Moscow’s just and lawful response to the terrorist acts of Kyiv.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narratives from pro-Kremlin outlets denying Russian war crimes and accusing Ukraine of committing atrocities and targeting civilians. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine to deflect Russia’s responsibility for potential war crimes.
There is no evidence that the Ukrainian army is intentionally killing civilians while repelling Russia’s aggression. Accusing Ukraine of war crimes, atrocities and illicit actions without proof or through faked testimonies has been a regular practice by Russian authorities and pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets throughout the war. These allegations are part of a strategy to discredit Ukraine and deflect attention from Russia's military aggression and human rights violations committed by Russia in Ukraine.
By contrast, Russian attacks against non-combatants and civilian infrastructure, such as largest air attack of the war to date (as of late May 2025) which damaged mostly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, killing at least 12 people and injuring 79, have been a constant throughout the invasion, despite non-credible denials by Russian officials and pro-Kremlin disinformation. Since 2022, Russia has attacked civilian targets multiple times, including the city theatre in Mariupol, residential buildings, schools and energy facilities.
On 05 March 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against two Russian top officials considered responsible for “missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure" between October 2022 and March 2023, which are considered as war crimes.
Denying war crimes and shifting blame is a key tactic in pro-Kremlin disinformation. In our article, 1,000 and 4,000 Days of Using Disinformation to Hide War Crimes and Atrocities, we explore how the Kremlin uses lies to cover up violence, with deception serving to justify brutality.
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