In May 2024, a photograph went viral on social networks, the author of which allegedly captured a farewell ceremony for French soldiers killed during the war in Ukraine. We have verified the accuracy of such publications.
A viral image that spread on the Russian-language segment of the Internet on May 7 shows a square with ten coffins covered in French flags. At each coffin there is a man in camouflage holding a portrait in his hands. There are rows of people around, mostly dressed in military uniforms. "Cargo 200" for Macron's legion. The first batch of French mercenaries returned home in zinc coffins,” the project commented on the photo.Anti-Maidan"and portal mpsh.ru. Published under a similar title fast on the Zen platform, at the time of writing this analysis, it received 427,000 views. With the caption “The Frogs have already arrived home, whoever they could find,” the photo became viral on Facebook. It was also published by users “VKontakte", X, LiveJournal and other social networks and blogging platforms.
The authors of several publications containing this photo explained that the coffins contained the bodies of soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion, who were allegedly brought to Ukraine to participate in battles in the Donetsk region. As before wrote “Verified”, these statements are based on anonymous and extremely dubious sources, and the unit in question is based in South America - transferring it to Eastern Europe is at least strange.
After searching the viral photo, we found that it has nothing to do with either Ukraine or the full-scale Russian invasion of that country. Snapshot was done four and a half years ago in the courtyard of the Parisian Invalides, where the necropolis of the French military is located. In December 2019 there passed farewell ceremony for 13 soldiers killed in Mali.
Anti-terrorist operation in this African country by the French army started back in 2013 request local government. On November 25, 2019, the military pursued jihadists who were heading towards the border with Burkina Faso and Niger. The chase also involved two helicopters, which collided during the fighting. All 13 military personnel on both sides were killed. Their deaths were the largest single losses of the French army since the mid-1980s.
A week later, on December 2, they said goodbye to the dead soldiers in Paris. ceremony visited including French President Emmanuel Macron. He delivered a funeral speech and also posthumously awarded the fallen the Order of the Legion of Honor. The event was broadcast by press service Elysee Palace, as well as major French media (for example, the newspaper Le Figaro).
As for the viral image itself, its author is Reuters photographer Charles Platteux, and the image available in the agency's photo bank. Reporters also took similar shots that day. Alamy.
Thus, the viral photo was taken not in May 2024, but in December 2019. Its author captured the farewell ceremony for French soldiers who died not in Ukraine, but in Mali.
Cover photo: social networks
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