In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin called allegations of military support for rebels in Ukraine “nonsense,” but social media-savvy Russian soldiers posing for selfies across the border may have accidentally shared the secret.
While scrolling through the Instagram account of 24-year-old Russian military communications specialist Alexander Sotkin, BuzzFeed came across two interesting selfies unwittingly geotagged from inside eastern Ukraine by Sotkin’s device.
The former was posted from separatist-controlled Krasna Talycha in east Ukraine a month ago, while the latter was taken in Krasny Derkul — also inside Ukraine.
Journalists Myroslava Petsa of the BBC and Olga Tokariuk based in Kiev came across two others, according to Business Insider.
Another day,another #Russia‘s soldier bragging abt attacking #Ukraine. Mikhail Chugunov wrote “With Grads to Ukraine” pic.twitter.com/DKWyGIubXu
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) July 28, 2014
More Russian soldiers boasting on social networks they are heading towards #Ukraine via @tombreadleypic.twitter.com/uvkE274r0c
— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) July 28, 2014
The first from soldier Mikhail Chugunov’s VKontakte page (Russia’s Facebook) shows the soldier bragging about bringing rockets into Ukraine, while the second includes the caption, “Ukraine is waiting for us, artillery lads!”
A third posted two weeks ago by soldier Vadim Grigoryev included a photo of ground artillery weapons and spent ammunition with the caption, “We shelled Ukraine all night long.” The solider later claimed his account had been hacked and deleted it.