The date on the screenshot circulating online is the result of a common technical glitch in Google search results when retrieving posts from Reddit. In reality, the photo was published on the site on December 26, 2024.
Several pro-Russian sources claimed that the news about the Ukrainian military capturing the first North Korean soldier was fabricated, because the photo allegedly appeared online two years earlier. As “proof,” the propagandists shared a screenshot from a Google Images search, which actually shows that the image was allegedly posted in the UkraineWarVideoReport community on Reddit on February 24, 2022.
It’s worth noting that South Korean intelligence reported that Ukrainian forces captured the first North Korean soldier in the Kursk region. However, the soldier reportedly died the following day due to complications from his wounds.
The accusations of staging this event are unfounded. The screenshot circulating online may either have been altered or may simply represent a typical Google search glitch that occurs when searching for Reddit posts. This issue has been widely discussed on Reddit itself, with numerous posts dedicated to analyzing the cause of this glitch, which remains unclear.
It’s telling that the propagandists shared a screenshot of a Google search result rather than the actual Reddit post, where the exact publication date would be visible. In reality, February 24, 2022 marks the creation date of the UkraineWarVideoReport community on Reddit. This is a pro-Ukrainian resource where English-speaking users share information and materials about Russia’s war against Ukraine. The photo of the first captured North Korean soldier was indeed posted there, but not until two years ago – on December 26, 2024, which coincides with when the news appeared in the media. We confirmed that the photo did not appear online before December 26, 2024 by conducting our own research using Google Images Search.
Accusing Ukraine of staging events and creating “fake news” is a classic Russian propaganda tactic. Previously, StopFake debunked a claim that photos of a bloodied surgeon from Okhmatdyt hospital were staged. This tactic is called “mirror propaganda,” in which Russia accuses Ukraine of the very crimes it commits. For example, in previous debunkings we have exposed several staged videos in which Russian actors pretended to be Ukrainians. For more insight into such propaganda tactics, read our analyses: Fake: Ukrainian Soldier’s Widow Forced to Pay for the Equipment in Which He Died and Fake: Ukrainian Military Burned Donald Trump’s Strawman.
