The Claim:
A TikTok video falsely claims that 10,000 US Paratroopers are being deployed to Ukraine. The TikTok video has been viewed by over 12k users.
The Facts:
This is a re-contextualized video from 2017 that has no relevance today.
The video posted on TikTok, which shows US Airborne troops preparing to jump from an aircraft, was taken and re-contextualized from a 2017 video originally posted on a Facebook page named “AiirSource Military.” This video is unrelated to the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
DisinfoWatch discovered this video by conducting a series of reverse image searches on stills from the TikTok video until a match was found on Facebook.
Currently, there is no evidence that any Western nation is deploying troops to Ukraine.
Narrative Context:
Conspiracy theorists and Russian state media often disseminate false claims about NATO and Western troops being present in Ukraine. This narrative aims to bolster the Kremlin’s broader domestic and international assertions that NATO is preparing to invade Russia. Its purpose is to undermine Western public support for NATO, Ukraine, and the armed forces of member states. Additionally, this narrative attempts to falsely portray Russia and Vladimir Putin as victims of NATO and Ukraine.
This video has been shared by thousands of TikTok users.
