MOSCOW: A footage of people in a crowded room precedes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Russian citizenship offer to any foreign citizen fighting for Moscow in Ukraine. Social media posts are mistakenly saying it shows migrants in Russia rushing to leave the state.
According to Reuters, on January 4, 2024, President Putin inked a decree allowing foreign citizens who fight for Russia in Ukraine war to obtain Russian citizenship. The step is an incentive for foreign nationals with army experience to join war in Ukraine.
FACT CHECK
Several posts on social media shared the footage suggesting migrants were leaving the country so as not to be sent to the war in Ukraine. A social media post reads, “Russian President Putin has threatened to send all illegal immigrants to the front lines in Ukraine war. The country’s airports saw an unexpected rush of flights back to their countries.” Several screenshots from the video were also shared on different social media networks.
The footage, however, can be traced back to at least Dec. 30, when it was posted social media, as showing people traveling from Moscow for New Year.
Reuters reported that the video does not show migrants fleeing Russia after Putin’s offer of citizenship to foreign nationals who fight for Russia in Ukraine.
