Russian attack Ukraine desperately needs heroes, and as such a skilled fighter pilot and Defenders of the Snake Island have been portrayed – the truth of the stories is difficult to confirm

Abroad|The Russian attack

At war heroes are needed. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, social media began sharing stories of brave Ukrainians.

However, most of the stories spread unconfirmed.

For example, the defenders of Snake Island and the victorious fighter pilot have already been made the heroes of the Ukrainian war, although there is no certainty about the reality of the events.

Who have been portrayed as symbols of Ukraine’s resistance? And how true are the stories?

Soldiers on Snake Island

On Friday in the headlines rose the story of the border guards and soldiers on the Ukrainian island of Snake, whose was said to have smelled the Russians to warships before his death. At the same time, it was reported that all the dead would be posthumously awarded the Ukrainian Hero Medal.

In an alleged conversation published by, among others, the Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, the border guard said on the radio:

“Russian warship, smell the fuck!”

The last words of the border guard have already been printed on t-shirts, among other things.

However, there is no certainty about the authenticity of the story. According to recent allegations, soldiers may still be alive and imprisoned in a Russian-occupied city, according to a British newspaper, for example. The Guardian.

Politicians

Hero refers to the reconciliation of the shoulders of Ukrainian politicians, especially the president Volodymyr Zelensky. With his fearless appearance, he has given face to resistance in the eyes of many.

Zelenskyi leads the battle for the Russian siege of Kiev. He has announced on social media that he has no plans to escape.

The president has also left his suit in the closet and is speaking to the people from the streets of Kiev wearing the coat of arms of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

For example, a German Deutsche Welle calls the comedian Zelensky, who became president in wartime, a national hero.

Read more: Ukraine makes better use of Russia’s teachings on information psychological warfare than Russia itself – President Zelenskyi skillfully appeals to people’s emotions

Read more: Volodymyr Zelenskyi shows Vladimir Putin what real courage is like

Other politicians and public figures have also been left to defend the capital and have been incited.

Mayor of Kiev, former world champion in heavyweight boxing Vitali Klytško enlisted in the ranks of Ukraine. Also the mayor’s brother Volodymyr Klytško, a former boxer himself, said he would take up arms. For example, the US channel reports on the subject CNN.

The ghost of Kiev

One more incredible hero stories are the story of a Ukrainian fighter pilot, the “Ghost of Kiev,” which is allegedly shot down by six Russian planes on Thursday.

The number is significant, and on social media, the “ghost of Kiev” has been called the first ace of fighters since World War II. A fighter ace means a pilot who has received at least five air victories.

There is no unambiguous definition of air victory, but it can mean, for example, a downed enemy plane.

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on Friday tweeted a picture of the pilot and claimed it was a “ghost of Kiev”. He wrote Ukraine with the help of “such strong defenders” to win the war.

However, the existence of the hero pilot could not be confirmed.

The soldier in the picture shared by Poroshenko is impossible to identify due to protective equipment, and the existence of a war hero has not been confirmed by the Ukrainian authorities, for example.

Sunflower seeds for soldiers

Also civilians have been raised to the position of hero. For example, a video of a Ukrainian woman defying a Russian soldier spread on Twitter on Thursday.

In the video, a woman approaches the soldiers and asks why they have come to Ukraine. He provides the soldiers with sunflower seeds and urges them to put them in their pockets so that flowers can later grow out of their bodies.

The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.

The video for a user named UkraineWorld has received nearly 200,000 likes on Twitter. The account is maintained by the Ukrainian news media Internews Ukraine. Also among other things BBC News posted a video.