Attributing war crimes to Ukraine’s armed forces through selective unverified allegations

What it claims

Strikes on civilian sites and people are attributed to Ukrainian forces as evidence of supposedly systematic war crimes. Individual reports of damage, injuries, or protected sites are reduced to the assertion that Ukrainian troops deliberately attack civilians. Personal data of service members are also circulated while branding them as “killers” and “war criminals.”

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• Ukrainian forces deliberately strike a passenger bus in Horlivka, injuring people, including children.

  Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВО, 19 Sept 2026 · Archived copy

• A Ukrainian drone operator is responsible for civilian deaths and strikes on civilian infrastructure on the left bank of Kherson region.

  FREE KHERSON, 19 Sept 2026 · Archived copy

We link archived copies rather than the posts themselves, so that checking our work sends no traffic to the source. Where a platform cannot be archived, we print the post's address instead of linking it.

Goal

To convince Russian audiences that Ukrainian forces are inherently criminal, justify a harsh Russian response, and weaken empathy for Ukrainian civilians.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUkrainian service members are called “terrorists,” “punishers,” and “war criminals” without presenting verified evidence of individual guilt.
• Causal OversimplificationReports of damage to civilian sites or injured people are presented as direct proof of a deliberate Ukrainian policy against civilians.

The real grievance it exploits

Fear for the safety of relatives, homes, transport, and vital infrastructure in areas affected by the war.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: It is important to separate reporting on a specific incident from a conclusion about a deliberate policy. A war crime requires establishing the circumstances, the target, evidence, and individual responsibility—not emotional labels alone.
• Prebunk: When a post both calls people “criminals” and circulates their personal data, it may be trying to inflame hatred or encourage harassment. Do not recirculate such data, and look for independently confirmed information about the incident.

Sources (all time)

• Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВОTier 115,784 subscribers
  13 posts · 18 Sept – 13 Oct 2026

  • 13 Oct · t.me/MonitoringUA/95870
  • 13 Oct · t.me/MonitoringUA/95862
  • 9 Oct · t.me/MonitoringUA/95780
  • 9 Oct · t.me/MonitoringUA/95774
  • 22 Sept · t.me/MonitoringUA/95360
  • 22 Sept · t.me/MonitoringUA/95358
  • 22 Sept · t.me/MonitoringUA/95357
  • 20 Sept · t.me/MonitoringUA/95320
  • 20 Sept · t.me/MonitoringUA/95314
  • 19 Sept · Archived copy
  • +3 more
• ЗеРадаTier 1425,270 subscribers
  1 post · 17 Sept 2026

  • 17 Sept · t.me/ZeRada1/32291
• FREE KHERSONTier 38,586 subscribers
  4 posts · 18–20 Sept 2026

  • 20 Sept · t.me/free_kherson_z/18446
  • 20 Sept · t.me/free_kherson_z/18445
  • 19 Sept · Archived copy
  • 18 Sept · t.me/free_kherson_z/18423
• Одесский партизанTier 33,520 subscribers
  2 posts · 23 Sept 2026

  • 23 Sept · t.me/odessa_partizan/3756
  • 23 Sept · t.me/odessa_partizan/3754