FACT CHECK: No Evidence Russia Killed Danish F-16 Instructor

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A post shared on X claims Russia killed a Danish F-16 instructor in Ukraine.

Verdict: Misleading

There is no evidence that Russia killed a F-16 instructor. The Danish Ministry of Defense refuted the claim.

Fact Check:

Social media users are claiming that Russia killed a Danish F-16 pilot in Ukraine. One user wrote, “BREAKING: RUSSIA killed a Danish NATO F-16 pilot killed in UKRAINE. (Pilot image is AI).”

There is no evidence that Russia killed any such person. The Danish Ministry of Defense refuted the claim in a Jan. 19 tweet, with a quote from Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. (RELATED: No, Firefighters In LA Are Not Fighting Wildfires Using ‘Handbags’)


“No Danish soldiers have been killed in Ukraine. It is a false story that is being circulated in Russian media – probably to discredit Denmark. I take this very seriously,” Poulsen said.

GeoConfirmed, an organization that geolocates videos in Ukraine, also refuted the claim.

“The entire story of the killed F-16 instructor was completely fabricated – a deliberate and calculated disinformation campaign designed to spread false information about a purported incident involving a Danish F-16 instructor in Ukraine and put pressure on the support by Denmark to Ukraine by influencing the narrative,” reads part of the tweet.

The origin of the claim comes from Russian state media and spread by pro-Russian social media accounts, according to the Kyiv Post.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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