At the beginning of September 2024, messages went viral on the RuNet that as a result of the shelling of a Ukrainian city, instructors from Sweden were allegedly injured, and minors were forced to donate blood for their treatment. We have verified the accuracy of this story.
On the morning of September 3, 2024, Russian troops inflicted missile attack on Poltava. The building of the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization came under fire, as a result of which, according to the latest official data Ukrainian authorities, 58 people were killed and more than 320 were injured. Director of the Institute Igor Matsyuk statedthat the attack occurred while most of the cadets were in class. Ukrainian Ground Forces confirmedthat as a result of the strike, servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed. Ukrainian command start investigation of the incident in an attempt to determine whether enough was done to protect the lives and health of the cadets.
Later that same day, posts circulated on the RuNet, according to which Swedish instructors also died in Poltava. For example, in the Telegram channel Colonelcassad (2.1 million views at the time of writing this analysis, taking into account the repost of the channel “The world today with "Yuri Podolyak"") the following post appeared: “In addition to a large number of Ukrainian Armed Forces military personnel, several foreign instructors from Sweden were killed during a missile attack on the Signal Corps training center in Poltava. Britta Ellwanger, a foreign volunteer who works in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and studied with the deceased instructor at one of the Swedish universities, writes about this. Let us recall that it was Sweden that planned to supply two ASC 890 AWACS aircraft, the training of the on-board personnel of which corresponds to the profile of the training center. The missile attack in Poltava began to sparkle with new colors.” This publication also included a screenshot of a Facebook post allegedly posted by Ellwanger.
Similar posts about Swedish mercenaries appeared in the channels Mash (1.2 million views; it is stated that the death toll from the strike exceeds 200 people), Lostarmour | Carthago delenda est! (457,000), "Two majors"(365,000), "Evil proof️"(221,000; claimed to have been more than 190 dead), "Uncle Slava"(202,000), Voblya (178,000), "Ukraine.ru"(131,000), "Sheikh Tamir"(129,000) and "Ostashko! Important" (twice: 118,000 And 107,000). TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov spoke about this not only in his Telegram channel, but also in on air Russian television. Among the media, similar notes mentioning Ellwanger were released “Arguments and facts", "Reporter", Avia.Pro, Arbat.media And News.ru (the latest publication also claims that more than 100 “mercenaries” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed). Many similar posts can be found in “VKontakte", as well as in English on the social network X. Thus, the pro-Kremlin blogger Lord Bebo wrote about Ellwanger’s message twice (404,000 And 41,000 views).
On the evening of September 3, the Russian segment of social networks and the media disagreed messages, as if in Poltava minor children are encouraged to donate blood to save soldiers from Sweden. For example, in the Telegram channel of a TV presenter Olesya Loseva (47,000 views) says: “A Ukrainian doctor is outraged that in Poltava children under 18 are forced to donate blood for Ukrainian defenders and mercenaries. “Well, okay, you don’t think about children, but think about doctors. Are we supposed to pump out every teenager who faints after donation? So we’ll end up pumping out children instead of treating military personnel.” As evidence, the publication provides a screenshot of a Facebook post.
Similar posts can be found in other Telegram channels, including “Kot Kostyan - official channel"(92,000 views), "Roman Khudyakov "Decent Life""(88,000), "Voice of Mordor"(85,000), "Sheikh Tamir"(45,000, post deleted), "Actually in Kharkov"(41,000), "First Kharkov"(17,000), etc. Public posts on VKontakte wrote about calls to young residents of Poltava to donate blood (examples here And here), as well as the publication “Arguments and Facts” (on website and in Telegram), "Evening Moscow" And "Arguments of the week"
Swedish mercenaries
29 May 2024 Swedish government presented its 16th and largest military aid package to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Among other things, it was reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be given ASC 890 air surveillance and control aircraft. Later, the media clarifiedthat Sweden will send two such flying radars to Ukraine. In addition, Stockholm pledged to provide Kyiv with “a comprehensive solution for training, technical equipment and methodological support for aerial surveillance, command and control.”
After the missile attack on Poltava on September 3, a post by volunteer Britta Ellwanger, which she allegedly posted on her Facebook page, was circulated online. The text of the entry reads:
"I recently wrote about Kherson, where people honored the memory of the fallen defenders of Ukraine. Honestly, I deal with loss too often. I feel other people's pain and help families get through it when they lose someone. But, to be honest, I have always feared the day when death would overtake a loved one - someone who is dear to me. I don't know how I can handle this on my own, but I know I need to talk about it.
Today my close friend died in Poltava; we studied together at Linköping University (one of the largest universities Sweden. — Approx. ed.). Friends from among military volunteers said that the guys would hardly have been able to survive such a strong blow. They have been helping Ukrainian children for several months now... Rest in peace, dear. I don’t know exactly how many of ours died, but we will always remember you guys...»
Ellwanger - director of the charity project Ukraine Relief, which was launched by the US-registered non-profit organization For Peace. According to the site forpeace.us, until February 24, 2022, Ellwanger was a student in the master's program "Anti-Corruption Studies" at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. It is noted that she lives and works in Ukraine for more than ten years, and previously received a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University.
