DISINFO: Russia hits only military targets in Ukraine
SUMMARY
The Russian armed forces do not strike at residential buildings or social infrastructure facilities. Only military targets – whether obvious or camouflaged – are being hit.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that Russian troops do not hit civilian objects and accusing Ukrainian troops of doing so.
In reality, there are numerous cases of Russian troops hitting residential buildings and civilian facilities. Russian forces regularly strike at civilian objects in Ukraine, killing and wounding dozens of people. 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. According to spokesman of Ukraine's Air Force Yuri Ihnat, a Russian Kh-22 missile hit the building. 72 flats were destroyed and more than 230 flats were damaged in the attack. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) published the names of some Russian servicemen involved in the attack.
Three Russian missiles struck several civilian objects in Vinnytsia on 14 July 2022, killing at least 22 people, among them several children. Russian forces hit a hotel, a shopping mall and several other civilian objects in Mykolaiv on 14 July 2022 as well. A residential area was pounded in Kryvyi Rih on 9 July 2022. Russian forces also targeted a shopping mall in Kremenchuk on 28 June 2022.
Read more disinformation cases about Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine which broke out on 24 February 2022.