INDEPENDENT MEDIA REPORTED REPRESSIONS AGAINST RUSSIANS IN DONBAS
Myth: Numerous independent journalists from the West documented crimes committed by the Ukrainian Army against the Russians living in Donbas.
Fact: Russians live in Russia. People living in Donbas are Ukrainians, because Donbas (Donietsk and Luhansk oblasts) belong to Ukraine. And while vast population of this territory speaks Russian, it doesn’t necessarily make them Russian citizens – just like speaking English doesn’t make the US citizens British.
The myth that “independent journalists” like Patrick Lancaster documented Ukrainian massacres of Russian-speaking civilians in Donbas is a product of Russian propaganda, not credible journalism. Lancaster, an American who previously worked with the Kremlin-funded outlet Russia Today before the war in Donbas, has consistently produced content that aligns with Russian state narratives, often embedded with Russian or separatist forces and granted access denied to genuine independent reporters. His so-called reporting relies heavily on unverifiable claims, staged scenes, and anecdotal testimony, frequently misattributing Russian attacks to Ukrainian forces. Contrary to these claims, investigations by the UN, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have found no evidence of systematic killings of Russian speakers by Ukraine — Russian disinformation has used this false narrative to justify aggression and obscure its own war crimes, including civilian bombings and forced deportations.








