A video shared on Facebook claims to show Ukrainian tankers training with American M1 Abrams tanks during their war with Russia.

Verdict: False

The video is from December 2022. The Ukrainians are expected to begin training with Abrams tanks soon, but no formal announcement has been made.

Fact Check:

The U.S. announced that it would send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing itself after months of resisting Ukrainian demands, according to The Associated Press. These tanks are likely not to reach the Ukrainian frontlines for months, Time Magazine reported.

The video claims to show Ukrainian tankers beginning to train on M1 Abrams tanks. The claim was spread on Twitter, with one iteration of the claim receiving tens of thousands of views.

Ukrainian tankers have started training on the M1 Abrams tank. pic.twitter.com/L1UIlBKx5S

— NOËL 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) February 13, 2023

This claim appears to be false. A reverse image search found that the video is from December 2022, nearly a month and a half before the announcement to send tanks to Ukraine was made. The video, posted to YouTube, is titled “US Military Abrams Tank Launching Smoke Grenade.” 

Check Your Fact also could not find any media outlets reporting that Ukrainian troops had started training on Abrams tanks. John Kirby, a White House spokesperson, said Jan. 25 that training would begin “weeks, not months” after the announcement to send tanks to Ukraine was made, according to The Kyiv Independent.

A video of Ukrainian troops training on the M2 Bradley emerged shortly after the announcement was made in early January, according to Mil.in.ua. The video shows men in military fatigues with the Ukrainian flag inside of a Bradley.

Ukrainian troops began training on Leopard 2 tanks in late January, according to The New York Times. Polish President Andrzej Duda recently viewed a demonstration from Ukrainian tankers, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Volodymyr Zelenskyy Dancing With A Rocket Launcher?)

Check Your Fact reached out to the Pentagon for comment and will update this article if a response is provided.