Russian propagandists used a fabricated video and a fake quote to discredit Ukraine.
Russian Telegram channels are circulating a video allegedly issued by the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch, which purports to show Ukrainian men allegedly traveling with their wives and children during attempts to illegally cross the border, supposedly believing this would protect them from border guards.
The fabricated narrative further claims that Ukrainian border guards allegedly opened fire on such groups, resulting in the "deaths" of 76 Ukrainian families since the beginning of the year. The video also includes a supposed quote attributed to former Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan, claiming that Ukrainians are in "complete despair."
The claim is false. No such video exists on the official website or verified social media accounts of Human Rights Watch.
An analysis of the video shows it was assembled using publicly available photos and footage from the internet.
