An image shared on Facebook claims The Guardian reported Russian General Sergei Surovikin said an empire of “n***ers, Jews and homosexuals” were seeking to destroy Russia.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence The Guardian published this tweet. A spokesperson for the outlet confirmed the tweet was fabricated.

Fact Check:

Surovikin was appointed as the new commander for Russia’s operation in Ukraine hours after the Crimea bridge attack, according to BBC News. A veteran of Russia’s prior military conflicts who earned the nickname “General Armageddon,” his units have been accused of brutality and war crimes, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims The Guardian tweeted that Survoikin gave a speech to his troops where he said an assortment of forces were conspiring against Russia. (RELATED: Does This Image Show Russian Conscripts With Mosin-Nagant Rifles?)

“Russian’s new military commander in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, warns, ‘An empire of n*ggers, Jews and homosexuals are converging against Holy Russia,’ in a fiery speech to conscripted troops,” The Guardian allegedly tweeted. “‘If we lose, your sons will be castrated, Moscow will become Congo and Russia will cease to exist.'”

There is no evidence that this tweet exists or that Surovikin had made such a statement. Check Your Fact reviewed The Guardian’s Twitter account and did not find any tweet matching the one in the Facebook image. A review of archived screenshots also did not yield any results for the alleged tweet.

If The Guardian had tweeted it, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. Check Your Fact also found no credible news reports suggesting that Surovikin had made such a comment.

“The screenshot shared has never been a published Guardian tweet or story. We have reported the post and requested it be taken down,” a Guardian spokesperson told Check Your Fact.

This is not the first time an altered headline attributed to a reputable news outlet has circulated on social media. Check Your Fact recently debunked a photo that allegedly showed a climate change article from CNN.