warcrimes

Myth: Ukrainian soldiers use civilian facilities in Ukraine.

Fact: It’s true that Ukrainian soldiers can be often seen refueling their vehicles at gas stations, having lunch in caffeterias, or receiving parcels in post offices. However the myth that a hypothetical civilian object like a Ukrainian kindergarten or a restaurant has been hit because it was used by the Ukrainian soldiers is the most widespread Russian disinformation used to justify the Russian atrocities committed against Ukrainian civilians.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces use military facilities to accommodate their personnel – like training camps – or prepared positions in the frontline area. It takes Russian terrorists hours to input the target coordinates into the strike drones and missiles, and several more hours to deliver them to their targets either by air or being carried by strategic bombers.

When in 2023 the Russian terrorists hit a restaurant in Kramatorsk with ballistic missiles “Iskander”, killing 13 Ukrainians, they justified this strike stating that the restaurant was occupied with hundreds of Ukrainian and foreign soldiers. The fact is, Russian ballistic missiles couldn’t be programmed and deployed fast enough to perform such strike in the real time, additionally the Russians couldn’t have enough time for the intelligence to be gathered and processed. Also, the restaurant could only house up to 80 clients and staff. In addition to this, the victims were verified as 7 employees of the restaurant and 5 visitors, including a single military.

#atrocities #warcrimes

Myth: Russia doesn’t strike civilian objects in Ukraine.

Fact: Numerous cases of Russia deliberately striking civilian objects were observed and documented, including bomb strikes on the Mariupol Maternity Clinic and Mariupol Theater used as a shelter by the civilians in 2022, or a missile strike on Okhmatdyt Children Hospital in Kyiv in 2023. While some of the Russian strikes on civilians can be explained – but not justified – by errors in targeting, and some particular damage to the civilian infrastructure has been delivered due to the falling remnants of the intercepted Russian missiles and drones, there is a simple reason the Russian terrorists keep striking civilian targets and appartment houses in Ukraine: stretching Ukraine’s air defense.

By attacking Ukraine’s civilian objects – like schools, hospitals, appartment buildings, or kindergartens – Russian terrorists force the Armed Forces of Ukraine to withdraw some of its air defense units to provide cover for residential areas while leaving important strategic facilities – military bases or fuel storages – less protected. This is a purely terrorist tactics utilized by the Russian invaders since 2022, when the Russian air force failed to establish air dominance due to an effective Ukraine’s air defense.

#atrocities #warcrimes