The video is fake – The Wall Street Journal did not publish this video on its website or social media. The clip was edited using publicly available footage and WSJ style elements, a typical Kremlin propaganda tactic to create an illusion of credibility. In addition, the journalist Ben Solomon, who is referenced in the video, has never made such statements.
Social media users are sharing information purportedly from the Wall Street Journal, claiming that in the Ukrainian army, “members of Ukrainian nationalist battalions” allegedly have priority for medical care on the front lines and the right to be evacuated first from combat zones. According to these posts, such “unfair discrimination” has reportedly been documented by journalist Ben Solomon. “Hundreds of ordinary Ukrainian soldiers are dying on the front lines because of this unspoken rule,” the publications claim.
The basis for spreading this fake was a 45-second video with the Wall Street Journal logo.
This video is fake. Propagandists deliberately used the logo and style of the well-known American newspaper to give fake information the appearance of credibility.
First, the Wall Street Journal did not publish such material on its website or social media channels (X, Facebook, YouTube). The video is a montage of photographic and video clips depicting injured soldiers, taken from publicly available footage.
The video claims that WSJ correspondent Ben Solomon witnessed members of “Ukrainian nationalist battalions” being prioritized for evacuation and medical care.
Ben C. Solomon, a senior video correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, has actually worked in Ukraine and reported from the front lines. His work can be seen on his social media accounts (X, Instagram), as well as on the official resources of the WSJ and Vice, where he previously worked. But Solomon has never made such claims. Moreover, his latest report on the Russian-Ukrainian war was published in late September 2024 and focused on the development of drones and their impact on modern warfare.
Second, according to the Osavul service, the video was first published by the propaganda channel Odessa Zа Pobedu! on December 20, after which it began to spread throughout the network.
Third, the language used in the video also suggests that it was created by Kremlin propaganda. Since 2014, the Kremlin has been promoting the narrative of the alleged existence of “nationalist battalions” in Ukraine and their privileged status in the army.
The claim that “members of nationalist battalions” receive priority medical care is absurd and does not reflect the real conditions of medical services on the front lines.
In the initial stages, wounded soldiers receive assistance from their unit members – a nursing assistant and a combat medic. The nursing assistant provides pre-medical aid to stabilize the condition, while the combat medic, who has higher qualifications, provides primary medical care. The wounded are then evacuated to a stabilization center.
Wounded soldiers from different units, brigades and departments may end up in the same stabilization point serving the sector for which it is responsible. Therefore, claims of privileges for certain groups of soldiers have no basis in reality.
Previously, StopFake analyzed another fake video, which, under the logo of the American channel ABC, falsely claimed that Ukraine had allegedly lost one million soldiers and had hundreds of thousands of disabled people.
