FACT CHECK: Did BBC News Report That Ukraine Was Responsible For The Kramatorsk Train Station Attack?

A video shared on Facebook purports to show a BBC News report alleging that Ukraine was responsible for a rocket attack that killed 50 Ukrainian civilians at a railway station.

Verdict: False

BBC News denied publishing the video featured in the post. Both sides of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have blamed the other for the deadly attack.

Fact Check: 

A missile struck the Kramatorsk railway station in the Donetsk region of Ukraine April 10, killing at least 57 citizens, according to Reuters. Ukrainian and Russian officials have accused each other of launching the missile, BBC News reported.

The Facebook video purportedly shows a BBC News report definitively stating Ukraine fired the missile. The 87-second video shows images from after the attack and claims a serial number found on the remains of the missile match those found on Ukrainian missiles, proving Ukraine fired the deadly projectile. The video also states that Ukraine has now turned to “fake news to promote its position.”

“Unbelievable! BBC de facto acknowledged that the missile strike at Kramatorsk railway station killing 55 civilians was committed by Ukraine!” reads part of the post’s caption.

There is no evidence BBC published the video. No such report or video matching the one shared on Facebook appears on BBC’s website or on the outlet’s verified social media accounts. A video about the strike can be found on the verified BBC News YouTube channel, but the report simply states that both sides of the conflict blamed the other, not that the missile was Ukrainian.

BBC News’ press team issued a statement on Twitter denying the outlet had published the video. (RELATED: Do These Photos Show Black People Being Mistreated In Ukraine?)

We are aware of a fake video with BBC News branding suggesting Ukraine was responsible for last week’s missile attack on Kramatorsk train station. The BBC is taking action to have the video removed. We urge people not to share it and to check stories on the BBC News website.

— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) April 13, 2022

“We are aware of a fake video with BBC News branding suggesting Ukraine was responsible for last week’s missile attack on Kramatorsk train station,” reads the tweet. “The BBC is taking action to have the video removed. We urge people not to share it and to check stories on the BBC News website.”

The video has been shared by pro-Russian social media accounts and Russian state television, according to The Guardian. The clip may have originated on pro-Kremlin Telegram channels, the outlet reported.

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