How Russia turns Ukrainian strikes into propaganda | Ukraine This Week

Is Ukraine deliberately targeting civilians inside Russia? In this episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines what we actually know about civilian deaths linked to Ukrainian strikes, how international humanitarian law distinguishes military targets from civilian targets, and why many of the most high-profile incidents remain difficult to verify.

Featuring insights from Kyiv Independent junior investigative reporter Linda Hourani and war correspondent Janine di Giovanni, Anna explores how the Kremlin uses Ukrainian attacks that inflict civilian casualties to shape public opinion, justify escalation, and reinforce its long-standing narrative of Ukrainian "terrorism." The episode also examines what verified evidence shows, why civilian casualties remain one of war's most difficult realities, and how Russia's information strategy fits into its broader war against Ukraine.

00:00 Intro

01:10 Civilian casualties explained

06:12 Support independent journalism in Ukraine

06:45 Russia's deadliest claims

09:54 Investigating Starobilsk

15:35 Russia's “retaliation”

18:57 Putin's playbook

23:30 How propaganda shapes war

25:31 Member Q&A

28:28 Outro

Read more about the Kyiv Independent's investigative story about Ukraine’s attack on Starobilsk: https://kyivindependent.com/what-we-know-about-starobilsk-strike-russia-turned-into-propaganda-flashpoint/

Watch more from the Kyiv Independent on Russia’s information warfare strategy:

https://youtu.be/pITde5slL0A

https://youtu.be/EGdSN05s0ow

Become a member of our community: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/?utm_source=weekly_show_233&utm_medium=233

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