No, President Zelenskyy Did Not Compare Kharkiv to Marib
The Claim
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv as the second Marib, which has been referred to as the fortified bastion of Arabs.
News posted on
Emerging story
Recent tweets and Facebook posts display an image that appears to be from Al Jazeera, showing a quote attributed to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which says: "Kharkiv will be the steadfast fortress of Europe and the second Marib, which has been referred to as the fortress of Arabs."
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be fake. Upon investigating the President's speeches and statements, Misbar's team discovered that the statement was falsely attributed to him. The Ukrainian President did not compare Kharkiv to Marib.
Missbar's team also discovered that the circulating image was fabricated, as Al Jazeera did not publish any similar statements by the Ukrainian president. A Yemeni journalist, Al Jazeera's correspondent Samir Al-Nimri, also denied that Al Jazeera published the alleged statement.
This allegation is circulating amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which began with President Vladimir Putin announcing a special military operation on February 24, 2022. Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, is experiencing violent clashes between the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
Translated by Ouissal Harize.
