Fake story about the death of a woman in detention centre who tried to raise a Russian flag
russian propagandists are circulating false claims about the alleged death of “a woman in Odesa who attempted to raise a russian flag at the city’s European Square on October 7.” These propaganda outlets cite “some Ukrainian telegram channels” as sources.
One of the fake posts claims that she died of “heart problems” while other “sources” suggest she was killed.
However, this information is false.
It is likely that the propagandists are trying to divert attention from russia’s crimes and discredit Ukraine, especially in the context of the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who was held hostage by the russians.
What we actually know:
- The woman in question is currently under house arrest, not in a detention facility;
- NO Ukrainian official sources or media outlets have confirmed any information about her death;
- The fake claims originate solely from russian sources that fail to provide evidence and refer only to anonymous Ukrainian telegram channels.
Refutation
There is no information in Ukrainian-language media about the death of a pro-russian resident of Odesa. There are only mentions of the incident itself, which occurred a few days ago.
Behind the News contacted the Odesa Regional Police Department. They confirmed that a court ordered house arrest for the woman, and NOT incarceration in a pre-trial detention centre.
She faces criminal charges for “justifying, recognizing as lawful, denying the armed aggression of the russian Federation against Ukraine, and glorifying its participants.” If convicted, she could face up to three years in prison. The fact that she is under house arrest, NOT in a pre-trial detention centre, definitively proves the impossibility of the russian claims about her death in custody.
Therefore, we can conclude that the woman in question is NOT in a pre-trial detention centre. This means that she could NOT have died there, as russian propagandists write about it.
Important!
The timing of the disinformation campaign about the pro-russian activist in Odesa appears calculated to deflect attention from the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died while being held hostage by russian forces.
The false narrative seems designed to create a false equivalency for international audiences, suggesting that detainee deaths occur in both countries, while simultaneously distracting from russia’s actions in Roshchyna’s case
Prepared by Pavlo Novyk.
Ukrainian journalists and media professionals call on the international community to take decisive and immediate action regarding the murder of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna. To sign the statement, please fill out the following Google form.
You can read the statement and find the details for transferring funds to support Viktoria Roshchyna’s family here.