A pro-Russian blogger spread a false story about a "mercenary base" in Lviv

On March 24, 2026, pro-Russian blogger Oleksandr Semchenko claimed that a Russian strike in Lviv had allegedly targeted a facility housing foreign mercenaries, without providing any evidence to support his claim. 

According to the propagandist, the strike hit a former monastery near the Bernardine Church, where the Lviv Historical Archive is located. The blogger called this cultural landmark a base for foreign military personnel, citing unconfirmed data without specifying sources.

The Lviv Historical Archive is located in the building of the former monastery, which is part of the city’s cultural heritage. Earlier, official sources reported that the Bernardine Monastery complex was damaged and 13 people were injured as a result of the Russian drone attack. The blogger’s claim that the archive was being used as a military facility came amid reports of a fire in the adjacent buildings of the complex, which is listed on the International List of Cultural Heritage Sites under enhanced protection.

On March 24, Russian occupiers carried out a massive attack on western regions of Ukraine using kamikaze drones. In Lviv, one of the drones struck a building in the city center, causing a fire.

This attack was part of a large-scale air offensive by the Russian Federation that on March 24 swept across several regions of Ukraine, including critical infrastructure sites in the rear regions.