DISINFO: Russian operation in Ukraine to protect Donbas from genocide
SUMMARY
Russia was forced to start a special military operation to protect Donbas people from genocide. Russophobic Ukrainian nationalists persecuted the Russian language, Russian culture and common history of the two countries. For eight years, the Kiev regime methodically shelled towns and villages in Donbas.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets in a move to justify Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
The material and links may contain distressing/ graphic content.
In reality, Ukrainian troops are fighting Russian invaders who have committed numerous crimes against humanity including the indiscriminate killing of civilians, gang-rapes of women and children, demolition of residential areas and civilian infrastructure, and forceful deportation of Ukrainian adults and children to Russia for further adoption and other crimes. The massacre perpetrated by Russian troops in the city of Bucha outside Kyiv was documented and confirmed by the BBC, Bellingcat, Mediazona, the Insider, Sky News, the New York Times and others. Some politicians have compared these crimes to genocide.
Ukrainian troops are trying to spare as many civilian lives as possible, whereas illegal military formations regularly use civilians as human shields in order to increase the number of civilian deaths when Ukrainians return fire. Illegal armed formations in Donbas have also been caught pounding residential areas. Before Russia launched its unprovoked aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Ukraine had been trying to achieve a negotiated solution to the situation in the non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts through the Minsk Agreements. It was impossible to achieve because the illegal armed formations were regularly breaking the truce.
Read more disinformation cases accusing Ukraine of perpetrating genocide in Donbas.