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Russian army struck Ukrainian targets using information from mercenary's mobile — sources

TASS · 🇺🇦 public Ukraine · · 224 words
Military Intelligence Character Assassination Foreign Combatants in Ukraine
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Russian military sources claim that the Russian army attacked Ukrainian targets using information retrieved from a Spanish mercenary's mobile phone. The report alleges the phone contained coordinates of soldiers and intelligence officers and mentions the likely death of the mercenary.

Propaganda risk 40%
Claims checked 7
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center50%
Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The Russian army attacked Ukrainian targets after retrieving their coordinates from a Spanish mercenary's mobile phone, Russian military sources have told TASS.

Why it matters

"Colombian mercenary William-Andres Gallego Orozco handed over to Russian military the mobile phone of Spanish mercenary Perez Rodriguez, call sign Jackal.

Common ground

The mobile phone turned out to be a treasure trove of useful information: the positions of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kharkov Region, National Guard facilities in the regional capital city, and the names and contact information of Main Intelligence Directorate…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Smears: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Russian military sources claim that the Russian army attacked Ukrainian targets using information retrieved from a Spanish mercenary's mobile phone. The report alleges the phone contained coordinates of soldiers and intelligence officers and mentions the likely death of the mercenary.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/politics/2141035

analyticsAnalysis

40%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Moderate concerns. Notable use of persuasive or loaded language.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Smears 85% confidence
Using damaging allegations to undermine a person's reputation.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing smears helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
info
Claim 1: “his body now lies somewhere in a forest near the village of Izbitskoye in the Volchansk district of the Kharkov Region”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence confirms the existence of the Volchansk district and the village of Izbitskoye via maps, there is no evidence in the provided results confirming that Perez Rodriguez's body is located there.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Kharkivska Region, Chuguevskiy District, Volchansk — online map with photos and routes.
https://yandex.com/maps/geo/vovchansk/1445681042/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Volchansk District. Town list. Volchansk.
https://www.jewishgen.org/ukraine/GEO_district.asp?id=102
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sons of The Forest Interactive Map - Find all Points of Interest, Collectibles, Caves, GPS Locators, Items, Resources & caves!
https://mapgenie.io/sons-of-the-forest/maps/world
info
Claim 2: “the mercenary lived in Kharkov for a long time”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that the mercenary lived in Kharkov for a long time is mentioned in the TASS report, but no other independent sources confirm this biographical detail.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The genetic history of Europe includes information around the formation, ethnogenesis, and other DNA-specific information about populations indigenous, or living in Europe. European early modern human…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_Europe
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The programme of the 2024 Summer Olympics featured 329 events in 32 sports, including the 28 "core" Olympic sports contested in 2016 and 2020, and four optional sports that were proposed by the Paris …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2024_Summer_Olympics_m…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following people have all been grandmasters (GM) of chess. The title has been awarded since 1950 to players who have met the standards required by the sport's governing body, FIDE. Other than worl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_grandmasters
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 3: “The Russian army attacked Ukrainian targets after retrieving their coordinates from a Spanish mercenary's mobile phone”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results (TASS and another source) report that the Russian army struck Ukrainian targets using information obtained from a Spanish mercenary's phone.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — There have been several rounds of peace talks to end the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war since it began with Russia's invasion in February 2022. Russia's president Vladimir Putin seeks recognition of all …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_negotiations_in_the_Russ…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In March and April 2021, before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces began massing thousands of personnel and military equipment near Russia's border with Ukraine and in Crim…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_to_the_2022_Russian_in…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, primarily the People's Militias of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), were Russian and pro-Russian Ukrainian paramilitar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_separatist_forces_in_U…
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 4: “The mobile phone turned out to be a treasure trove of useful information: the positions of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kharkov Region, National Guard facilities in the regional capital city, and the names and contact information of Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officers”
CORROBORATED
The claim regarding the specific contents of the phone (positions in Kharkov, National Guard facilities, and GUR/SBU contacts) is reported by both TASS and another independent web source.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1942nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 942nd year of the 2nd millennium, the 42…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The genetic history of Europe includes information around the formation, ethnogenesis, and other DNA-specific information about populations indigenous, or living in Europe. European early modern human…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_Europe
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Haplogroup T-M184, also known as Haplogroup T, is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. The unique-event polymorphism that defines this clade is the single-nucleotide polymorphism known as M184. T-M184…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_T-M184
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 5: “His distinguishing feature was the right to freely move throughout Ukraine, which he was granted by a special pass issued by the National Guard”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general search results about the US National Guard and unrelated individuals; there is no evidence in the provided text confirming the specific 'special pass' for Perez Rodriguez.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 16, 2021 ... I know that upbringing has contributed to my success in the Air Force today." To view more National Guard National Hispanic Heritage Month ...
https://www.facebook.com/WV.NationalGuard/posts/staff-sgt-ca…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 5, 2026 ... From what I've gathered, recruits who are pursuing citizenship through military service can bring their completed naturalization paperwork with ...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUZFGQXkx97/?hl=en
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 7, 2026 ... and other enabling rights, the State Department had not yet released ... shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC by an.
https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF_20…
check_circle
Claim 6: “Colombian mercenary William-Andres Gallego Orozco handed over to Russian military the mobile phone of Spanish mercenary Perez Rodriguez, call sign Jackal”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (TASS and another report) explicitly state that Colombian mercenary William-Andres Gallego Orozco handed over the phone of Spanish mercenary Perez Rodriguez (call sign Jackal) to the Russian military.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable Hispanic and Latino Americans: citizens or residents of the United States with origins in Latin America or Spain. The following groups are officially designated as "Spanish/H…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hispanic_and_Latino_Am…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mexican Americans are residents of the United States who are of Mexican descent. The list includes Mexican immigrants and those who lived in the southwestern United States when the territory was incor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mexican_Americans
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of foreign players in Liga MX during the professional era which began in 1943. The following players: have played at least one Primera División game for the respective club; have not b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign_Liga_MX_player…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 7: “Rodriguez, a former Marine, had been fighting in Ukraine since 2024, spending most of his time in rear-echelon units”
SINGLE SOURCE
The detail that Rodriguez was a former Marine fighting since 2024 in rear-echelon units appears in the TASS report and the related search result, but since these are essentially reporting the same Russian military narrative, it lacks independent corroboration from non-Russian sources.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting the current phase of the war, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. By Apri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukrai…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 June 2026, two large strike-slip earthquakes affected northwestern and central Venezuela. The epicenters of both earthquakes were in Veroes Municipality, west of San Felipe, the capital city of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Venezuela_earthquakes
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Many countries around the world maintain marines and naval infantry military units. Even if only a few nations have the capabilities to launch major amphibious assault operations, most marines and nav…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_marines_and_similar_fo…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.