The claim
A photo of a burning truck allegedly shows a recent incident in Ukraine.
Our conclusion
The picture actually shows an accident from Germany in 2017.
Origin and distribution of the misleading photo
In early November 2023, Polish truck drivers began blocking border crossings with Ukraine to protest against EU rules opening the internal market to Ukrainian drivers. In this context, users in Poland shared a photo of a burning truck with the false claim that Ukrainian drivers had set the vehicle on fire.
German translation of the article: “Ukraine: A truck with Polish license plates was set on fire. This is another such incident in the past week. Polish drivers and transport fleets are repeatedly attacked by local carriers and locals…”
The photo sparked a wave of negative reactions against Ukraine.
Detecting the hoax
The photo that caused a stir actually dates from 2017 and shows a burning truck after an accident on a German highway , which the Brandenburg police also reported:
AFP contacted the Polish police, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ZMPD, one of the largest associations of Polish truck drivers, which confirmed that such an incident as described in the online claim was not known.
Reactions to the misinformation
The distribution of the photo led to a number of negative comments about Ukraine on social media. Many users believed the false claim, which further increased tensions between truck drivers in both countries.
The importance of fact checking
This incident highlights the importance of fact-checking in the digital age. The rapid spread of misinformation can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict. It is therefore important to question information critically and rely on reliable sources.
Conclusion
While there is indeed tension between Polish and Ukrainian truck drivers, the specific claim about the burning truck is based on misinformation. The photo is from an accident in 2017.
This incident shows how important it is to critically examine online information to avoid misinformation.
Source: AFP
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )