An accusation of fraud led to the deletion of a 120,000-member Twitter account.
The person who created the Twitter account, purporting it to show the exploits of pro-Kiev Canadian fighters in Ukraine, was arrested and charged with falsifying credentials. Critics claim that the man featured in these photos was wearing replica weapons and other equipment.
The person behind the ‘Canadian Ukrainian Volunteer’ Twitter account claimed to be fighting against Russia in Ukraine. According to him, the man was living an adventurous life, taking on recon missions and avoiding Russian troops in Kherson Region. He also risked his life. The Telegraph reports that the pictures he had posted attracted attention from online detectives who thought they were suspicious.
A lengthy thread posted last week by a user called ‘Kung Flu Panda’ made the case that the ‘volunteer’ was a fraud. While the user claimed they had previously doubted the account’s legitimacy, they said that they came to a conclusion after the helmet in the photos was confirmed as being a fake for airsoft enthusiasts.
.@CanadianUkrain1The latest photo of “” allows us to prove beyond doubt that the helmet is an airsoft Mk7 replica helmet and not an original Mk7 helmet. Let’s ride. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/9lMcZ5WgVg
— Kung Flu Panda (@con_punk) June 27, 2022
Ukraine Weapons Tracker is a popular account that analyses images of military equipment in Ukraine and supports the allegations.
Months ago, there were suspicions over the account. Aric Toler works for Bellingcat and claimed that it was simply recycling images online. He also said they were his photos.
Another user, NexusIntel, said in mid-June that they managed to trick ‘Canadian Ukrainian Volunteer’ into disclosing the IP address from which he updated his Twitter feed. It is believed to have been located in Cornwall in Ontario, Canada.
Canadian Ukraine Volunteer AKA CanadianUkrain1 gained popularity by falsely claiming that he is in Ukraine. What is he lying about? Let me tell you why. Since I found his first page, almost two months ago, I suspected him. ⬇️🧵
— NexusIntel (@NexusIntel1) June 12, 2022
“The only truthful thing that he ever said was that he was Canadian, in my opinion,”User made the comment.
He posted photos of the gear he claimed to have, which subsequently proved his military credentials.
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Canadian Ukrainian Volunteer had about 120,000 subscribers when it was deactivated.
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