2019 Photo of Ukrainians Praying on Their Knees Goes Viral Amid Recent Tensions
The Claim
An image depicts Ukrainians praying following tensions between the country and Russia.
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Emerging story
An image is widely circulated on social media, particularly Twitter, which depicts people kneeling in the snow and praying. The accompanying claim is that the people are Ukrainian Christians praying for their country during this uncertainty amidst rising tension with Russia and a possible invasion. The image was liked thousands of times and shared by verified users.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and discovered it to be misleading. While Ukrainians are almost certainly praying for the peace and safety of their country during these difficult times, the image does not reflect this. A Google reverse image search revealed that the image was uploaded online as early as September 2019.
Using the results, an article dated 25 September 2019 was found which shared the image with the headline “ Standing on Our Knees.”
According to the article, these prayers were held in Freedom Square in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in response to a call from pastors and evangelical leaders in early 2014. This followed the outbreak of violence in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatist forces and the Ukrainian military, which has resulted in an estimated 10,300 deaths and nearly 24,000 injuries since April 2014. According to the article, these prayers have been going on for five years.
Ukraine again faces uncertainty with Russia taking a threatening stance by placing its militants at the border with Ukraine and the possibility of an invasion. All diplomatic efforts are being used to avoid a war. Based on the findings, the Misbar team confirms that the image is unrelated to the current tensions between Ukraine and Russia and are prayers from 2019.
