As Russia continues its aerial onslaught against Kyiv, disinformation online alleges that citizens are fleeing in droves, painting a picture of collapse and panic.
For more than a week, Moscow's forces have attacked Kyiv every single day, disrupting businesses, schools, and the daily lives of its residents.
But hand in hand with these strikes, social media accounts have shared photos and videos purportedly showing traffic jams and crowds of Kyiv residents attempting to escape the capital.
These included out-of-context videos of Kyiv city traffic or photos not taken in Ukraine at all, all accompanied by manipulative or false text.
One Sept. 1 post on X that garnered half a million views, accompanied by the text "mass exodus of civilians leaving (Kyiv)," shows what appears to be, in fact, a rush-hour scene at a Kyiv metro station. The city's metro does not reach beyond Kyiv's limits.
Another post from Aug. 29 shows nighttime footage of a massive traffic jam at a toll booth that spans dozens of lanes, captioned "Massive traffic jam to leave Kyiv: residents are fleeing the city."
Barring the fact that Kyiv has no road of that size, the photo actually shows Wuzhuang Toll Station, the largest toll station in China.
Another post, published on Aug. 29 by the official account of Our Country Our Choice — a self-described "America First" group led by retired U.S. colonel and fervent Ukraine critic Douglas Macgregor — purports to show people "fleeing the capital in massive numbers."
...As Russia continues its aerial onslaught against Kyiv, disinformation online alleges that citizens are fleeing in droves, painting a picture of collapse and panic. For more than a week, Moscow's f...