Claim
the Kremlin-aligned agency RIA Novosti said the Halaktyka (Galaxy) shopping centre burned down after a Ukrainian drone attack, and the death of a for[eigner/local was reported]
Attributed to RIA Novosti
Evidence
Multiple outlets, including Ukrainska Pravda's English service and its Yahoo syndication, confirm that Kremlin-aligned RIA Novosti claimed the Halaktyka (Galaxy) shopping centre in Russian-occupied Donetsk burned down on 15 August after a Ukrainian drone attack, with RIA Novosti quoted saying Ukrainian forces 'used foreign-made drones.' Independent Ukrainian outlets (UNN, ua.news) and monitoring Telegram channels (Astra) corroborate that a large fire did break out at the Galaktika shopping centre in Donetsk that night following explosions attributed to a drone strike — this was reportedly the third such fire at a Galaktika-chain location (former Epicentr stores) in occupied Donetsk region within a week, with similar fires also reported later in Makiivka, Yenakiieve, and Mariupol. However, none of the independent reports found (UNN, ua.news, Kyiv Post, Ukrainska Pravda) mention any death or casualty — in fact, a related Kyiv Post report on a similar Galaktika fire in Mariupol explicitly stated no casualties had been recorded. No fact-checking organization (Reuters, AFP, Bellingcat, EUvsDisinfo) appears to have published a dedicated review of this specific claim.
Supporting sources
Contradicting sources
Assessment
The RIA Novosti claim about the shopping centre fire following a drone attack is independently corroborated by multiple Ukrainian outlets, but no source found mentions or confirms any death or casualty from this specific incident, so that portion of the claim remains unverified.
Confidence
Some independent corroboration was found, but it isn't yet conclusive.
Timeline
Aug 17, 2026, 9:40 AM UTC
UnverifiedInitial assessment.
Oct 7, 2026, 9:35 AM UTC
UnverifiedThe RIA Novosti claim about the shopping centre fire following a drone attack is independently corroborated by multiple Ukrainian outlets, but no source found mentions or confirms any death or casualty from this specific incident, so that portion of the claim remains unverified.
First observed Aug 17, 2026, 9:40 AM UTC · Last reviewed Oct 7, 2026, 9:35 AM UTC