FACT CHECK: Video Showing Ukrainian Troops Surrendering Is From 2022, Not 2025

A post shared on X claims to show Ukrainian troops surrendering in Kursk in 2025.

Verdict: Misleading

This video is from 2022 and shows Ukrainian troops surrendering in Mariupol, not Kursk.

Fact Check:

Russia has made gains in the Ukrainian-held territory in Kursk, according to Reuters. Ukraine seized a sizable portion of the Kursk Oblast in August 2024, per the outlet.

Social media users are claiming to show Ukrainian troops surrendering in Kursk. One user wrote, “MASS surrendering in KURSK
latest reports state over 1,100 today, and if so, it’s the highest number IN 24 hours since start of SMO…. surpassing even BAKHMUT !!!”

This claim is misleading. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from April 2022 and shows Ukrainian troops surrendering in Mariupol, not Kursk. The video was shared by an open-source intelligence X account.

“First major surrender of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, reportedly 267 marines,” reads the tweet.

Thousands of Ukrainian troops surrendered at Mariupol, according to the BBC News. Many Mariupol defenders were later exchanged during prisoner-of-war swaps, such as in October 2024, per Newsweek.