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| - Fact Check: No, former Miss Ukraine is not fighting Russians in the ongoing invasion
Is a former Miss Ukraine also fighting the Russian forces? Here's what the Anti-Fake News War room (AFWA) probe has found.
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India Today Fact Check
The former Miss Ukraine clarified on her Instagram page that she shared the viral photo only to inspire people. Lenna has been vocal against the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
As the battle between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, Ukrainian citizens have taken up arms to defend their country against invasion.
But is a former Miss Ukraine also fighting the Russian forces? An image of a woman with a gun has gone viral with the claim that Miss Ukraine was fighting the enemy on the ground.
Several Facebook and Twitter users shared the viral image with the caption, “Miss #Ukraine takes up gun to fight against #RussianArmy”.
The India Today Anti-Fake news War Room (AFWA) found that while a former Miss Ukraine had indeed shared this image on her Instagram, she said she only did that to inspire her countrymen.
AFWA probe
Anastasiia Lenna, who was Ukraine’s representative in the Miss Grand International competition in 2015, had indeed shared her photo with a gun on her instagram page with hashtags like #standwithukraine and #handsoffukraine on February 23.
But later, on February 27, she clarified on Instagram that the image was meant to inspire people. She wrote, “I AM NOT A MILITARY, JUST A HUMAN. Due current situation I want to talk! I am not a military, just a woman, just normal human. Just a person, like all people of my country. I am also a airsoft player for years. You can Google what #airsoft means. All pictures in my profile to inspire people.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the government would issue weapons to every citizen who wanted to defend Ukraine. Subsequently, civilian volunteers and paramilitary groups have been taking the fight to the Russian army in Kyiv. But the viral post claiming Miss Ukraine was fighting Russian forces is not true.
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