Photo of a Destroyed Hotel Claimed To Show the School Bombing in Luhansk
The Claim
This photo shows the aftermath of the bombing of a school in the Luhansk region of Ukraine.
News posted on
Emerging story
Several websites and social media users have been circulating an image which is allegedly from the bombing of a school in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region.
Photo Description: The Photo being shared as the school in Luhansk.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be misleading, as the photo dates back to last April. The photo originally shows the damage caused to a hotel as a result of the bombing of the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine. The photo was taken by photographer Anastasia Vlasova for Getty Images.
Liberation of Chernihiv
In early April, Ukraine announced the liberation of the entire Kyiv region, including the city of Chernihiv, after the withdrawal of Russian forces from the region.
The city has been subjected to continuous bombardment since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The bombing destroyed many buildings in the city, including the Ukraine Hotel, where a photo was taken and shared by several agencies after the withdrawal of Russian forces. The photo showed the destruction of the hotel.
Photo Description: Photo of the hotel from 2015, from Google Maps.
School Bombing in Luhansk
A school in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine was bombed on May 7, possibly killing 60 people.
As reported by the military governor of Luhansk, there were 90 persons at the school, 60 of whom are likely to have died after 30 were rescued.
The majority of the Luhansk regions are controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Yet, the Ukrainian military governor of Luhansk asserted that the school was bombed by Russian forces.
