A 2008 photo of Paul McCartney waving a Ukrainian flag while performing at a concert in Kyiv, is being shared as recent claiming that the former Beatle asked the audience to support Ukraine as it battles a full-scale Russian invasion.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he is launching a 'special military operation' in Ukraine, following which Russia invaded the country with pitched battles currently going on in several cities including the capital Kyiv. As distressing footage of the invasion and reports of hardships endured by Ukrainians flood social media, Russia has faced condemnation from several countries for waging war.
The viral photo was posted on Facebook with the caption, "Paul from the Beatles asking the crowd to support Ukraine!"
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The same photo amassed over 16,000 retweets and over 110,000 Likes.
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral photo of Paul McCartney is from June 2008 during the 'Independence Concert' in Independence Square in Kyiv.
A simple keyword search showed that the viral photo is old and is unrelated to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
We found the same viral photo on Getty Images with the caption, "Sir Paul McCartney performs during the 'Independence Concert' in Independence Square on June 14, 2008 in Kiev, Ukraine."
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Update: On March 1, 2022, Paul McCartney tweeted in solidarity with Ukraine sharing the same photo of him waving the Ukrainian flag.
McCartney tweeted saying, "Remembering playing for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square in 2008 and thinking of them in these difficult times. We send our love and support. 🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine"
BOOM has debunked several pieces of misinformation around the conflict with unrelated videos and images being shared with false claims. Follow our thread below: