A video shared on Facebook claims Ukraine cut off the land bridge between the Donbas region and the Crimean Peninsula.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence suggesting Ukraine has cut off the land bridge between the two regions.
Fact Check:
One of the goals of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was to connect Crimea to territory through a “land bridge,” which it achieved in the early months of the war, according to The Guardian. Russia has occupied Crimea since 2014, with Pentagon officials warning Ukrainian officials they could not retake the territory “soon,” Politico reported.
The Facebook video claims that the Ukrainians cut the land bridge off, showcasing icons with Russian flags retreating back to Crimea and Russia, while icons with Ukrainian flags are moving forward. The video’s caption reads, “Trident Operation: Ukrainians cut off most important Russian line between Crimea and Donbas!”
This claim, however, lacks evidence. If Ukraine had managed to cut Russian-occupied territory in two, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not issued any statements confirming that it had cut off the link between Russian-occupied Crimea and the country’s holdings in the Donbas.
Furthermore, maps and reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) show that Ukraine has not launched a major offensive in the south, despite this Facebook’s claim. In its Jan. 31 update, ISW highlighted how Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) leader Kyrylo Budanov stated earlier in the year that Ukraine would likely launch a counteroffensive in the spring.
“Ukrainian officials continue to support ISW’s assessment that an imminent Russian offensive in the coming months is the most likely course of action (MLCOA) and further suggested that Ukrainian forces plan to launch a larger counteroffensive,” reads the report. (RELATED: Did Ukraine Shoot Down All Of Russia’s Aircraft?)
Misinformation around the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not new. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that there was “zero footage” of the war.
