Russia Did Not Display an ICBM Labeled "After Me, There's Silence"

Misbar investigated the viral image and found it to be misleading. The image was digitally altered to include the phrase "After me, there’s only silence."

Russian Topol-M Missile Captured During 2013 Victory Day Rehearsal

Misbar’s investigation traced the photo back to 2013, when it appeared without the phrase.
A reverse image search of the photo led to personal blogs and niche websites that had used the photo in articles. However, the photo on these sites did not feature the phrase “After me, there’s silence,” in Russian.

A site called White Fleet, which specializes in analyzing global military affairs and technology, shared the image in a 2015 article about military ground vehicles. The controversial phrase was not visible on the missile in that version of the photo.

White Fleet shared the viral image without the phrase “After me, there’s silence.” The photo was also uploaded to Wikimedia, where it was described as having been captured on May 7, 2013. Similarly, the version on Wikimedia did not feature the phrase.

Finally, Misbar’s team found that the photo was originally published by the stock photography agency Alamy. It was uploaded by Associated Press photojournalist Alexander Zemlianichenko, who noted in the caption that the missile shown is a Russian Topol-M missile captured during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, in May 2013.

The viral photo on Alamy also did not feature the phrase “After me, there’s silence.” Additionally, Misbar’s team searched for the phrase and its keywords in both English and Russian but found no evidence in credible media outlets. If an intercontinental ballistic missile with this phrase had appeared in Red Square, it would have been widely reported in Russian or Ukrainian media.

Russia Launches Ballistic Attack on Ukraine, Ukraine Claims Russia Used ICBM

In response to Ukraine's attack on Russia with American-made long-range missiles, Russia launched a barrage of missiles at Ukraine on November 21.

Russia targeted several cities with its ballistic missiles, with central-eastern Dnipro being hit the hardest.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia's attack included its first use of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during the war. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky also made the same claim. In a social media post, Zelensky said the characteristics of Russia's missile attack on Dnipro "correspond to an intercontinental ballistic missile," adding that an investigation was underway to confirm exactly what had been fired at the city.

However, CBS News reported that a Western official told the outlet on Thursday that an ICBM was not used in the strike. CBS News also reported that two U.S. officials said Russia had fired a ballistic missile, not an ICBM.

Russia's attack was reportedly in retaliation for Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied missiles against Russian territory, as Moscow had been warning the U.S. and its NATO allies for months against permitting Ukraine to fire Western missiles into Russia.

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