The claim
The Financial Times is reported to have written on February 2nd about the Ukrainian soldiers being trained on Leopard tanks:
“Two people from among the Ukrainians who arrived for training applied for political asylum in Germany because they are not prepared to live in a senseless to die in war.”
Our conclusion
This paragraph is from a fake screenshot distributed by Russian propaganda media. In the original text of the Financial Times there is not a word about the Ukrainian tank drivers applying for asylum. German authorities also know nothing about such an application.
Fake news on social media: Two of the Ukrainian soldiers who were trained on the Leopard tanks are said to have applied for asylum in Germany. The screenshot : fake.
Financial Times: Ukrainian military arrived at the German Eckernförde training area to train in the use of Leopard2 tanks. Two of the new arrivals asked for political asylum in Germany "because they were unwilling to die in a senseless war" pic.twitter.com/TWuNt5vF3W
— Birdy (@Elon_THANK_U) February 7, 2023
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
The fake screenshot
The Ukrainian armed forces are being trained in Germany to handle Leopard battle tanks. However, a fake report about alleged asylum applications from two Ukrainian soldiers is circulating online. The screenshot of a Financial Times article was manipulated and the second paragraph about the asylum applications was fabricated. The newspaper confirmed this at the dpa :
The screenshot circulating online is fake. “The FT is internationally recognized for its integrity and accuracy and we condemn the spread of disinformation,” she said. The newspaper has now made the article freely readable for every user “to ensure that people everywhere have access to the truth”. The alleged paragraph from the screenshot never existed at the time of publication.
The dpa summarizes its communication with the Financial Times
The fake second paragraph reads: “Two people from among the Ukrainians who arrived for training applied for political asylum in Germany because they are not prepared to die in a senseless war. They argue that increasing arms supplies to Ukraine will in no way contribute to the victory of the Ukrainian armed forces.”
In the original article, the paragraph reads: “Two people familiar with the preparations said everything is ready to begin training the Ukrainian military to use the advanced battle tanks after several European nations signed on last week “To send them to Kiev after months of deliberations and Ukrainian pressure.”
For comparison:
- archived text on the day of publication (2.2.2023)
- Version at the time of this fact check (24.3.2023)
- the fake screenshot
Where does the fake come from?
Ukrinform fact-checkers believe that the fake screenshot originated from Russian disinformation channels. Kremlin-affiliated media and pro-Russian Telegram channels write that two “Ukrainian tank soldiers who came to Germany to train on Leopard 2 tanks have allegedly escaped from the training center and applied for “political asylum” in Germany.” These sources only use the fake screenshot of the Financial Times article as evidence; they do not provide a link:
An extraordinary event occurred at the Eckernförde military training area in Germany, where the Ukrainian military has begun training to drive and operate Leopard 2 tanks. Two members of the Ukrainian armed forces have left the training area and applied for political asylum from the German authorities. This is reported by the Financial Times.
Misinformation on tsargrad.tv
The delivery of the German Leopard tanks and the training of Ukrainian tank drivers has emerged as a particular focus for Russian propaganda. Ukrinform , Mimikama [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] and other fact checkers have uncovered several fakes and false claims in the past.
Background: European training mission EUMAM UA
As a spokeswoman for the Defense Ministry announced in Berlin on February 13, the Bundeswehr has begun training Ukrainian soldiers on the Leopard 2 main battle tank. The training will take place primarily at the armored troop school in the Lower Saxony model. It is expected to be completed by the end of the quarter, coinciding with the handover of the 14 Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
The tank training takes place as part of the European training mission EUMAM UA (European Union Military Assistance Mission). This “supports the Ukrainian armed forces in the defense of their country against Russia by imparting knowledge and skills that are important for war.” The training takes place at two locations: in Germany and in Poland. Special training takes place in Germany, where soldiers are trained to become “tank crews, repair soldiers or pioneers”.
As part of the program, the EU wants to train a total of 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers in 2023 and 24. The current focus of German training is on the Leopard main battle tank and the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, as well as on medics and engineers for mine clearance. As tagesschau.de reported last week, the training of the Leopard tank drivers has now been completed. A transfer to the front is imminent.
BAMF & BMI: no asylum necessary, no application submitted
Ukrainian citizens who are fleeing the Russian war of aggression in their homeland do not currently have to apply for asylum in Germany. You will receive temporary protection even without a residence permit. The background for this possibility is paragraph 24 in the Residence Act and at the European level Directive 2001/55/EC .
Can I enter Germany legally and stay there legally?
Foreigners usually need a residence permit to enter and legally stay in Germany - for example a visa or a residence permit. Due to the special situation in Ukraine, an exception was created: war refugees from Ukraine are temporarily exempt from the requirement for a residence permit in the federal territory. According to the current status, this exception applies to first-time entries until May 31, 2023 for a period of 90 days and therefore allows a stay without a residence permit until August 29, 2023. […]Should Ukrainian citizens apply for asylum?
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees: Information for refugees from Ukraine (accessed on March 24, 2023)
No, that's not necessary. The necessary protection is provided through another, faster procedure. Ukrainian citizens are therefore advised not to submit an asylum application. However, the right to apply for asylum at a later date still exists regardless. […]
There is currently no indication that two soldiers from Ukraine applied for asylum during their training on the Leopard tank. As of March 21, 2023, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland does not have any information on applications submitted, as the dpa quoted a spokesman for the ministry as saying.
The screenshot that claims to prove that two Ukrainian tank drivers have applied for asylum in Germany is a fake spread by Russian propaganda media. In the original text of the Financial Times there is not a word about the two soldiers applying for asylum. German authorities also know nothing about such an application.
Sources: Financial Times , BAMF , BIM , Bundeswehr , gesetze-im-internet.de , EUR-Lex , Ukrinform , dpa , tagesschau.de , tsargrad.tv
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