Russian journalists continue to make propagandistic reports about the occupied areas of Luhansk region. They talk about Toshkivka as a "terrible place" where everything turned into ruins during the fighting. Under the guise of truthful facts, they also promote propaganda messages about the alleged deliberate destruction of the village by Ukrainian troops, the special placement of their combat positions in residential buildings and the use of scorched earth tactics.
A journalist from “TRIBUN” found out what is happening in Toshkivka, how the locals live, and talked to authorities about the widespread Russian fakes about the village.
What is really happening in Toshkivka
"Toshkova is a terrible place. In the course of the fighting, entire entrances of apartment buildings were instantly turned into mountains of concrete rubble," the Russian NTV channel began its report with these words.
In February 2024, propagandists filmed a report about the situation in Toshkivka, showing how badly the village was damaged during the so-called "liberation". Demonstrating the destroyed residential buildings, they focus on one of them, under the rubble of which there are probably bodies of dead local residents.
"In Toshkovka there is little to no working mobile communication. And there are no more attributes of an urban-type settlement of the XXI, even XX century. Electricity, water supply, central heating - concepts from the past life. There are no stores, pharmacies, not a single working institution. There is nowhere for them to stay in the devastated settlement," the Russian report said.
As of May 2024, there are still no living conditions in the village: there is no electricity, water, or heating.
Fighting for Toshkivka: what the Russians are lying about
When covering the situation in Toshkivka, Russians used not only obvious facts but also fake information. The combination of truth and lies is one of the most common methods of Russian propaganda.
The report claims that "in the summer of 2022, Ukrainian troops held defenses and took positions right in residential buildings. Kiev's armed formations destroyed Toshkivka purposefully in order to deal a fatal blow to the economy and civilian infrastructure. Town-forming enterprises, a mine and power lines were destroyed long before the Russian troops approached”.
The propagandists also mentioned the so-called "scorched earth" tactic. It was allegedly used by the Ukrainian army to "destroy" Toshkivka.
These Russian messages are not true. Accusing Ukrainian troops of shelling and destruction is a frequently used element of propaganda.
"There were fierce battles in Toshkivka. But despite everything, we paid a lot of attention to it. We tried to provide residents with the necessary assistance. In particular, the electricians worked hard and bravely in the area, carrying out repair work. Russian troops were shelling the village around the clock. There was a lot of destruction. Helping the locals or repairing something was getting harder and harder, and sometimes impossible. As for the destruction of the mine and power lines, etc., I personally saw a video from the enemies in which the occupiers show how they are shelling the facilities. So this is additional evidence," commented Oleksiy Babchenko, head of the Hirske City Military Administration.
Friendly interaction or abuse: communication between locals and the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The occupiers spread another fake about Toshkivka online. In March 2024, the so-called "People's Front" published an interview with "evacuated" residents of the village on its Telegram channel, in which a young man told how the Ukrainian military "abused" the locals.
"Very cruel. They could just come up with a machine gun and make us sing the Ukrainian anthem. Just like that. They could have come up and hit me with a rifle butt and so on...", the young man said.
In this way, the enemy is trying to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine and show only negative interaction between the Ukrainian army and the population, lack of support, and justify its "rescue operation".
In fact, according to Oleksiy Babchenko, during the fighting in Toshkivka in course of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian servicemen provided comprehensive assistance to local residents, including evacuation to safe territory,
Thus, the enemy used both half-truths and fake information in news stories about Toshkivka, which is refuted by real facts.
