2019 Photo From Australia Shared as Ukrainian Firefighters
The Claim
The image depicts three Ukrainian firefighters covered in soot and ash on a fighter jet.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users shared a photo of three firefighters on a jet, all covered in soot, purporting to be Ukrainian firefighters and rescuers.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The image was taken in Australia in 2019.
Using Google Reverse Image Search, it was revealed that the image had previously been shared by Australian news outlets covering a February 2019 bushfire outbreak in Tasmania. According to news reports, the three firefighters were covered in ash after "battling bushfires in Tasmania, which have destroyed over 191,000 hectares across the state."
According to a Facebook user who posted the photo on Feb. 1, 2019, the photograph was taken by a firefighter identified as John Lyons and features his colleagues Jason Luck, Paul Catteral, and John Kroczewski.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine develops, false and misleading information has spread online. Misbar has debunked numerous pictures claiming to be related to the ongoing war.
