DISINFO: The Ukranian Armed Forces are deliberately shelling civilians in Bakhmut
SUMMARY
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) did not allow the Wagner group to help civilians get out of Bakhmut. The AFU units were actually using the civilians as human shields and preventing people from leaving the area. If civilians attempt to escape the zone they are shelled by the Ukrainian military.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives aiming to justify Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, claiming that Ukrainian forces are deliberately shelling civilian targets in Bakhmut while Russian forces simply want to liberate and help the locals.
This is manifestly a big lie as Russian forces including from the Wagner private military company have been attacking and shelling Bakhmut for months and started the offensive against the city. There is little "humanitarian evacuation" reason to be found. The narrative is aimed at detracting attention from Russia's atrocities and systematic attacks on civilians.
Ukraine is resisting Russia’s unlawful military invasion and the illegal annexation of its territory. In accordance with the UN Charter and international law, Ukraine is exercising its inherent right of self-defense against Russian aggression. It has the right to liberate and regain full control of all occupied territories within its internationally recognized borders. Pro-Kremlin media, nonetheless, regularly portray Ukrainian military operations as attacks against civilians.
In reality, there is abundant evidence of Russia committing war crimes in Ukraine, such as the shelling of hospitals, churches, shopping malls, killing civilians, raping, as well as using imprecise weapons. For instance, on 14 January 2023, at least 40 people were killed and 76 were wounded in a Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro when an apartment building was hit.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, confirm that the invasion of Ukraine was carried out through indiscriminate attacks and strikes on civilian objects. The latest casualty figures as of 22 May 2023 from the UN mission count for 24, 012 civilian casualties in Ukraine: 8,895 killed and 15,117 injured.
The European Union is supporting the International Criminal Court in the ongoing investigations into war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Read more disinformation cases about Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine which broke out on 24 February 2022.
Note: some Russian pro-Kremlin outlets use the Soviet-era name "Artemivsk" for Bakhmut.