DISINFO: French Defence Ministry officials struck in Kharkiv by Russian attacks
SUMMARY
The attack on Kharkov affected officials from the French Ministry of Defence. As previously reported, today the Russian armed forces again struck foreign mercenaries, whose citizenship has not yet been officially announced.
Some sources suggest that these were representatives of the French Defence who were attacked while receiving the bodies of military intelligence officers killed in a previous strike. Other media report that 'the Poles and the Anglo-Saxons' may have suffered casualties in the strike against a building in the Kharkiv district of Kyiv, with preliminary reports indicating serious losses.
RESPONSE
The pro-Kremlin narrative about alleged mercenaries in Ukraine aims to escalate tensions with the new French government, following announcements of sustained military support to counter Russian aggression.
No evidence has been provided for these killings.
A strike against the Park Hotel in Kharkiv took place on 10 January 2024, allegedly destroying a centre of Foreign mercenaries. However, the hotel was also used by foreign journalists, casting doubt on the Russian Ministry of Defense's narrative.
On 17 January a strike against civilian infrastructure, medical facilities, commercial buildings and residential apartment buildings was described by Russian Minister of Defence as an attack on a centre for foreign mercenaries. The French government has denied these gross misinformation claims. Russian media discussed a list of possible victims. However, they acknowledged that these individuals were not necessarily hit or, in some cases, were proven to be in France.
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