Ellwanger really has page on Facebook, whose avatar and other photos match those shown in the viral screenshot. However, the description of her profile does not say that she studied at Linköping University or other Swedish higher education institutions. According to the section on education on Ellwanger’s page, in 2015 she graduated from Stanford University, a year later from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and in 2021 she entered a Kiev university. There is no viral post about Poltava on her page. Moreover, on the evening of September 3 at Facebook and in social networks X Ellwanger stated that the image distributed on the RuNet is a fake.
"Hi all.
Unfortunately, my identity was used in a Russian disinformation campaign. I have been advised that this post (shown in the attached picture) is in the public domain.
If you see him, please send complaints about him.
I did not write the post shown in the picture below. The image is completely doctored and edited to look like a screenshot from my Facebook page.”
In conversation with the Swedish publication SVT Ellwanger added: “I don’t know a single Swede in Ukraine, I don’t work with a single Swede in Ukraine and I don’t know anyone who suffered from the terrorist attack in Poltava.” However, she added that she did not study in Sweden. In addition, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in emails to SVT, dpa And Logically Facts reported that the department has no information about the injured citizens of their country in Poltava. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently has no data on Swedes killed or wounded in connection with the attack,” the press service said. September 4 on the website of the Swedish Armed Forces also refuted information about the Swedish instructors who died in Poltava.
The earliest publication with a fake screenshot among those that were found “Verified” appeared on September 3 at 15:30 Moscow time in the Telegram channel “Kot Kostyan - official channel"(88,000 views). Moreover, there the volunteer was mistakenly presented under the name Elvander. Note that reports of dead Swedish mercenaries without mentioning Ellwanger and without a fake screenshot appeared a little earlier. Thus, the earliest post “Verified” was found in the channel “Military observer"(55,000 views), where the entry was published at 15:24 with a link to unnamed Ukrainian resources. Both of these channels tens times were caught in the spread of misinformation, and in one of our recent analysis we talked about the same scheme for its distribution: first, a text version of the fake was posted in the Military Observer, and soon fake supporting materials appeared in Kot Kostyan.
On September 4, the story about the Swedish mercenaries who allegedly died in Poltava continued. That day, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström announced that he had resigned and planned to retire from politics. “It was not an easy decision, but I had been thinking about it for some time,” wrote politician on the social network X. Russian media and Telegram channels linked Billström’s departure with the September 3 attack. “The reasons for the resignation have not been disclosed, but independent journalists associate this with the death of Swedish soldiers in Poltava, who were sent there precisely on Billström’s initiative and whose families are now trying to find out who sent them there,” the channel said.Evil proof️"(217,000 views). Similar notes appeared in Telegram channels “Sheikh Tamir"(138,000 views), "Ostashko! Important" (104,000) "Petya the First"(82,000), "Tsargrad TV" (67,000) and on newspaper websites "Moskovsky Komsomolets" And "Arguments and facts"
Billström did not give a reason for his resignation. As shown above, evidence of the death of Swedish instructors in Poltava was forged. The argument used by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels is based on the widespread logical error “after means because of this”, and is also supported by a reference to unnamed independent journalists. The Swedish media, in turn, based on conversations with sources suggestthat Billström’s conflict with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson over the appointment of a new Secretary of State could be behind the resignation, but representatives of both ministers denied this.
Although the Armed Forces of Ukraine are really on the side are fighting foreign volunteers, “Verified” has previously repeatedly refuted fakes related to the participation of professional military personnel from Western countries in hostilities. So, we sorted out unreliable reports that the Polish general died in Donbass as a result of an Iskander strike that France sent fighters of the Foreign Legion to Ukraine and what is in Mariupol gave up American general captured. As for foreign instructors, at the end of August the European Union rejected Kyiv’s request to train troops directly on the territory of Ukraine, and not in allied countries. At the same time, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that by the end of the year, an additional 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in EU states “as close to Ukraine as possible.”
Donor children
Due to the large number of casualties as a result of the September 3 strike, Poltava authorities called residents to donate blood, and, according to publications in the Ukrainian media, citizens responded to this request. For example, the publication "Focus" led this quote from a local resident: “After the first message that blood was needed, about 15 minutes later the hospital said that today blood was no longer needed. 75 people came immediately.” Soon after the shelling, the chief physician of the regional blood transfusion station, Vladimir Rudikov statedthat during the day about 150 Poltava residents turned to the institution. “We prepared about 75 liters of donor blood. It will now still be examined, processed, stored, transported, etc. and will also be issued to medical institutions as needed. People on the Internet saw the need, and somehow a lot of people of all ages organized themselves,” said Rudikov. According to him, some donors were offered to donate blood over the next few days. So, September 4 Rudikov predicted, that even more citizens will come - up to 200, and noted: “We fully satisfy the needs of the victims for donor blood.” Moreover, the doctor added that the station cannot take blood from everyone.
According to Ukrainian law, minors cannot donate blood. Ministry of Health of the country reportsthat any capable Ukrainian can become a donor or foreigner with a residence permit in Ukraine, over 18 years of age and weighing at least 50 kg. In addition, those wishing to donate blood must first undergo an appropriate medical examination.
