DISINFO: Dead pregnant woman in Mariupol is actually alive
SUMMARY
Earlier, it was already reported how the Ukrainians held a staged photoshoot at the Mariupol maternity hospital and, with the Ukrainian president in the lead, claimed that Russia had launched an airstrike on the facility. It was reported that there were only casualties from the attack, and later it was announced that a pregnant woman had died, who turned up alive today in another Ukrainian photograph.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative trying to whitewash the war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
There is no evidence that the bombing of the Mariupol maternity hospital was staged. According to reports, there were at least three dead and 17 wounded after the airstrikes. The disinformation article provides no evidence for its claims and tries to paint a picture that the Western media is intentionally lying. The deceased woman’s linked social media account is inactive since the end of February. Read our article addressing the bombing of the Mariupol hospital for more details.
This claim is a part of a wider narrative trying to downplay the Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure. Contrary to these claims the UN have recorded at least 2,421 civilian casualties, including 925 people killed and 1496 injured, since Russia started its unjustified military aggression against Ukraine on 24 February. However, the exact figures are likely to be much higher as ongoing hostilities have hindered the authorities’ ability to verify possible cases in many parts of the country.
Most of the civilian casualties are from airstrikes and explosive weapons used by Russian forces with wide area effects, including heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems. As a result, hundreds of residential buildings in many cities, including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mariupol and Kyiv have been damaged and destroyed.
See the EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.