Fact check: Ukrainian recruitment poster is fabricated, not targeting low-income Americans

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY

April 11, 2023 at 5:54 PM·3 min read

The claim: Image shows Ukrainian recruitment poster targeted at low-income Americans

An April 6 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) features a poster of a man sleeping on a train bench. A sign next to the man says, "Will work."

Text included in the post encourages people "tired of living on welfare" to join the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine.

"Homeless Americans lured to Ukraine with promises of monthly wages and health insurance," the post caption says.

Similar versions of the post have been shared on Instagram and Twitter.

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Our rating: False

The poster wasn't created by the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine, according to a spokesperson for the group. There are several signs it isn't legitimate, such as misstating the group's name.

Poster wasn't created by Ukraine

The International Legion of Defence of Ukraine is a Ukrainian military unit made up of foreign volunteers. Oleksandr Shahuri, a spokesperson for the legion, told USA TODAY the poster isn't legitimate.

"As far as I know, no one in the Armed Forces of Ukraine or any other branch of the Ukrainian military, including the International Legion, has issued any promotional campaign of that type," Shahuri said in an email. "We have reached out to our colleagues from other governmental departments ... and they have also confirmed that they have not issued such promotions."

Though the phone number listed on the poster is the Washington, D.C., contact for the legion, the photo of the man on the bench was taken from a stock image website.

The legion's name is also misstated on the poster, reading, "Legion for the Defence" instead of "Legion of Defence."

Fact check: No proof to back claims on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's assets and income

The legion website doesn't mention anything about a recruitment program for low-income Americans. Instead, it describes the requirements necessary to volunteer, such as previous combat experience and firsthand knowledge of how to handle weapons.

Overseas volunteers with the legion are paid the same as their Ukrainian counterparts, according to a 2022 New York Times article. They receive a basic salary of about $630 a month, with possible bonuses of several thousand dollars a month.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment.

The claim has been debunked by Lead Stories as well.

Our fact-check sources:

Oleksandr Shahuri, April 11, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Pexels, Sept. 10, 2021, Timur Weber
International Legion of Defense of Ukraine, Accessed April 7, Join the International Legion of Defence Of Ukraine
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, accessed April 7, ENLIST TO THE
INTERNATIONAL LEGION OF DEFENCE OF UKRAINE
New York Times, June 21, 2022, Foreign fighters in Ukraine, many in motley groups, face perils if captured.
Lead Stories, April 6, Fact Check: Poster Does NOT Show A Real War Recruiting Campaign Launched By Ukraine In The U.S. To Target Low-Income Populations

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Image shows fraudulent Ukrainian recruitment poster

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The claim: Image shows Ukrainian recruitment poster targeted at low-income Americans

Our rating: False

Poster wasn't created by Ukraine

Our fact-check sources:

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