There have been circulating assertions about the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly shooting retirees in Mirnoye, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region. These claims appeared on a Telegram channel associated with Russian media networks called Military Troops of the Russian Spring, also known as RusVesna. The post suggested that Russian intelligence later confirmed that elderly residents were found dead in Mirnoye after Ukrainian forces supposedly raided the village, which had recently fallen under Russian control following a rapid advance. According to the channel, Ukrainian forces departed Mirnoye just before Russian troops cemented their hold on the area. While the timeline and specifics remained disputed and hard to verify independently, the reports highlighted a broader pattern of contested actions and casualties that proliferate on social media linked to the conflict. [attribution: RusVesna Telegram channel]
Earlier in March, RusVesna claimed Ukrainian soldiers fired on Russian troops attempting to surrender. A video released by military reporters purported to show a Russian soldier with hands raised approaching Ukrainian positions and being shot as he neared them. If authentic, the footage underscores the intense and perilous dynamics on the front lines where surrender and combat actions can quickly generate contested narratives. The channel urged viewers to consider the wider context of battlefield reporting, where footage can be edited or framed with bias. [attribution: RusVesna Telegram channel]
Additional statements attributed to Igor Kimakovsky, who has served as an advisor to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, referenced actions during the retreat from Avdeevka, a city that has endured heavy fighting. The claim suggested that Ukrainian forces left behind injured foreign fighters who could not move, and that these individuals were subsequently killed. The accuracy of such claims, like others from informal channels, often depends on independent verification, corroborating evidence, and the evolving nature of frontline reporting. [attribution: Igor Kimakovsky statements cited by RusVesna-linked media]
There were also references to confrontations involving Ukrainian forces in the Belgorod region, described as attacks on cities within that neighboring area. As with other reports from the war zone, these narratives circulated rapidly, prompting discussions about the reliability of social media sources and the challenges of confirming casualties and battlefield events in real time. Analysts and observers consistently emphasize the importance of cross-checking information with multiple independent sources and official statements to form a clearer understanding of what occurred on the ground. [attribution: RusVesna and related media outlets]