The Two Ukrainians Killed in the Bnei Barak Shooting Attack Were Not War Refugees
The Claim
Ukrainian refugees who had recently arrived in Israel were among the five people killed in the Bnei Barak shooting attack.
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Social media users have recently circulated news alleging that two of the five people killed in the Bnei Brak shooting attack in Tel Aviv on March 29, 2022, were Ukrainians who had recently arrived in Israel as refugees following Russia's war on Ukraine.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation revealed that the circulating claim is misleading. The Ukrainian Embassy in Israel confirmed that two Ukrainian citizens were among the victims. However, according to Israeli media, they did not arrive in Israel after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Victor Sorokopot, 32, and Dimitri Mitrik, 24, were in Israel illegally, according to Israeli police, as they entered on a tourist visa five years ago.
According to the Times of Israel, the two men were both foreign construction workers who lived in the city. The Jerusalem Post also reported that two of those killed in the shooting attack were workers, but did not mention that they were refugees from Russia's war on Ukraine.
Social media users linked the Ukrainian victims in the shooting attack to war refugees that fled Ukraine following the recent war, which is misleading.
Additional reporting by Misbar's Arabic Team.
