AJ
Within minutes of a Russian air defence missile misfiring and landing on an apartment building, Z-bloggers began publishing news that a Ukraine drone had hit the building.
Propaganda was running rife, even on Russian state-run news channels, informing Russians across the country that a Ukrainian drone had intentionally hit a Russian building and calling the Ukrainians terrorists for doing so.
However, video evidence that was sent by Russian citizens in nearby apartment buildings showed a completely different narrative of what had happened, because it was clearly visible that an issue had occurred with a defence missile.
Remains of a body was found under the rubble of the multi-story apartment building in Adygea.
Head of Adygea Governor Murat Kumpilov noted on television: “Unfortunately, during the investigation of the rubble at the site of the enemy attack on the village of Novaya Adygea, investigators found fragments of a human body. Special genetic examinations have been ordered to establish the identity of the victims.”
Kumpilov was continuing to call the friendly fire incident an “enemy attack” on federal TV channels, giving the propagandists on social media the ammunition to continue the rhetoric.
Astra had analysed several eyewitness videos that were sent to them from the scene, including the moment of the strike, and was able to conclude that a Russian air defence missile hit the residential house.
The house is located at Bzhegokayskaya Street 25/1k15 (VINOGRAD-2 residential complex) in Novaya Adygea, and eyewitness footage clearly showed the moment of the missile’s flight and its precise impact on the house, also acknowledged by Russian channel Military Informant.
12 houses and 25 cars were damaged in the attack, meaning that 27 residents of the region had to be offered placements in temporary accommodation in shelters, while nine people received medical assistance, two of whom were sent to hospitals in Krasnodar, and seven were being treated at a medical facility in the Eney settlement.
However, a later report following the completion of the demining work by the Head of the Municipality Alexei Cheverev, noted that specialists had checked the water, electricity and water, making sure they were all working correctly, so that the residents of the 177-apartment buildings that were evacuated for safety could return to their homes.
Cheverev also noted that because of the damage that was caused, 46 people were waiting for completion from the emergency services and other aid to be offered at a temporary accommodation centre.
