This Photo Is Unrelated to the Recent Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The Claim
The image depicts clashes between the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
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Emerging story
Social media accounts and users, particularly on Facebook and Twitter, have circulated an image depicting clashes between the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Users also alleged that the Ukrainian army had announced the deaths of 50 Russian soldiers and the downing of six planes in eastern Ukraine.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and discovered it to be misleading, as the image is outdated and was previously published by news websites in 2014. According to reports, the image depicts destroyed military vehicles from battles between the Ukrainian army and separatist forces in the eastern Ukrainian city of Ilovysk. Screenshots of the article are available below.
Description: Screenshots of the article show that it was published in August of 2014.
The claim comes as the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced that the Ukrainian army had killed 50 Russian soldiers, shot down seven planes, and destroyed four army tanks. This came after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, just days after signing a decree recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. However, according to the findings, the image is unrelated to the Ukrainian defense ministry's announcement and depicts a 2014 conflict in the same region.
Translated by Dina Faisal
