Fact Check-Photo of injured girl is from 2018 Syrian war, not Ukraine
Fact Check-Photo of injured girl is from 2018 Syrian war, not Ukraine
(AFP) - Social media posts claim a photo of a wounded child shows a victim of Russia s invasion of Ukraine. This is false; the picture is from 2018 and was taken in Syria.
"One of the most heartbreaking images from the Russia/Ukraine war. Putin must end this for humanity s sake," says a February 24, 2022 tweet featuring the photo.
A similar post -- which like the tweet came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of neighboring Ukraine on February 24 -- appeared on Facebook.
A reverse image search led to a BBC article that included the photo, the caption of which refers to civilians reportedly being killed by air strikes in Syria s Eastern Ghouta.
The watermark on the photo credits it to the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA). The image appears on the agency s website, as shown in the below screenshot.
EPA s caption says: "A young girl is treated at a hospital after a bombing in Mesraba, Eastern al-Ghouta, Syria, 03 January 2018. At least 19 people were killed in airstrikes on the cities of Erbeen and Mesraba by forces loyal to the Syrian government. EPA-EFE/Mohammed Badra."
