DISINFO: Russia’s action in Ukraine is a special operation, not war
SUMMARY
Russia’s actions in Ukraine are a special operation, not a war because the targets of its troops are limited to military facilities and objects.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets trying to justify Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
[The material and links may contain distressing/graphic content.]
In reality, Russia’s action in Ukraine is an all-out war with atrocities, numerous civilian casualties and heavy destruction. According to official UN data, 4,253 civilians were killed and 5,141 injured as of 6 June 2022. According to unofficial data, up to 22,000 civilians have died in Mariupol alone. Mariupol, Volnovakha, Kharkiv, Izyum, Sumy, Chernihiv, Irpin, Bucha, Bila Tserkva, Mykolayiv, Borodyanka and many others have been heavily destroyed. In Kyiv alone, 390 buildings including 222 apartment buildings have been destroyed. Russian troops have also damaged dozens of culturally important sites in Ukraine.
Evidence of Russian atrocities in the town of Bucha outside Kyiv is overwhelming. Several executions and shootings of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha were recorded on video by witnesses and Ukrainian drones. Incriminatory radio conversations by Russian troops were intercepted and released by German intelligence. Dozens of Bucha survivors have been interviewed by world-class international outlets, including The New York Times, BBC, The Washington Post, Associated Press, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, Radio France Internationale, Al Jazeera, or El País. Ukrainian forensic teams are uncovering further evidence of these Russian war crimes.
Read more about the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.