Russian propaganda channels are circulating a fabricated story claiming that servicemen from Ukraine's 95th Air Assault Brigade murdered three civilians near the village of Nyzy in Sumy Oblast, the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reported on Facebook.
The disinformation campaign relies on a fake screenshot designed to resemble an official post from the Sumy Regional Police Facebook page.
"To make the story seem credible, they are sharing a fabricated screenshot that looks like a post from the official Facebook page of the Sumy Regional Police," the Center said. The post claims the alleged victims were involved in illegal alcohol production and includes two photos showing jugs with mash and jars of moonshine.
The Center confirmed that no such post exists on any official National Police of Ukraine pages. "There are no mentions or matching photos on the police's official accounts or in regional media," the Center stated.
Several details expose the fabrication. Real police reports include watermarks on crime scene photos, which this fake lacks. The choice of images also raises questions. "For a report about a triple murder, one would expect photos of the crime scene or weapon, not containers of homemade alcohol," the Center emphasized.
No local media outlets have covered the alleged incident, despite the fact that a triple murder would generate significant regional news coverage.
The National Police confirmed to the Center that the Russian-spread story about a "triple murder in Sumy Oblast" is fake.
"Such fabrications are part of Russia's ongoing campaign to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Fake-makers take real criminal news stories and add false details about alleged involvement of Ukrainian troops," the statement reads. The Center has debunked multiple similar fakes in the past.
"The enemy's goal is to undermine public trust in the military and sow division between soldiers and civilians," the Center said.
As Ukrinform previously reported, Russian propaganda intensified its disinformation campaign in mid-October, spreading narratives about Ukraine's alleged unpreparedness for winter and inability to resist Russia.
