The Two Ukrainians Killed in the Bnei Barak Shooting Attack Were Not War Refugees

31st March 2022

The Two Ukrainians Killed in the Bnei Barak Shooting Attack Were Not War Refugees

The Ukrainian victims entered Israel five years ago (Twitter).

The Claim

Ukrainian refugees who had recently arrived in Israel were among the five people killed in the Bnei Barak shooting attack.

News posted on

Emerging story

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.

Sasha and Dima were Ukrainian refugees in Israel. They escaped the war only to be gunned down by a savage terrorist/murderer in Israel.
May their memories be a blessing. pic.twitter.com/5DVyfGwwzf
— United With Israel (@UniteWithIsrael) March 30, 2022

These two Ukrainian refugees were killed by a Palestinian terrorist today in Israel. They had just arrived from Ukraine hoping to get escape war. Instead they were murdered by a Palestinian terrorist. pic.twitter.com/kl3is7QqfY
— Isaac Luria (@dana_behar) March 31, 2022

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.

A supporting image within the article body

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.