Biden will meet with the families of Russia detainees Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan
NPR Online NewsNov 24, 2022
Day 206: Russia Alleges Mass Burial Site Holds Ukrainian Troops Killed in Action; Biden Warns Against Nuclear Weapons
Image copyright: AP Photos [via AP News]
The Facts
Amid the discovery of a mass burial site near Izyum in the Kharkiv region on Thurs. - which Ukrainian and Western officials alleged were further examples of Russian atrocities - a Russian official alleged the bodies were deceased Ukrainian fighters who were unburied after fighting in the region.
Oleh Syniehubov, Ukraine's head of the military administration in Kharkiv, alleged the burial site contained the bodies of 450 civilians and that 99% showed signs of violent death, with several corpses showing signs of torture or execution. Meanwhile, Alexander Malkevich, a member of Russia's Civic Chamber, alleged Russian troops, alongside members of the local administration, buried Ukrainian soldiers left behind on battlefields. Neither claims have been independently confirmed.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As we have seen in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, and now Izyum, Russia is committing genocide against Ukrainians. There are clear indications of torture and violent deaths; Russia must be held accountable.
Pro-Russia narrative
Like elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian troops buried deceased soldiers who'd been killed in battle but were left behind by their so-called comrades. Allegations that these were victims of Russian atrocities are spread in a coordinated campaign to weaken Russia and justify further Western-led provocations.
Establishment-critical narrative
There have been many brazenly false claims against both sides in this war, so allegations such as these need to be taken with a grain of salt until independently verified.