FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show A Genuine eBay Listing For A Used Russian Tank?
An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows an eBay listing for a used, “fully functional” Russian tank being sold by Ukrainians.
Verdict: False
The image is digitally fabricated. The e-commerce company does not allow military vehicles like tanks to be sold on its website.
Fact Check:
Social media users have recently been sharing videos and photos of abandoned and destroyed Russian military vehicles, seemingly stemming from the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Newsweek. Now, an image being shared on Facebook claims “Ukrainians are selling used Russian Tanks on eBay.” The image shows what appears to be an eBay listing for a “used Russian T-72 tank” priced at “US $400,000.”
The alleged listing is a digital fabrication. The photo of the tank used in the listing can be traced to the website DefenceTalk, a site dedicated to “military and strategic news and information,” where it was posted in November 2010. The photo description identifies the tank as a T-72B that is “modernized.” The T-72 tank is considered to be a “backbone” of the Russian army and was introduced before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, according to Business insider.
While sellers on eBay can list certain types of military vehicles for sale, such as trucks, “Most military vehicles, including aircraft and ships, and their parts and accessories,” are not allowed to be sold on the website, according to the company’s Military Items Policy.
“Tanks and any other military vehicles are prohibited for sale under our military items policy,” said a spokesperson for eBay, in a Twitter direct message to Check Your Fact. “These are fake listings and no tanks have been sold on eBay.” (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Ukrainian Giving Instructions On How To Drive Abandoned Russian Tanks?)
Several images and videos have been misattributed to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. Check Your Fact recently debunked a viral video that purportedly shows a Ukrainian woman demonstrating how to drive an abandoned Russian tank.