An image shared on Twitter allegedly shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika on the back.
Verdict: False
The swastika has been digitally inserted into the image. The original image, taken in 2021, shows a jersey with the number 95 on the back.
Fact Check:
Zelenskyy recently slammed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it “pure Nazi behavior” in a call with the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, according to Axios. Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, told the group he could not “qualify this in any different manner,” the outlet reported.
A Twitter image appears to show Zelenskyy holding up a yellow and blue jersey with his last name and a large blue swastika printed on the back. The swastika has four other symbols printed on it.
The image is digitally altered. A reverse image search revealed Zelenskyy originally shared photos of the front and back of the same yellow and blue jersey on his Instagram June 8, 2021. The back of the jersey simply shows his last name and the number 95, with the Ukrainian soccer logo included on the numbers. (RELATED: No, Ivanka Trump Didn’t Wear A Shirt With A Swastika-Like Trump Logo)
“The new form of the national football team of Ukraine is definitely special,” the post’s caption roughly translates to in English. “It features several important symbols that unite Ukrainians from Luhansk to Uzhhorod, from Chernihiv to Sevastopol. Our country is one and indivisible. Crimea is Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s national soccer team released the jersey design on June 6, 2021, showing off an embroidered outline of Ukraine’s borders, which included the Russian-annexed territory of Crimea and the patriotic slogan, “Glory to Ukraine!” according to BBC News.
This is not the first time a swastika has been superimposed into an image featuring government officials. Check Your Fact previously debunked an image from January 2021 that allegedly featured members of “the squad” wearing clothing adorned with swastikas.