Tania Matiash, news editor
Russian propaganda media and Telegram channels are spreading fake about allegedly 'staged photo' of shelling in Mariupol's maternity hospital and claiming the beauty-blogger Marianna Pihurska played the 'pregnant woman' role.
"Ukrainian Pravda" and "Detector. Media" paid attention to this fact. Moreover, the Russian Embassy in Great Britain wrote on Twitter on March 10 that Pidhurska 'played the role of a pregnant woman'. This news was spread by Russian media Metronews.ru, EADaily, "Vsgliad", etc.
In reality, one could see from the blogger's photo on Instagram that she is indeed pregnant. Moreover, she lives permanently in Mariupol, according to geotags and messages. One of her last posts was about a list of bomb shelters.
The Russian embassy also noted that Ukrainian photographer Yevhen Maloletka took the photo. He has been in Mariupol since February 28 and photographed many victims of Russian aggression. A photo of a pregnant woman is on his Facebook page. In addition to him, another photographer, Mstyslav Chernov, took photos after the bombing of the maternity hospital. The Russian embassy released a photo taken by Chernov.
Twitter and Facebook called the posts of the Russian embassy offensive and deleted the publications themselves.
After spreading photos and fake information on the young woman's Instagram, Russian users made angry comments. They accuse her of acting in a "play" for money, and the young woman's injuries were called "make-up".
Ukrainian users have already come to support the young woman, asking her not to read the 'eruptions of negativity' under the photo and wishing her and the child good health.
"Russians are making fun of Marianna on Instagram. She is one of the women from the Mariupol maternity hospital that the Russians shelled. Her face appears in all the world's media today. Writing words of support will be the right decision if you can write words of support. We will pass on your comments." - writes on Twitter the head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Olexander Matviychuk.
LB.ua attempted to contact the young woman, but she had not been reached yet.
On March 9, the Russian occupiers shelled at the maternity hospital № 2 in Mariupol. According to the head of the Donetsk regional military administration Pavlo Kyrylenko, the maternity wing and the hospital, children's wing and therapy were destroyed. Later, the head of Donetsk regional military administration said no casualties after the attack on the maternity hospital in Mariupol. So far, 17 staff and women are known to have been injured.
Three people died due to the airstrike in the children's hospital in Mariupol. Among the dead - a child.
Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that the bombing of a hospital and maternity hospital in Mariupol was the Russian army's conscious and purposeful decision. He said that the maternity hospital was a military target and that there were allegedly military personnel there. In addition, there were women and children.