Twitter pulls 'fake news' post by Russian embassy in UK about Mariupol hospital attack

Twitter said the post breached policies on hateful conduct and abusive behaviour

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Twitter has pulled a post from the Russian embassy in London after allegations made about an attack on a maternity hospital in Ukraine was called "fake news" by British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

The embassy, quoting Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, suggested the hospital attacked by Kremlin forces in Mariupol had been “long non-operational” and was being used by Ukrainian armed forces and “radicals” .

Mariupol is under attack by Russian forces and the strike on the maternity hospital sparked international condemnation.

On Thursday, the local Red Cross reported food was running short in the besieged port city.

Ms Dorries retweeted the Russian Embassy message and said: “This is fake news.” The post was published just days after Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya held up another tweet from the London embassy at a special sitting of the Security Council. It claimed that Russia had attacked Ukraine to prevent hostile operations erupting there.

A screen grab from the Twitter feed of Nadine Dorries before the embassy tweet was removed. PA

The Mariupol tweet was reported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and has since been removed with a note in its place saying: “This Tweet violated the Twitter rules.”

Twitter said the tweet specifically breached its policies on hateful conduct and abusive behaviour relating to the denial of violent events.

The Russian embassy UK account is verified with a blue tick and has more than 150,000 followers.

“It's not just some random or unknown account on Twitter," said Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun, deputy leader of the Holos Party.

"It's an account of an official organisation, which is the embassy of the Russian Federation. So that is something that Twitter can follow up upon, I believe.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows destroyed and burning warehouse buildings in Stoyanka, Ukraine, in the western Kyiv region, during the Russian invasion. AP

Children shelter in a metro station in Kharkiv. Moscow said on March 10, 2022, that it will open daily humanitarian corridors to allow civilians fleeing fighting in Ukraine to reach Russian territory, despite Kyiv insisting that no evacuation routes should lead to Russia. AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a videoconference meeting with government members at the Kremlin in Moscow. The meeting focuses on minimising the effects of sanctions on the Russian economy. Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 24, prompting the country's president to declare martial law and triggering a series of severe economic sanctions imposed by western countries. EPA

Rescuers work among remains of buildings damaged by an air strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, as Russia's attack on the country continues. Reuters

Members of the National Guard of Ukraine, Oleksandr and Olena, listen to a priest at their wedding in Ukraine. Reuters

People fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine warm up by a fire near the train station in Lviv, Ukraine. Reuters

Russian forces rolled their armoured vehicles up to the northeastern edge of Kyiv, edging closer in their attempts to encircle the Ukrainian capital. AFP

A woman covers herself with a blanket near a damaged fire truck after shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine. AP Photo

A Ukrainian soldier hides from a helicopter air strike near Demydiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Ukrainian soldiers walk past a monument of the city founder Duke de Richelieu, covered with sand bags for protection, in Odessa, Ukraine. Reuters

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, centre, and Ukranian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. EPA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in talks with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba during a tripartite meeting chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Antalya, Turkey. AP

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks to the media as the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia and Turkey hold talks in Antalya, 15 days after Russia launched a military invasion on Ukraine. AFP

A Ukrainian serviceman says goodbye to his girlfriend before departing in the direction of Kyiv at the central train station in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. AFP

Valerii Sushkevych, president of the Ukraine National Paralympic Committee, and the Ukraine delegation raise their fists and pose with a banner at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. Reuters

A member of the Ukrainian team cries during a moment of silence at the Zhangjiakou athletes village during the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. AFP

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kubela, second left, in Antalya, Turkey. AFP

A man is supported after crossing the Irpin river while fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine. AP

People are helped out of a damaged children's hospital following a Russian air strike in the southeastern city of Mariupol, Ukraine. AFP

A man rides a bicycle in front of an apartment building that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol. AP

A woman carries two babies after arriving at a triage point in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP

A man hugs an elderly woman after crossing a damaged bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin, near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. EPA

Local residents cook at a makeshift camp next to a checkpoint in Kyiv. EPA

Ukrainian men chop wood at a makeshift camp next to a checkpoint in Kyiv. EPA

A member of the Territorial Defence Forces learns how to use a Javelin missile during a training session in Kyiv. EPA

Members of the Territorial Defence Forces learn how to give first aid during the training session. EPA

A woman rescued from the outskirts of Kyiv holds a plate of food after arriving at a triage point in the Ukrainian capital. AP

A woman cries after arriving at the triage point in Kyiv. AP

Civilian vehicles drive past a destroyed Russian tank as they leave Irpin. AP

Ukrainian servicemen stand in a foxhole in Irpin. AP

People gather on a platform to board a train leaving Odesa after the US said Russian troops are making preparations to attack the city. AFP

A Ukrainian woman looks for food in a bin in Odesa's city centre. AFP

Ukrainian servicemen look towards Russian positions outside the city of Brovary, east of Kyiv. AFP

A man walks past a shelled house at the village of Velyka Dymerka, east of Kyiv. AFP

A Ukrainian serviceman stands at a check point in the vilage of Velyka Dymerka east of Kyiv. AFP

A Ukrainian woman plays with her child in a temporary refugee shelter in Przemysl, Poland. Reuters

A woman waits outside a maternity and children's hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine. AP

A pregnant woman leaves the hospital after she was wounded when it was bombed. AP

A woman waits outside the damaged hospital in Mariupol. AP

A man wounded by shelling in Mariupol. AP

A car burns after the destruction of the children's hospital in Mariupol. Reuters

A mortuary worker wheels a stretcher used to move dead bodies before they are buried on the outskirts of Mariupol. AP

“I do think that Twitter at least should take care of the official accounts, like embassies and so on, or just take them down," she said.

"Frankly speaking, that would do the job as well. It's easier just to take them down completely than try to, you know, to follow up on every single tweet, because they're lying to us all the time ...

"And we should just stop listening to him [Mr Lavrov], we should stop transmitting whatever they're saying.”

The UK embassy account has a long history of trolling the West and was subject of compliants during the 2016 offensive in Aleppo when its posts revelled in civilian and rebel hardship.

The tone is no different in this latest Russian-backed siege. Ms Sovsun pointed out there was photographic evidence of women being carried out of the hospital.

“You did see the picture of the pregnant women taken out of that hospital. They were there," she said.

“They were really pregnant, they were really hurt. And we had three people at least killed, confirmed, in that attack."