As Russian troops launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, an image in which people can be seen kneeling down and praying in an open field is being widely shared on social media. It is being claimed through this image that it shows Ukrainian Christians praying amidst the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis.
The image is shared on Facebook with the caption, “Ukrainian Christians pray outdoors, in the snow, for their country in this phase of war danger. Fasting and prayer organised by local church officials in Ukraine. Let’s pray for all the families in Ukraine, in the face of these particularly critical times; may God grant wisdom, discernment, strength, courage, protection to His children, to the authorities and to the whole population!”
Here’s the link to the above post.
The image is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter.
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above claim and found it to be MISLEADING.
Doing a simple Reverse Image Search directed us to a news report dated September 25, 2019, that carried the same viral image. The image description reads, “On Our Knees – Ukrainians kneel and pray in the snow in Kharkov’s city square.” According to the news report, the image shows, “a group of Ukrainian Christians had been praying outdoors every morning, withstanding the inclement weather since 2014. They prayed for peace in their country.”
The same image was also carried in a news article published on October 13, 2019, stating that Ukrainians were praying in parts of the rebel-held territory. Check a similar report here.
We searched on Google Maps and found a similar image of buildings in Kharkov, a city in Ukraine. Below is the comparison between the viral image and the Google Street View.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict
According to several media reports dated February 24, 2022, “Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard across the country and its foreign minister warning a “full-scale invasion” was underway.”
Thus, it is evident from the above information, that an old image is being falsely linked to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. Therefore, the viral claim is misleading.
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