In most publications, the story about child donors in Poltava is told with reference to a certain Ukrainian doctor, while some posts also provide a screenshot of a Facebook post from user Victoria Omelyanenko. On her page she allegedly wrote:
“Friends, I have never seen anything like this before!
Now everyone knows that there is not enough blood, because there are so many wounded. And here the military commanders found a way out. A whole bunch of schoolchildren were brought to our hospital for donation. Of course, by force, I’m not sure that the parents even knew about it. None of them are 18 years old, of course.
I respect my Swedish colleagues who, together with our defenders, defend Ukrainian soil. But there are rules, after all! Well, children under 18 are not allowed to donate blood! Everyone knows about this! Well, okay, you don’t think about children, but think about doctors! Should we then resuscitate every teenager who fainted after donation? So then, in the end, we will pump out children, and not treat military personnel!”
Victoria Omelyanenko - deputy Kobelyatsky city council of Poltava region. On the official website of the Kobelyatsk territorial community in the list of its positions indicated and the post of head of the infection control department Primary Health Care Center in the city of Kobelyaki. Omelyanenko's Facebook page exists, but at the time of writing the analysis, the profile is hidden, posts are available only to friends. However, there is every reason to believe that the viral screenshot of her post was faked.
Fact checkers from the Ukrainian project “Gvara Media“We managed to study Omelyanenko’s account when it was still open to all users. According to journalists, on September 3, she only reposted a post on Facebook about an appeal from the Poltava branch of the Red Cross to donate blood at the regional transfusion station. There was no information about minor donors and Swedish mercenaries on Omelyanenko’s page.
Employees of "Gvara Media" contacted to Omelyanenko with a request to comment on the viral screenshot. In response, she stated that the image was faked and that she only learned about it from fact checkers. “I don’t live in Poltava, I wasn’t there on the day of the tragedy. I found out that blood was needed on Facebook. That day, I was distributing humanitarian aid for IDPs (internally displaced persons, that is, war refugees who left for other regions of Ukraine - Ed.) from the Red Cross at their place of residence, as evidenced by the organization’s documentation,” said Omelyanenko. She is truly voluntary. works in the Kobelyatsky organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. In a conversation with the Vox Ukraine project, Omelyanenko once again confirmed, that she did not publish a message from the viral screenshot, and clarified that she has not worked at the hospital since October 2022.
The earliest post with a viral image tracked by Verified appeared on the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel “Sheikh Tamir" There, the post was posted on September 3 at 18:46 Moscow time, and already at 20:17 it was deleted. This channel mentioned in dozens of our analyzes and many times turned out to be the primary source of fakes. In addition, one of the first similar posts was published in the Telegram channel “First Kharkov» with the tag #they write to us. The entry specified that the news was sent by a subscriber from Poltava. As “Verified” has repeatedly explained, publishing messages from supposedly anonymous readers is one of the main methods of legalizing disinformation on Telegram.
False reports about children allegedly donating blood for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been spread before. Thus, at the end of August 2024, posts and notes appeared on the RuNet, according to which the commander of the 22nd motorized brigade, Colonel Vladimir Pipka, together with his subordinates, intimidated the school director in order to collect the blood of students to treat soldiers wounded in the Kursk region. Telegram channels wrote about this with reference to residents of the village of Tomashpol in the Vinnytsia region “Ukraine.ru"(134,000 views), "Alexander Semchenko"(101,000), Anna News (57,000), "Russians in TeIegram"(51,000), 360.ru (22,000), "First Kharkov" (10,000) and newspaper "Mokovsky Komsomolets" Some publications included photos allegedly taken during blood donations.
Fact checkers from the project StopFake found out that these photographs were taken during Donor Day, which was held on August 22 in the Tomashpol community, and published in the local community on Facebook. It was reported there that a blood donation point was equipped at the Tomashpolsky Lyceum, and the collection of biomaterial was carried out by local health workers together with colleagues from the Vinnytsia Regional Blood Service Center. “On this day, 80 people donated blood. There were many more people willing, but due to health reasons, not everyone was able to take part in this procedure,” the post said. It was also noted that about 36 liters of blood were collected, and those who wished to donated monetary compensation received for donation to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Neither minors, nor threats against the director, nor the colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are mentioned in the post. There are no children in the published photographs either. In turn, “Verified” established that the primary source of this misinformation is the Telegram channel “Dill fresh"(5800 views), whose authors regularly retell real news from Ukraine, supplementing them with fictitious details.
Thus, there is no evidence that Swedish citizens were injured as a result of the Russian shelling of Poltava on September 3, 2024, and that Ukrainian children then donated blood for them. No reputable foreign media wrote about this, and the Swedish authorities denied such reports. For the first time, pro-Kremlin Telegram channels, which published anti-Ukrainian fakes many times, wrote about the dead Swedish instructors and Ukrainian child donors. As evidence in such recordings, fabricated screenshots of posts by two Ukrainian women were used, who later stated that they had nothing to do with those recordings.
Cover photo: work of a neural network / ideogram.ai / “Verified”
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