False claim Putin vowed Russian support for Palestine | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Video shows Vladimir Putin announcing Russian support for Palestine

An Oct. 27 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering a speech to a crowd of soldiers, who respond with a Russian battle cry. The video then shows a procession of Russian military vehicles.

"Putin Announced Russia Will Openly Help To (sic) Palestine," reads part of the on-screen text.

The post garnered more than 900 likes in three days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.

Fact check roundup: Israel-Hamas war sparks many misleading claims online. Here's what's true and false.

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Our rating: False

The video is from Russia's 2021 Victory Day parade. It doesn't show Putin addressing the Israel-Hamas conflict. Russia hasn't declared support for either side as of Nov. 1.

Video shows Putin speaking at 2021 parade

The video isn't from 2023 and doesn't show Putin addressing the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

A much longer version of the video was shared on YouTube on May 9, 2021, by the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda. It shows the president speaking at the 2021 Victory Day parade, according to the video's title.

The parade is held annually in the Red Square in Moscow to celebrate the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Images of the 2021 parade can be found on Getty Images.

Similar footage of Putin's speech and the military procession was captured by outlets such as NBC News and Reuters. Putin spoke about the spread of Nazi ideology by "radicals and international terrorist groups," not Palestine, according to Reuters.

Fact check: Video miscaptioned to claim Putin warned US against Israel involvement

There are no credible reports of Russia declaring support for either Israel or Hamas as of Nov. 1.

Putin has simultaneously condemned Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, according to the Associated Press.

The Instagram user couldn't be contacted for comment.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Putin didn't declare support for Palestine in video | Fact check