4. One Baby, Three Photos, and a Web of Lies

When Russia bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol, it claimed that a wounded pregnant woman was faking it. Her friends told us something different.

Images of Marianna Vyshemirska fleeing the aftermath of the attack caused an outcry around the world. But they were also seized upon for a furious disinformation campaign, waged by people including Russian diplomats, that sought to justify the bombing.

But we’ve found clear evidence that the Russian story is false, and that the pregnant woman who was bombed was targeted again online - by pro-Russian trolls.

Marianna’s friends say she’s become a pawn in the information war over Ukraine that is raging alongside the military battle. And like the conflict on the ground, this fight also has real consequences for the people whose lives it touches.

In this podcast series, BBC disinformation reporter Marianna Spring investigates stories from Ukraine, Russia, and around the world, and hears from those caught up in the battle for the truth.

Producer: Marco Silva

Editor: Ed Main