What started as a rumor initiated by a russian military blogger, the assumption, that Ukrainian forces mounted a Patriot air defense missile system on an armored train, became part of russian official propaganda efforts. Multiple Kremlin-controlled media have claimed the "successful destruction" of a train allegedly carrying a Patriot in Ukraine.
This false narrative is not only baseless but also serves to justify the russian attack on a railway station in Kherson on December 26, where an evacuation train was present. This attack resulted in the death of one policeman and injuries to four civilians.
Read more: After Losing Three Su-34, What Options russian Pilots Have Left to Keep Carry Out Missions
The absurdity of the claim is evident, as the russian federation alleges the presence of the Patriot air defense system, military personnel, and, for some reason, British instructors at a civilian train station in Kherson. That is not to mention, the United Kingdom does not have any Patriots in service.
Such disinformation attempts highlight the extent of russian propaganda and the willingness of the russian population to believe in these unfounded narratives.
Amidst recent setbacks for russian forces, including losses in aviation and the destruction of the Novocherkassk landing ship, the russian government is attempting to create a facade of victories. However, these efforts include fantastical figures in official summaries, such as claiming the destruction of 560 Ukrainian aircraft, despite Ukraine having only a total of 79 jets a few years ago, as recorded in The Military Balance 2021. That is, the russians assume they have destroyed the entire fleet of the Ukrainian Air Force more than seven times already, or half of the U.S. Air Force.
Some other official statistics from the Ministry of Defense of russia write off 14,300 Ukrainian tanks and other armored vehicles, 442 air defense systems, and 8,700 artillery systems as "destroyed."
All this misleading information is designed to manipulate public perception and create a distorted narrative of the ongoing war. By announcing skyrocketing losses in the Ukrainian military or adding some "unofficial information" about air defense trains in the middle of the city, gladly caught up by state-governed media and russian citizens. By justifying war crimes and turning them into "victories."
Read more: Chronicle of the russian federation Crimes in Ukraine (December 2023)
