Fact check
AI analysis“Authorities from both countries said this on Saturday.”
Reasoning
Reuters reports that authorities from both Russia and Ukraine said on Saturday that at least 16 people were killed in recent air strikes. The Russian Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian Ministry of Defence each released statements on that day, confirming they made public comments about the attacks. Although later statements from the Ukrainian President’s office and Russian Foreign Ministry dispute the casualty figures, they do not negate the fact that both governments made statements on Saturday.
On confidence: Multiple primary and independent sources directly confirm that both Russian and Ukrainian authorities issued statements on Saturday.
Important context
The content of the statements is contested—Russia and Ukraine gave differing casualty numbers, and later officials denied the 16‑death figure. The claim only concerns whether authorities said something, not the accuracy of the figures reported.
Evidence
Supporting (3)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceRussian Ministry of Defense Press Release, 26 September 2026
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation confirms that on Saturday, Russian aircraft conducted precision strikes in the Donetsk region, resulting in the death of nine Ukrainian personnel.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceUkrainian Ministry of Defence Statement, 26 September 2026
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reports that Russian air raids on Saturday killed at least seven civilians in the Kharkiv region, bringing the total death toll to sixteen.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originReuters: "At least 16 killed as Russia and Ukraine trade deadly air strikes"
Authorities from both Russia and Ukraine said on Saturday that at least 16 people were killed in the latest round of air strikes.
Contradicting (2)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceOffice of the President of Ukraine Statement, 26 September 2026
The Office of the President of Ukraine states that no civilians were killed in the recent air strikes and that the reported figure of 16 is misinformation.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceRussian Foreign Ministry Press Release, 26 September 2026
The Russian Foreign Ministry says the claims of 16 deaths are unfounded and that the strikes targeted only military infrastructure.
Contextual (1)
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originUN OCHA Casualties Report, 26 September 2026
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded 12 civilian deaths from air strikes in the past 24 hours, pending verification of the total figure.
Limitations
The claim is vague ('said this'), so verification is limited to confirming that statements were made, not the precise wording or truth of the casualty numbers. Contradictory later statements highlight ongoing disputes over the reported figures.
- Last verified:
- Sep 26, 2026, 5:16 PM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 0.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
At least 16 people killed as Russia and Ukraine trade deadly air strikesFrance 24