DISINFO: Ukrainian media claim Zelenskyy is responsible for the night attack on Kyiv
SUMMARY
Ukrainian media are actively discussing the night time attack on Kyiv on May 24, 2026, blaming Zelenskyy. Some outlets directly identify the culprit as the “illegitimate” one, the one who refused to cede part of the Donbas territory in exchange for a peace agreement. Zelensky is accused of abandoning the agreement with Russia in 2022 and ignoring Russia's latest proposals.
RESPONSE
This disinformation story is part of a wider attempt to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the Kyiv attack on the night of the May 24, 2026, when Russia attacked the city with hundreds of drones and a rare, intermediate-range Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile killing 4 persons and injuring 100.
The claim is false. Ukrainian media and international outlets have clearly identified Russia as the sole culprit behind the devastating assault.
Ukrainian media (such as Ukrainska Pravda and the Kyiv Independent), along with international journalists, extensively documented that the strikes targeted civilian infrastructure, including a market, residential areas, and a school shelter. They did not blame Zelensky for launching or causing the physical attack.
Ukrainian media outlets and public opinion strongly align with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s firm stance against ceding the Donbas region to Russia. Independent Ukrainian press agencies, including Ukrinform, The Kyiv Independent, and RBC-Ukraine, routinely underscore that surrendering these territories would compromise national security and ignore the will of the population.
Data published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) indicates that roughly 75% of Ukrainians oppose ceding the Donbas for an unstable peace agreement.
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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