Social networks are quickly distributing a video in which a man in military uniform, calling himself the Ukrainian army sergeant , denies information about the pressure of Russian troops on Ukrainian military and their families . He calls it a “provocation” by “maydanovtsy” (people supporting Maydan), urging people not to believe the ” nationalist ” channels. He also denies the fact of discrimination by ” Russian soldiers ” in relation to the Ukrainian population . He says that all these interviews ” are done by hired people and that say what they have been told to say .” He adds that nobody keeps soldiers in military units, they are there just “on duty”.
However, as reported to StopFake by the Ukrainian Army Lt. Col. Vitaly Ivanov, a weapon, which the “Sergeant” is holding, is automatic AK-100 series and this type of guns is not used by the Ukrainian army.
This machine gun is used by the following countries: Venezuela, Russia, Armenia, India, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry refutes the words of this self-titled ” sergeant .” Ministry of Defense of Ukraine official website reports the fact of occupation of the Crimean territory by ” pro-Russian radicals” and so-called “Crimean self-defense”. Defense Ministry called the video message picturing the alleged Ukrainian soldiers , who are filmed in the trenches, holding arms, with their faces covered” false. Such soldiers, declare ” that there is a free movement ” of the Ukrainian military on the territory outside of military units, which are blocked. Such “sergeants” call information, that is received directly from the place of events and then transmitted by leading national TV channels a “blatant lie”.
