FACT CHECK: Did Ukraine Destroy A Train Carrying 1,000 Russian Troops?
A video shared on Facebook claims Ukraine destroyed a train carrying 1,000 Russian troops.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that Ukraine has destroyed a train carrying 1,000 Russian soldiers. Other instances of Ukrainian missiles hitting trains have been reported on by credible media outlets.
Fact Check:
Ukraine has used western provided artillery systems, such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARs), to target Russian logistic hubs and command posts, according to Insider. This comes as the U.S. is planning a major military package for Ukraine, Politico reported.
The Facebook video, viewed more than 214,000 times, claims Ukraine destroyed a train carrying 1,000 troops. The video’s caption reads, “1 minute ago! The train carrying 1000 Russian soldiers was destroyed by Ukraine!”
This claim, however, lacks evidence. If Ukraine had recently destroyed a Russian train with soldiers on it, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has also not confirmed the destruction of a train in recent statements. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Ukrainian Girl Confronting A Russian Soldier?)
Outlets have covered the destruction of trains before. For example, Forbes reported on a Russian ammunition train being hit by Ukrainian artillery fire that killed 80 Russians. Ukraine also claimed the destruction of a Russian train carrying an unknown number of Russian troops in May 2022, according to Reuters.
Furthermore, if a Russian train had been destroyed, open-source intelligence accounts (OSINT) would have likely found visual confirmation. Accounts such as DefMon3, NoelReports, OSINTtechnical, Ukraine Weapons Tracker and others have not reported or posted videos of a destroyed Russian train.
Misinformation around the Russian-Ukrainian war has been widespread since it started in February 2022. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that Ukraine destroyed a Russian “battleship.”
