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In March 2022, Ukrainian resistance forced Russian troops to withdraw from Kyiv after they lost the battle for the city. Following this, reports about tortured and executed Ukrainian civilians spread worldwide. 
https://twitter.com/tochnyi/status/1641940686218883076
Investigations established Russian culpability, but the Kremlin engaged in a playbook of denial, blame-shifting, and making up stories.
The same tactic was used after the downing of MH-17. Initially, narratives were contradictory and aimed to distract from the horror. Pro-Kremlin outlets alleged that Ukraine staged the massacre, or that the corpses were actors or those of "pro-Russian collaborators."
Independent researchers later uncovered strong, concrete evidence implicating Russia in the downing of MH17. Over time, the case that Russia was responsible has only grown in strength. bellingcat.com/tag/mh17/
Disinformation spreaders use false and contradictory narratives to distract and tap into the universe of conspiracy theories. These stories became a template for discrediting all atrocities committed by Russian troops. The tactics aren't new. disinfowatch.org/deny-deflect-m…
Russian propagandists dismissed critics and reports of other atrocities as "Russophobes" and "fake news," but a UN report on the matter clarifies that the horror reported in Bucha was very real. ohchr.org/en/press-relea…
In addition to the UN, several newspapers also investigated the evidence and claims related to the #BuchaMassacre. Among them was the NY Times, which published a video showing the macabre scenes left in the wake of fleeing Russian war criminals. nytimes.com/2022/12/22/vid…
Another investigation reported by Le Monde involved experts from the forensic science department of the French national gendarmerie. They assisted the Ukrainian justice system and documented war crimes committed by the Russian army. lemonde.fr/en/internation…
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