Disinformation circulating on social media platforms falsely accuses the Ukrainian government of using vulnerable groups — such as orphans, people with disabilities and elderly civilians — to clear dangerous landmines.
Perhaps most shockingly, the false claims are attributed to renowned investigative media outlet Bellingcat and their journalist, Galen Reich.
A video circulating online, which EuroVerify estimates has been viewed over 10 million times on X alone, claims Bellingcat confirmed their purported "revelations" using satellite imagery that showed Ukrainian civilians in mined areas of Ukraine.
The video also includes a screenshot of a Bellingcat article which allegedly recounts the investigation.
The article in question does exist, but in fact tells the story of workers from the Halo Trust, an NGO that clears landmines and other explosive devices from conflict areas.
Responding to an enquiry by Euroverify, Bellingcat said that "this is not based on the work of Bellingcat or Galen Reich."
The fake video also claims Reich interviewed the director of Age Concern Ukraine — an NGO which supports vulnerable elderly people in Ukraine — Galyna Polyakova, who purportedly accused the Kyiv government of taking vulnerable people to landmines from hospital wards.
Polyakova told Euronews that the video is a "lie", adding that she had "never given an interview to any Bellingcat journalist."
There is no truth behind these claims, and the propagandists have weaponised investigative...
BYD disputes alleged claim that Leapmotor outsold them. Official German KBA data confirms BYD’s lead over Leapmotor. It also outsold Alfa Romeo in Germany, and is inching closer to Jeep. It seem...