Staffan Widstrand

🚨 PLEASE SHARE THIS WIDELY! THE TRUTH DESERVES TO BE HEARD! 🇺🇦 Today I told a friend how much I regret not being in Kyiv to document what happened in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka myself. Fortunately, journalist Marian Kushnir of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was there. According to his eyewitness account, the building temporarily housed mobilized men awaiting military training. He reported no evidence of torture and said rumors of a death were false. He witnessed people insulting and attacking National Guard members, police officers and Azov servicemen. Meanwhile, allegations about “secret prisons” and torture were already circulating internationally. LOOK AT WHO IS AMPLIFYING THEM ABROAD. Unverified claims have spread through MAGA-aligned accounts and commentators with histories of sharing Russian state-media content and Kremlin narratives. That history does not prove coordination in this case. But why do sensational accusations travel faster than eyewitness reporting? REMEMBER DONBAS IN 2014? Remember the fabricated story of a boy supposedly crucified by Ukrainian soldiers? That lie helped demonize Ukrainians. Today we see a familiar information pattern: emotional allegations, viral videos, international amplification — and verification struggling to catch up. After misleading narratives surrounding the tragedy in Oleshky, a child and accusations against Ukrainian troops and Azov are again at the center of an online storm. I am not claiming these incidents are proven to be coordinated. I am asking that the similarities be investigated. What hurts most is hearing how betrayed some of our soldiers feel. After years of sacrifice, they see people accepting grave accusations against them before the facts are established. There are calls for peaceful rallies in support of servicemen. Our defenders make it possible for us to speak, protest, criticize our government and choose our future. WE ARE FREE NOT BECAUSE RUSSIA ALLOWS IT, BUT BECAUSE UKRAINIANS DEFEND THAT FREEDOM. Remember Bucha, Mariupol and Izium. Remember the devastation and repression inflicted on Chechnya. Russia will not grant us freedom if we stop defending ourselves. Supporting our military does not mean ignoring human rights or opposing independent investigations. The truth must come first. Meanwhile, I am receiving hostile messages and accusations that I work for Zelenskyy or the Ukrainian government. I fear attempts to get my account suspended through mass reports and harassment. I am an independent sociologist in Ukraine, documenting war and studying propaganda and information warfare. I WILL NOT STOP ASKING QUESTIONS. Please amplify eyewitness testimony, verify claims before sharing, and help prevent harassment from silencing independent voices. While the world debates viral allegations, Russia continues bombing Ukrainian cities and killing civilians. DO NOT LET THE 2014 DONBAS PROPAGANDA PLAYBOOK REPEAT ITSELF. DO NOT BURY THE TRUTH. Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦 #Ukraine #Disinformation #InformationWarfare #StandWithUkraine