Fact-checking false claims NATO troops are preparing to attack Russia from Estonia

Published on 26/05/2025 - 19:36 GMT+2

A video circulating online falsely claims to show British tanks ammassing successful nan Estonian superior of Tallinn arsenic portion of a NATO scheme to "attack" nan Russian metropolis of St Petersburg.

One post sharing nan declare connected X has been seen complete 800,000 times.

It wrongly claims that "NATO has arrived successful Estonia. British soldiers and tanks successful Tallinn scheme to onslaught Saint Petersburg."

At nan clip of publication of this article, nary organization notes cautioning users of nan mendacious accusation was added to nan station connected nan Elon Musk-owned platform.

The aforesaid declare has been amplified crossed respective platforms including Instagram and Facebook.

Euroverify recovered that nan footage successful truth shows nan British Army's Royal Dragoon Guards successful Tallinn connected 24 February 2025 arsenic portion of a parade to observe Estonia's Independence Day.

Over 1,000 Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) and NATO allied troops took portion successful that yearly subject parade to people nan 107th day of Estonia's independence.

Vehicles from nan United Kingdom, France and nan United States were portion of nan yearly procession.

Euroverify identified the site of nan footage successful nan centre of Tallinn, adjacent nan Estonian Drama Theatre.

The tract tin beryllium seen successful nan image supra captured from Google's Street View.

The aforesaid reside was closed for traffic during nan parade to let for nan transition of tanks.

A person look astatine nan number sheet of nan vessel seen successful nan video (DT16AA) corresponds to a vessel pictured by nan Estonian property agency ERR taken during nan Independence Day procession.

According to fact-checkers astatine Reuters, nan vessel was pictured successful Estonia betwixt May and December 2024, proving that they had not "just arrived" successful nan Baltic state arsenic online users claim.

We tin reason pinch certainty that nan video does not show a subject escalation successful Tallinn, but alternatively a vessel being loaded onto a conveyance pursuing nan convoy successful February.

The video has been re-circulating successful caller weeks, accompanied by unfounded claims of a subject escalation, conscionable arsenic troops from 7 allied countries, including nan UK and France, joined subject drills successful Estonia.

Those drills, codenamed Exercise Hedgehog, are portion of NATO's efforts to amended nan "interoperability and integration" of allied forces, according to nan alliance.

The X relationship responsible for nan mendacious declare has made akin unfounded allegations astir an impending "siege of Saint Petersburg" and perpetually shares anti-NATO, pro-Kremlin disinformation

Open root intelligence experts person linked nan relationship to nan Matryoshka campaign, described arsenic a "coordinated" cognition by nan French cyber agency.