ALBAWABA - Amid Zelenskyy and Trump's heated debate in the White House about the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, a Ukrainian soldier took the internet by storm after a video of him resurfaced on social media, reportedly opening fire at a mannequin wearing a Trump-themed t-shirt.
While the video is true, it had nothing to do with the recent debate between Zelenskyy and Trump. According to the fact-checking website Misbar, the clip in question was first shared in November 2024 before US President Donald Trump took office, to incite Trump supporters against Ukraine. It also remains unclear if the soldier present in the clip is from Ukraine.
Video: Ukrainian soldier fires at Trump-themed mannequin
According to Ukrainian sources, the clip was also shared to reportedly spark doubt among the US and its citizens about Ukraine's gratitude towards the country.
Clemson University professor Darren Linvill wrote on Musk's X (formerly known as Twitter), "On the heels of the election pro-Russian influencers have been sharing this video of "Ukrainians" shooting and burning a MAGA dummy.
We believe it is likely fake and a product of the Foundation for Battling Injustice's Storm-1516 campaign." He added that the video's goal was to end the West's aid to Ukraine during its ongoing conflict with Russia.
An investigation was also launched by France 24 on November 2024 indicating that it wasn't possible to confirm the soldier's nationality due to the soldier's uniform matching Ukraine's military outfit, but it did suggest that it might've been part of a Russian disinformation operation.
The French news outlet also reported that Russia's Pravda published the clip on Nov. 5, 2024, on Telegram.
