Ukraine Debunks Fake Claim of Soldier Killed in UAE Spread by Russia and Iran

Russian and pro-Iranian channels circulated a fabricated claim that a Ukrainian serviceman was killed in the UAE, using manipulated material to support the false narrative, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation on March 31.

The Ukrainian agency disclosed that the disinformation campaign centered on claims of an alleged strike on a Ukrainian facility in Dubai and the supposed deaths of 21 Ukrainians.

Ukrainian officials rejected the account, stating that no such strike on a Ukrainian site in the city had been recorded and that there was no confirmation of any Ukrainian casualties.

According to the Center, propagandists used a real photograph of Ukrainian defender Mykola Syshchyk, who was killed fighting for Ukraine in July 2024, and altered it with artificial intelligence to build credibility for the false report.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi dismissed the report in a direct response, stating, “This is a lie, we officially deny this information. The Iranian regime often conducts such disinformation operations, and in this, it is no different from the Russians.”

Diana Davityan, spokesperson for the National Security and Defense Council, and Secretary Rustem Umerov also rejected the narrative, calling it a fake.

The Center framed the episode as part of a broader influence campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine internationally and undermining trust in Ukrainian institutions. It added that the methods used in the false report mirrored tactics regularly employed by Russian propaganda.

Mykola Syshchyk, a junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed while carrying out a combat mission in defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence. Syshchyk was honored during a funeral service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the Volyn region.

Read more

Category

Anti-Fake

Fake News Flooding Europe? Russia’s Journalist Impersonators May Be Behind It

Aug 04, 2025 19:00

The observations came as Ukrainian officials pushed back on suggestions that sending specialists abroad had weakened the country’s shield against Russian drones and missiles.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat stated Ukraine continues to field effective defenses while also sharing wartime expertise that partners in the Middle East increasingly need. 

Ihnat noted Ukraine has accumulated rare combat experience countering Iranian-made drones and missiles, while operating Patriot, IRIS-T, and F-16 systems under the pressure of full-scale war.

He described the deployment as part of wider security cooperation, arguing that claims it somehow undermines Ukraine’s own defense are manipulative and incorrect. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously confirmed that 201 Ukrainian specialists had been sent to the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, with additional teams heading to Kuwait.

Truth is Under Attack

We report the war as it unfolds directly from the people and places most affected by it. Your support helps us bring these stories to the world.

SUPPORT