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Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka turned into ‘ghost cities’ by Ukrainian army — expert

TASS · · 167 words
International Humanitarian Law Violations Legitimacy of Ukrainian Military Presence
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What to know about International Humanitarian Law Violations

Military expert Andrey Marochko claims that the Ukrainian army is utilizing civilian infrastructure for military purposes in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkovka. He asserts that these locations have become 'ghost cities' with minimal civilian activity and that such actions violate international humanitarian law.

Propaganda risk 60%
Claims checked 5
Techniques found 3
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

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

What happened

The Ukrainian army uses the entire civilian infrastructure in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) for military purposes, having turned them into "ghost cities," military expert Andrey Marochko said.

Why it matters

"Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka, as far as I know, have become ghost cities, with practically no civilian activity there.

Common ground

Ukrainian militants are currently converting absolutely everything to ensure their security.

Perspective signals

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

Military expert Andrey Marochko claims that the Ukrainian army is utilizing civilian infrastructure for military purposes in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkovka. He asserts that these locations have become 'ghost cities' with minimal civilian activity and that such actions violate international humanitarian law.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/defense/2175395

analyticsAnalysis

60%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Significant concerns. Multiple propaganda techniques detected.

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 95% 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 85% 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
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
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 exaggeration / hyperbole 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 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info
Claim 1: “The Ukrainian army uses the entire civilian infrastructure in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) for military purposes”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is repeated across multiple search results, but all results attribute the statement to a single individual, military expert Andrey Marochko, and are published by TASS or sites mirroring TASS. There are no independent sources confirming this as a fact.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR; Russian: Донецкая Народная Республика (ДНР), romanised: Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika (DNR), IPA: [dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə]) is a disputed republic …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk_People's_Republic
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1938 Soviet Cup was an association football cup competition of the Soviet Union. The competition was composed of qualification stage that contained several subgroups and the final stage. 26 teams…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_Soviet_Cup
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Marochko said the Ukrainian army ghost cities Slavyansk Kramatorsk Druzhkovka situation is linked to the widespread conversion of civilian infrastructure for military use.
https://thetimesofrussia.com/politics/ukrainian-army-ghost-c…
+ 2 more evidence sources
info
Claim 2: “The Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration is a key logistics center for the Ukrainian army in Donbass, with rail and motor routes for supplying its units running across it”
SINGLE SOURCE
Similar to claim 0, this information appears in TASS and related reports. While it appears in multiple search results, they all stem from the same narrative/source (TASS/Marochko) without independent verification from other news organizations.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration is a key logistics center for the Ukrainian army in Donbass, with rail and motor routes for supplying its units running across it.
https://tass.com/defense/2175395
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Slavyansk-Kramatorsk Area Remains a Key Logistics Hub. The Slavyansk-Kramatorsk logistics center is described as an important supply area for the Ukrainian army in Donbass. Railway and road routes cro…
https://thetimesofrussia.com/politics/ukrainian-army-ghost-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration is a key logistics center for the Ukrainian army in Donbass, with rail and motor routes for supplying its units running across it.
http://ecoruspace.ru/index.php?action=view&id_news=156923132
check_circle
Claim 3: “the humanitarian situation in the city [Druzhkovka] being next to critical”
CORROBORATED
The claim is corroborated by TASS (citing the head of the military administration reporting no power, water, or gas) and another source reporting 'challenging logistical situations' and 'burned-out infrastructure' in the Druzhkivka direction.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The city of Druzhkovka is in the most difficult situation in the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), having no electrical power, water and gas supply, the head of the Kiev-con…
https://tass.com/world/2153127
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 14th of September 202600:00 — Introduction: top events of the last 12 hours00:13 — Night... Druzhkovka: Russians push toward the western i…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbBhqsCqlG0
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In the Druzhkivka direction, multiple indications of a challenging logistical situation for Ukrainian forces have been recorded. It is reported that on one section of the road, traces of several destr…
https://en.topwar.ru/288566-setki-ne-pomogajut-logistika-vsu…
help
Claim 4: “there is practically no civilian population in Ukraine-occupied Druzhkovka”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The claim that there is 'practically no civilian population' is directly contradicted by evidence from a statistics source citing UN data, which indicates there are 3,293 children aged 10 to 14 in Druzhkovka, proving a significant civilian presence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — By 1913, Druzhkovka's population had reached 13,500. At the beginning of the 20th century, many peasants from the Oryol and Kursk provinces resettled here. Residents were served by two hospitals and f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druzhkivka
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Ukrainian army uses the entire civilian infrastructure in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) for military purposes, having turned them into "ghost cities,…
http://ecoruspace.ru/index.php?action=view&id_news=156923132
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Today in Druzhkovka there are 3293 children. Of these, the boys are - 1694 and girls - 1598. These are children from 10 to 14 years old.The main sources of data on the population and other in Druzhkov…
https://globalpopulations.com/ua/335438-druzhkivka/
info
Claim 5: “Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka... have become ghost cities, with practically no civilian activity there”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this specific claim consists of irrelevant Bing News/Homepage quizzes and does not contain any factual information regarding the status of these cities.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Weekly Bing News Quiz Test you knowledge this week on trending news stories and top headlines.
https://weeklyquiz.net/bing-news-quiz/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Test your knowledge on world headlines, breaking news, and trending global stories updated daily.
https://bingquiz.com/bing-homepage-quiz/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jan 12, 2026 · Did you know that the Bing Homepage Quiz is a daily trivia game with 15 questions based on the Bing homepage image and popular topics? Take the daily quiz on geography, current events, …
https://bing.weeklyquiz.net/bing-homepage-quiz/
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.