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Mariupol has been destroyed by Ukrainian (nationalist) forces in the city, desperate for not getting any reinforcements from Kyiv, the Russian government media writes. The narrative is meant to draw attention away from the fact that the Russian army shelled the city systematically, without caring about killing civilians or causing damage.
NEWS: “Ukrainian troops were deliberately destroying houses in Mariupol, firing from tanks against them, and as a result several floors were set on fire at the same time, Roman Filimonov, an inhabitant of Mariupol who witnessed the events, said. […]
In the wake of the chaos created by Ukrainian nationalists in Mariupol, the city is affected by a terrible humanitarian catastrophe, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia’s Defensive Management Center has told a press briefing. The bands of soldiers were scattered, as they realized receiving any real help from Kyiv was impossible, so they mounted a genuine terror campaign on the districts they still control”.
NARRATIVE: Mariupol was destroyed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Journalists with RIA NOVOSTI quote Roman Filimonov, an “eye-witness”, although they provide no details about who he is, when he gave his account and to whom. Other media outlets, Russian or local, make no mention about the alleged attacks of the Ukrainian army on the city, which in fact they are defending.
The false narrative built around a single unverified “eye-witness report” is reinforced by the declaration of a Russian official, who refers to the Ukrainian military as “bands of nationalists”, accusing them of torching and destroying Mariupol. His statement is however illogical, given that the defenders of a city need to preserve as many infrastructure buildings as possible, on which they can rely during their defensive efforts. The purpose of any army is to protect the population and defend its territory from any damage. The damage however is caused by the invading forces that are not capable of advancing without the support of their artillery, which they are using to neutralize the resistance.
If we monitor the information posted on Facebook by the inhabitants of Mariupol, we notice that no one wrote anything about the aggression of Ukrainian nationalists or about tanks of the Ukrainian armed forces opening fire on houses.
International observers and journalists have documented numerous attacks of Russia on civilian objectives in Donbas, including in Mariupol. The global community was shocked by Russia’s shelling of the theatre in Mariupol, which was sheltering some 1,000 people. The building had been marked as a shelter for children.
Ever since the start of the war, Russian propaganda has tried to justify the invasion of Ukraine and the bombing of civilian objectives, including schools and hospitals. According to a propaganda narrative debunked by Veridica, Ukraine was planning an imminent attack on Donbas, while Kyiv was concealing its intentions by deploying troops in schools and hospitals. In fact, by fostering such narratives, Russia virtually admits it attacked schools, theatres and kindergartens, claiming it was targeting Ukrainian military.
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