2024-07-22 05:51:29
However, after the Ukrainian military released the original video, this story was debunked, revealing important details that indicated that Russian soldiers were captured in the footage.
The original low-resolution video, widely circulated on Telegram channels, had the faces of the soldiers involved obscured. This allowed Russian propagandists to claim that the footage showed Ukrainian soldiers. One federal channel described the video as evidence of “their animalistic nature and fascist ideology.”
Ukraine’s air intelligence units provided the original high-resolution video, allowing for a closer examination of critical details. The footage, shot by an FPV drone operated by the 118th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, captures the authentic incident, including the moment the drone hit one of the soldiers.
The clear video shows a telling detail – the waistband of the wounded soldier’s underpants. The brand name “BOKAI” was written on the elastic band, a well-known and inexpensive underwear brand in Russia. This find became an important clue – because in Ukraine (especially in recent years) this particular underwear is not easy to buy.
Journalists from the investigative journalism project Systema analyzed the original high-definition video and confirmed several indications that the soldiers seen in the footage are indeed Russian. This conclusion is particularly strengthened by the absence of recognizable military insignia on the uniforms and the presence of BOKAI brand underwear on the underwear.
Extensive research on Ukrainian e-commerce platforms, such as Rozetka, Prom.ua and Olx, did not reveal the availability of BOKAI brand underwear. In addition, the goods of this brand are not offered to Ukrainian buyers on the Chinese marketplace AliExpress. This lack of availability in Ukraine contrasts sharply with its prevalence in Russia.
Further examination of the video revealed the type of weapon used in the execution. The soldier was carrying an AK-12, a modern Russian assault rifle introduced in 2018. This particular model is the standard weapon of the Russian forces and is widely used in combat zones such as Rabotino. AK-12s are generally not used by the Ukrainian military – although there are isolated cases of Ukrainians using weapons seized from the Russians.
The geolocation of the video provided additional context. The footage was shot near the village of Rabotin in the Zaporizhia region, where intense fighting is taking place. Detailed analysis of the area and comparison with previous videos from Russian sources confirmed this location. The FPV drone struck as the soldiers retreated towards Russian positions.
Ukrainian drone operators from the 118th brigade, nicknamed Shustry and Tikhonia, described the incident. According to Shustry, the drone strike incapacitated one of the soldiers, prompting his comrade to finish him off. This account is consistent with the visual evidence and further discredits the Russian narrative, according to the Defense Blog.
This incident highlights the ongoing information war and how strongly state propaganda can distort reality. Detailed analysis of the video, including examination of small details such as the brand of underwear, reveals the forgery and highlights the difficulty of verifying information in conflict zones.
2024-07-22 05:51:29