“Europe wants to help Ukraine but is completely on the sly,” notes a surfer. To accompany his remarks, a photograph of bogged down tanks and soldiers trying to free them. “Leopard 2 tanks don’t like soggy ground,” says another.
While Poland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Canada have delivered or promised Leopard tanks to Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion, many Internet users laugh at the device. They call the tanks a “poisoned gift” and assure that “Russia will win”. What about those bogged down tanks? 20 minutes make the point.
FAKE OFF
The video was not shot recently in Ukraine, contrary to what Internet users claim. First of all, the soldiers are in t-shirts on these videos. An unusual outfit in February in Ukraine. By an image search, we can find this video published in April 2022, well before Western countries delivered tanks, or even announced it.
The messages that accompanied these videos at the time indicate that these tanks are “Swedish Strv 122”. The Stridsvagn (Strv) 122 tank is the main combat tank used by the Swedish army, and is based on the German Leopard 2 tank model. Via social networks, it is also possible to find that these tanks are from the company Wartofta. She is part of the Skaraborg Regiment, an armored regiment in the Swedish army. On the photos of his Instagram account, the tanks are identical, and the landscapes recognizable.
The post’s caption reads, “Sometimes things don’t go to plan, being heavy isn’t always an advantage. Last week the company trained in Skåne and we gained valuable experience in knowing the terrain. If we had earned a crown (Swedish currency) for each shovelful, we could all go on vacation. But at least we were lucky with the weather! In the comments, a user indicates that the scene takes place at Lake Silvåkra. This is indeed what the shots on Google Map confirm.
