Fact check: False 'mass exodus' claims spread as Russia bombards Kyiv

Disinformation is circulating online alleging a mass exodus of civilians from Kyiv as Russia continues its daily aerial bombardment of the capital. Social media posts have shared manipulated or out-of-context content, including traffic jams and crowds, to depict panic and collapse.

One widely viewed post on X claimed a "mass exodus" using footage of a Kyiv metro station during rush hour, noting the metro does not extend beyond the city limits. Another post featured nighttime footage of a large traffic jam, which was identified as the Wuzhuang Toll Station in China, not a Kyiv exit.

Further disinformation came from the official account of "Our Country Our Choice," an "America First" group led by Douglas Macgregor. This group shared a photo of cars and men in winter jackets, despite the supposed late summer timing, which was later identified as predating the current attacks and showing people moving to the Polish border.

Similar claims have appeared in English and other foreign languages, though they have gained less traction on Ukrainian and Russian-language social media. A disinformation monitoring team at LetsData noted that while narratives portraying Kyiv as uninhabitable exist, they mix real difficulties with exaggerated projections to incite panic.

While residents have historically sought refuge in safer western regions during attacks, there is no current public data to support claims of a mass flight from Kyiv in recent weeks. The last significant reported departures were during last winter's energy grid attacks, when Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko cited 600,000 departures, a figure later unconfirmed by the Kyiv City Military administration.