Russia’s military operation in Ukraine continues to be rampant as the world is shocked by the situation that is happening in this country. Meanwhile, photos depicting the explosions and collapsed buildings were posted recently on Facebook. These photos were claimed and linked to the current Russia-Ukraine crisis which is happening. This post was reacted with many shares and comments by the Facebook users who are speaking Khmer. However, after running a Google Reverse Image search, it proves that the photo attached with the claim posted by the user is misleading.
This is about our investigation of these photos.
Social Media Claim
On February 25, 2022, one of the Facebook users posted eight photos, two of them showing the scene of a massive fire and another showing the view of a man with a head injury with the collapsed building behind. This post was linked, and it may be believed by the users that they were all in the recent Ukraine-Russia crisis. These claims have been shared and commented on many times by Khmer-speaking Facebook users.
The following is a screenshot captured from the above Facebook user’s post which was written in English as “PRAY FOR UKRAINE ”.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia had started to check and verify this photo directly by running a Google Reverse Image search, which brought us to the sources containing the following photos.
An exact photo with the same form and shape was found on ABC News, the news division of Walt Disney Television’s ABC broadcast network, which describes in English as “Igor Chernetsov, whose wife was killed in a building demolished by an airstrike, gestures near the collapsed structure in Snizhne, eastern Ukraine, July 15, 2014. At least nine civilians were killed in the attack, rescue workers said, adding to the steadily growing number of civilians killed over four months in a dogged pro-Russian insurgency”.
ABC News Report | Archived Link
Similarly, according to the Aljazeera news website published on September 27, 2017, it also revealed photos and information about the scene of an explosion in Ukraine as well. Fact Crescendo Cambodia has found that this is not related to the recent war crisis between Ukraine and Russia at all. This incident was reported to have taken place near the city of Kalynivka, about 200 kilometers from the capital Kyiv and two people were injured.
The following is an image from the website above written in English as “Thousands evacuated after Ukraine arms depot blast. At least two people were injured in the fire, which authorities said was a possible act of ‘sabotage’”.
Aljazeera News Report | Archived Link
Global News Report | Archived Link
The Fact Crescendo Cambodia team also confirmed and verified that the other photos were of recent developments between Ukraine and Russia.
The following screenshot was captured from The Guardian News Website which mentioned in English as “A wounded woman is seen as airstrikes damage an apartment complex outside of Kharkiv”.
The Guardian News Report | Archived Link
The following is a snapshot taken from USA Today showing a damaged radar, a vehicle, and equipment that are seen at a Ukrainian military facility outside Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, February 24, 2020.
USA Today Link | Archived Link
Another screenshot photo was taken from the news media also shows an exact photo which details in English as “Firefighters at a building in the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on Thursday as Russian armed forces try to invade Ukraine from several directions”.
Huffington Post Link | Archived Link
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You may find the details of this fact-check in Khmer language here as well.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found that the two photos linked to the claim posted by the above Facebook users were misleading. The two photos above are not the scene of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine. The photo shows a man with a head injury from the collapsed building that happened on July 15, 2014, after airstrikes by insurgents in Snizhne. Also, the photo shows the scene of an arsenal explosion near Kalynivka on September 27, 2017.
Title:Two photos Falsely Linked to Recent Ukraine-Russia Crisis
Fact Check By: Kakada SimResult: Misleading
