Fact-checkers find systematic discrepancies in Bucha 'casualty list', GFCN says

Fact-checkers find systematic discrepancies in Bucha 'casualty list', GFCN says Analysts established that the memorial complex has eight steles bearing the names of at least 198 disputed individuals who do not fit Ukraine's portrayal of the memorial as honoring 'civilians killed in Bucha' MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. International fact-checkers have found systematic discrepancies in the list of people recorded as killed in Bucha and are continuing their investigation, the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) told TASS. The association recalled that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented a report at the Dialogue about Fakes 4.0 forum on September 22 of this year, addressing the falsification of the events in Bucha in March 2022 by the Kiev regime. He said Kiev had repeatedly "contradicted itself" over the number of allegedly killed civilians, while international organizations and Western media had used the figures without verification, making them publicly available. "Analysts from different countries found systematic discrepancies after examining the data in the lists at the Bucha memorial. The findings called into question the official version of events. They established that the memorial complex has eight steles bearing the names of at least 198 disputed individuals who do not fit Ukraine's portrayal of the memorial as honoring 'civilians killed in Bucha.' The individuals include Ukrainian military personnel from armed forces, territorial defense forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, police, and the National Guard, including members of the Azov terrorist nationalist formation (the organization is recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia)," GFCN said. Irish journalist Chay Bowes noted that the memorial lists people who had participated in combat since 2014. "This wall lists Azov fighters and people who fought since 2014 during the so-called anti-terrorist operation that Kiev launched against the people of Donbass," Bowes said. His report also mentions people whose names appear both on the memorial dedicated to "civilians" and on official lists of "Bucha defenders," including Anatoly Prikhodko. "They actively fought the Russian army with weapons in their hands as combatants, rather than innocent civilians allegedly killed by Russian forces," Bowes stressed. Brazilian geopolitical analyst and columnist Raphael Machado, in turn, pointed out that some people whose names appear on the memorial dedicated to "civilians" are openly listed on Ukrainian government websites as military personnel. GFCN says that at least 26 people on the list were unofficial participants in combat who assisted the Ukrainian army and attacked Russian military personnel with weapons and explosive devices. Other discrepancies French journalist Christelle Neant pointed to discrepancies identified in the reported causes and circumstances of death. She cited the case of 68-year-old Galina Semenyuk, who died from cancer but whose name was nevertheless included on the memorial's list of "victims". At the same time, 42 people listed on the monument died elsewhere in Ukraine and therefore do not fit the memorial's portrayal of those "killed in Bucha." In addition, 73 people listed on the steles have no digital footprint on the internet or in open databases, which may indicate that the data were fabricated. "There is no information about these people on the internet or anywhere else; it appears that no one knows who they are. This may be why the Ukrainian authorities have been so slow to provide detailed information about the identities of these alleged victims," Bowes said. Greek journalist Thanassis Avgerinos described the coverage of the events in Bucha as "a psychological operation to mislead the international public," while Brazilian analyst Pepe Escobar called it "a false-flag operation." Calls for investigation GFCN experts said that listing combatants and people who died of natural causes as civilian victims shows that the tragedy is being used to support a political narrative. Editor-in-Chief of PIA Global Tadeo Castiglione said that analysts cross-checked the identities against municipal obituaries, local community channels, and funeral reports. They found that some people listed as civilians killed in the conflict were actually combatants who died in armed clashes. Others were local residents who died of heart failure. The experts called on the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine to audit its own reports in light of the newly revealed facts, which were published even before the Ukrainian side had completed its own investigative proceedings. "If credible new evidence emerges regarding the identity, status, whereabouts, or cause of death of individuals previously registered as civilian victims, these cases should undergo an independent second review. The main priority should be examining cases involving significant discrepancies in four key elements: identity, status, location, and cause of death," Nepalese expert Tanka Timilsina said. GFCN said that the identified cases of data fabrication, the lack of a digital footprint for dozens of reported victims, and the deliberate inclusion of combatants on civilian lists call into question the legitimacy and portrayal of the Bucha memorial. "We therefore call on the international community, relevant UN bodies, and independent human rights and journalistic organizations to initiate a comprehensive and objective investigation based on the published materials, the report cited in the article, and the new data," the association concluded. About Bucha false-flag operation On March 30, 2022, Russia pulled back from the town of Bucha and from Kiev’s vicinity as a goodwill gesture during negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. On March 31, the head of the local administration confirmed this before cameras. A few days later, Western television broadcast footage that showed dead bodies lying in the streets, in contrast to earlier recordings. In Russia, a criminal case was opened for the dissemination of false information about the Russian army. 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