An image shared on Facebook claims Russia transports dead soldiers in “meat cubes.”

Verdict: False

The image shows leftover pet food in the Belgorod region, not dead Russian troops.

Fact Check:

A new analysis found that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left nearly 50,000 Russian troops dead as of May 2023, according to The Associated Press. The White House said in May that 20,000 Russians had died since December 2022, the outlet reported.

The Facebook image, a screenshot of a tweet, claims Russia is using “meat cubes” for dead soldiers. The screenshot reads, “No body bags? No problem! Just crush your comrades into meat cubes for easy transportation.”

This claim, however, is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the images were shared by a Russian outlet that claimed it shows the “frozen remains of products” for a pet shelter in Shebekino. This report was also echoed by other outlets, such as Fonar.TV.

Irina Kharitonova, the owner of the pet shelter, told go31.ru that it was humanitarian aid but that they were unable to unload it due to a lack of tractors. (RELATED: Did 27,000 Russians Surrender In Ukraine?)

“They brought it, but we cannot drag it into the yard. The administration, ecology and veterinary medicine have already attacked us. We called all the tractors, but they are busy. We don’t know what to do. When it will be possible to remove it is not clear,” Kharitinova said.

The products were later removed, according to another Russian outlet. This image was also debunked by Newsweek and Lead Stories.

Misinformation regarding the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict post has been widespread since its start in February 2022. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video allegedly showing a soldier exploding after hitting a tank with an artillery shell.