According to a Russian news report, all three men mentioned in it, including two who are still in the Tennessee National Guard’s service, are healthy and well. No U.S military personnel is currently in Ukraine at this time, Wayne Hall, a National Guard Bureau spokesperson, said in a telephone interview.
After Russian newspaper Pravda published a story, tweets, and a story claiming that three Americans had been “eliminated”, the false claim spread quickly. It claimed the dead were identified using a Tennessee flag, and other personal belongings found in a backpack close to the remains.
Responding to the false story, Lt. Col. Marlin Marlin Malone, Tennessee National Guard spokesperson, stated Friday that the military confirmed the whereabouts of the named individuals and they “are not in Ukraine.”
Malone stated that the Tennessee National Guard “monitoring the situation” and would assist the members as necessary.
In a statement, the National Guard Bureau stated that Russian media had targeted the individuals because they appeared as part of articles related to a 2018 Ukrainian deployment. This included members from the Tennessee National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regment.
According to the statement, this mission involved the development of instructors and firing ranges, training areas and equipment, as well as instrumentation requirements and realistic operational training environments.
The statement stated that all members of the Tennessee National Guard had returned home safely in 2019, following a successful mission.
Pravda’s fake article, which was still available on its website Friday morning, is just one of many disinformation claims that have come out of Russian media in recent weeks. It’s part of a disinformation campaign designed to boost domestic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.