Old Photo Of Ukrainian President In Military Uniform Viral Amid Ongoing Crisis

Recently, a video of Ukraine's former president Petro Poroshenko walking the streets of Central Kyiv armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle has gone viral on social media. The image of the Ukrainian President in military attire is viral at a time when a war is raging between Ukraine and Russia.

The viral image shows President Volodymyr Zelensky in a military attire walking in queue with other soldiers. A Hindi caption with the Facebook post sharing the image translates to 'Everything is at stake, we can't stop now. We can break but we won't bend'.

(Hindi: दाँव पर सब कुछ लगा है, रुक नहीं सकते। टूट सकते हैं मगर हम झुक नहीं सकते)

See tweets here and here.

The image has been shared on Facebook with similar claims.

Also Read: 2016 'Free Food Truck' Photo Shared As Sikh Community's Langar In Ukraine

Fact Check

BOOM ran a reverse image search on the photo and found the same image in an article published in The Guardian on November 16, 2021.

The caption with the image reads 'The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky (second from left) visits the Donbass region, where US intelligence suggests a high probability of Russian military intervention. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images'.

Taking cue, BOOM looked up for the image on international photo agency Getty Images. We found the same photo published on the website on October 14, 2021.

The caption with the image reads 'Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd L) visits a frontline in Donbass, Ukraine on October 14, 2021 on the Defenders and Defendresses of Ukraine Day." (Photo by Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)'.

The Donbass region in southeastern Ukraine holds a strategic importance in the ongoing conflict between the two countries. According to a report published in CNN on February 22, 2022, Russia's decree 'recognizing the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, is a sharp escalation in a long-running conflict'.

Also Read: Old Photo Viral As Ukraine President Joins Army To Fight Against Russia

BOOM found pictures of Zelensky in military attire during his other visits to Donbass on different occasions. View here and here.