In December 2024, a screenshot of a post circulated online in which Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen boasted about household appliances stolen in Russia. We have verified the authenticity of this image.
On December 11, 2024, a screenshot of a publication allegedly posted in the Facebook community “Lviv_opir” went viral on the RuNet. The post says that servicemen from the 225th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces discovered a washing machine in the occupied territory of the Kursk region and, “so as not to waste good things,” took it at the disposal of their unit. Two images are attached to the publication: a photo of men in military uniform standing next to a washing machine, and a screenshot of correspondence, where another photo of a man is accompanied by the message “The washing machine is working. Works for the benefit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thank you." Telegram channels and Internet users who talked about this publication commented on it like this: ““Russians steal washing machines and toilets,” they said. Now it’s clear why they said it - to cover up their own marauding inclinations.”
Telegram channels, for example, wrote about this “Uncle Slava"(195,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), "Observer"(191,000), "Voblya • news" (143,000), "Ukraine.ru" (142,000) and "Sledgehammer 18+"(57,000).
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been frequent reports in the media about looting committed by the Russian military in the occupied territories. Human rights organizations, and also Ukrainian, independent Russian And international publications document these incidents. Residents of liberated settlements spoke of the theft of household appliances, electronics, clothing and plumbing fixtures from their homes. Russian authorities, as a rule, reject accusations of crimes against the civilian population, calling such messages part of anti-Russian propaganda, which is aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. And since August 2024, when the Ukrainian army entered the Kursk region, the same crimes began blame already the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, at least some of these news turned out to be fakes, as in the case of advertisements about the sale in Ukraine of icons allegedly taken from the Kursk region.
Judging by the distributed screenshot, a post about a stolen washing machine was published on the Facebook page “Lviv_opir” (“Lviv resistance” - Ukrainian). This profile belongs to the Ukrainian charitable foundation of the same name, which was created in 2022 by scientists, museum workers and teachers of the Ivan Franko Lviv National University. By words representatives of “Lviv_opir”, they help the Ukrainian Armed Forces and refugees, and also maintain contact with the commanders of military units in order to quickly respond to their requests. The content of the foundation's Facebook page is almost entirely devoted to fundraising for the needs of the army and reports on the spending of donations.
A post with the same photographs of people in military uniform near a washing machine appeared on the page “Lviv_opir” on the night of December 3-4. However, the caption to the pictures differs from the caption on the screenshot distributed by pro-Russian Telegram channels. In the original text, the foundation thanks a certain family for charitable assistance in the form of a washing machine and reports that household appliances are already “serving the soldiers.” It is clarified that the photos were taken in the Kharkov region of Ukraine, and not in the Russian Kursk region. The time and date of publication of the two posts are the same (adjusted for differences in time zones).
December 12 in the “Lviv_opir” community appeared a post that denies the authenticity of the viral screenshot. The owners of the page call messages about the theft of washing machines in the Kursk region, issued in the form of a fund report, manipulation and provocation.
Judging by the publications of Lviv_opir, the organization often donates household appliances to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Similar posts with photographs of the military were published on the page, for example, December 8when the washing machine was sent to the Zaporozhye region, and December 13. In the latter, representatives of the fund specifically noted that they would continue to share such images, “since they are of particular interest to enemy information networks.”
Most likely, to create the screenshot, the original post was edited in the browser by changing the code. Using this method, you can change the text on the page to any other one without using special programs. “Checked” more than once sorted it out similar fakes. For example, in October, pro-Kremlin Telegram channels distributed a screenshot from the group of the Ukrainian project “Price of Powers” on Facebook - in the publication, the Ukrainian military allegedly boasted of “atrocities” committed in the Kursk region. In fact, the text of the original post was dedicated consequences of the Russian occupation.
Many such fakes, in addition to the method of creating the fake, are united by one more factor. Often the primary source turns out to be the Telegram channel “Ukropsky Fresh”, about which “Verified” told in detail. In the case of washing machines allegedly stolen in the Kursk region, he was also the primary source - the corresponding publication appeared there on December 7 at 16:20 Moscow time. However, the fake screenshot began to actively circulate only on December 11, after publication in the channel “Batkovich"(40,000) with an almost identical signature.
Thus, the group of the Lviv_opir charity foundation did not post a photo of a washing machine stolen in the Kursk region. The original publication was about sending household appliances as aid to the Ukrainian military in the Kharkov region, and the viral screenshot was faked.
Cover photo: social networks
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