The command of the Ukrainian Air Force did not claim that the residents of Odesa were killed by a Ukrainian missile during the Russian attack on the city on November 18. On the contrary, the Ukrainian Air Force stressed that during the Russian missile attack on Odesa, part of a shot down missile fell in the residential sector of the Prymorskyi district of the city. The Russian narrative blaming Ukrainian air defenses for civilian casualties is a key disinformation tool aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian armed forces and justifying their own war crimes.
Social media and Russian websites are spreading claims that the Ukrainian armed forces have allegedly “confirmed that their Patriot missile killed the residents of Odesa”. The claims refer to the Russian missile strike on a densely populated area of Odesa on November 18, 2024.
“The cause of the death of eight people in Odesa was a missile from the American Patriot air defense system, as confirmed by the Ukrainian Air Force command,” the Russian site Regnum (rg.ru) declares. Russian propagandists also claim that it was a Patriot missile that “killed the residents of Odesa.”
This information is another fabrication. First of all, the command of the Ukrainian Air Force did not state that the cause of the death of the Odesa residents was an anti-aircraft missile. The Russian media altered the statement of the Ukrainian authorities, falsely attributing to them the claim that “an anti-aircraft missile (from the Patriot system – editor’s note) fell in the residential sector of the Prymorskyi district and caused significant damage”.
In its statement on the Russian missile attack on Odesa, the Ukrainian Air Force Command emphasized: “At 11:57, the enemy attacked Odesa with an Iskander-M ballistic missile, which was shot down by the air defense. Unfortunately, the downed enemy missile fell in a residential area of the Prymorskyi district of the city and caused a lot of suffering. There are dead and wounded. We express our condolences to the families and relatives. (…) Odesa is under constant attack from the occupiers – terrorists deliberately attack densely populated cities with missiles of various types and UAVs, knowing that there will be civilian casualties”. Thus, the Ukrainian Air Force points out that the downed Russian missile was the cause of civilian deaths and infrastructure damage.
Moreover, the photo of the so-called Patriot missile that allegedly fell on residential buildings in Odesa is circulated only by Russian media. It is impossible to determine the date and location of the alleged missile fall from the screenshot. Moreover, even if this part is indeed from a Patriot missile, the image clearly shows it lying on the ground among fallen leaves, not on residential buildings as Russian media claim.
Russia is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine, firing missiles at Ukrainian cities, and is solely responsible for civilian casualties. The Russian attack on Odesa on November 18 resulted in 10 deaths and 55 injuries. The Russian narrative blaming Ukrainian air defenses for civilian casualties is a key propaganda tool aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian armed forces and justifying its own war crimes.
StopFake continues debunking similar fakes in materials such as Fake: Russian Forces Are ‘Careful About Civilians’ in Ukraine Says Peskov, Fake: Children’s Hospital Ohmatdyt Hit By Ukrainian Missile, and Fake: Ukrainian Air Force Admits Air Defense Missiles Hit Residential Buildings.
