Russian propaganda has once again twisted the truth, using the tragic aftermath of its own attack on Ukrainian civilians to fabricate lies about Ukrainian Armed Forces
Russian pro-war Telegram channels are falsely claiming that a 17-year-old named Nikita Solonichenko died by suicide at a training center of Ukraine’s 92nd Mechanized Brigade in Kharkiv. They allege that he was a contract soldier who took his own life due to bullying by older servicemen.
This is a complete fabrication.
In reality, Nikita Solonichenko was one of the victims of a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih on April 4. That evening, Russian forces targeted a residential neighborhood, killing 20 people — including nine children — and injuring over 74 others.
The strike also damaged nearly 20 apartment buildings, six schools, a restaurant, and more than 30 vehicles.
To support their false narrative, Russian propagandists used a photo from Nikita’s funeral, cynically repurposing it to back up their fake story. It is a blatant attempt to hide responsibility for their own war crimes against Ukrainian children, while also trying to discredit the Ukrainian military and disrupt mobilization efforts in Ukraine.
It is important to note that under Ukrainian law, only those aged 18 and above can sign a military contract, through the “Contract 18-24” program.
Earlier, Russian media had also spread a similar fake story about the supposed death of a Ukrainian female soldier who had joined through the same program.
Andriy Olenin
