Original article (in Bosnian) was published on 16/01/2023
Several media reported that 600 members of the Ukrainian army were killed at the beginning of the year, stating that the source is the Russian Ministry of Defense, but without any indication that these are unconfirmed allegations that the Ukrainian side disputes.
On January 8, 2023, the web portal of the Russian state media Russia Today in the Serbian language published an article entitled:
Retribution for the soldiers from Makiivka – more than 600 Ukrainian soldiers were killed near Kramatorsk
The article states that the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces killed 600 soldiers in an attack on the Ukrainian army’s accommodation in Kramatorsk.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that in revenge for what was done to Russian soldiers in Makiivka, not far from the city of Donetsk, in early January, Moscow successfully attacked Ukrainian soldiers in Kramatorsk and killed more than 600 of them.
During the day, temporary Ukrainian military centers were discovered in the city of Kramatorsk, in the north of the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian soldiers were located. There were more than 700 military personnel in dormitory number 28, and more than 600 in dormitory number 47.
“As a result of a massive rocket attack on these points by Ukrainian troops, more than 600 soldiers were killed,” the ministry’s official announcement states, as reported by “RIA Novosti”.
Allegations about 600 killed Ukrainian soldiers were published on nine other web portals: Politika, Logicno, Glas Srpske, Srbija Danas, Oksvir, 24 sedam, Pravda, Srbin and Politicki. In all these publications, the statements of the Russian Ministry of Defense are presented as facts in headlines.
More than 600 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a “retaliation operation” (Logicno)
THE RUSSIANS JUST WAITED FOR THE CEASE-FIRE TO PASS: AN INCOMPLETE revenge followed, and more than 600 Ukrainian soldiers were killed! (Srbija Danas)
Portal Politicki (.ba) stated in its article that the claims of the Russian Ministry were “reliably” confirmed by several “independent channels”, without specifying which channels they were.
What are the facts?
Ukraine announced that about 400 Russian military personnel were killed in the New Year’s attack in Makiivka, a city in the Donetsk region. The Russian authorities then announced that the use of mobile phones was to blame for the discovery of the positions of the Russian forces, stating that 89 people were killed on that occasion. Shortly after this attack, Russia shelled Kramatorsk.
On January 8, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on its platforms that 600 members of the Ukrainian army were killed in the attack on Kramatorsk. A search in English shows that many world media have published this news. In an article published on January 8, 2023, Reuters reported the allegations of the Russian Ministry of Defense with the remark that they could not confirm the accuracy of the allegations.
A search in the languages of the local speaking area shows a number of media outlets that have published a translation of the Reuters news in their articles. However, in the article of the Russia Today web portal and the analyzed transmissions, there is no mention that this is information that has not been confirmed by other sources.
The accuracy of the statements from the announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense was checked by StopFake, a Ukrainian fact-checking web portal. In the analysis published on January 10, 2023, it is stated that this is an incorrect statement. StopFake states that journalists based in Kramatorsk have announced that there is no confirmation of the death of so many soldiers and that Russian missiles have missed some targets.
Journalists based in Kramatorsk published photos from the scene on the same day and do not confirm the death of Ukrainian soldiers.
According to Italian journalist Daniele Raineri, the Russian rocket missed its target near student dormitory number 28, but made a big hole in the ground. The rocket also missed the target near student dormitory number 47.
“There is a big pit in front of the house, the place is empty”, the journalist wrote on Twitter.
“The rocket fell next to the educational building (PTU No. 47 – editor’s note) – it blew out all the windows and doors”, Kramatorsk Post journalist Oleksij Ladika stated in his report.
Additionally, StopFake states that the Finnish journalist Antti Kuronen, who visited the scene, also stated that he did not find any signs of the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers.
“I am on the spot and it is a bit strange that the building is not even sealed (PTU No. 47, editor’s note). Local residents didn’t see any ambulances in the morning either”, Antti Kuronen wrote on his Twitter account.
According to the journalist, he heard explosions during the night. In the morning, the army arrived on the scene, but there was no one in the building. The journalist also published a photo taken on the territory of PTU number 28, where a Russian rocket fell in front of the old garages.
“I must say that right now I believe in the observations and statements of Ukraine more than the statements of the Ministry of Defense of Russia about more than 600 dead Ukrainian soldiers”, summarized Antti Kuronen.
Based on the testimony of a Finnish journalist, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) concluded that the allegations of the Russian ministry were false.
The Ukrainian side also reacted to the allegations of the Russian Ministry. In a statement to the BBC, the spokesman of the Ukrainian army, Serhij Cherevati, called these allegations “Russian propaganda”.
Statements and testimonies refuting the allegations of 600 killed Ukrainian soldiers are not listed in the analyzed articles. Instead, they feature the statements of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and in some headlines, they were presented as facts.
Since the analyzed articles provided information from a single source and without a context that would explain that it was not confirmed, we asses the headlines in which they are presented as facts as manipulation of facts.