Fact check: Are photos of Ukraine’s flag being replaced by Soviet Union flag new?

New Delhi, Apr 25: Amidst the Russia-Ukraine war images of a man replacing the Ukraine flag with a flag of the Soviet Union has gone viral.

It has been claimed that the photos were taken at the Ilyich Iron and Streel Works plant at Mariupol. Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared Mariupol as liberated.

"Earlier, the flag of Ukraine was hanging there, which was thrown down. The complete liberation from Ukrainian nationalists of the Ilyich metallurgical combine, named after Ukrainian nationalists in Mariupol was announced on April 15. According to the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Major General Igor Konashenko, as a result of aggressive actions, the enterprise was completely liberated by the group of the Russian Armed Forces and the units of the National Police of the DPR," the claim said.

However OneIndia has learnt that these images have not been shot recently. They are at least 7 years old. Twitter account Visegrad 24 while sharing the images on April 18 this year wrote, this is what the occupying forces did in Debaltseve in 2015 after taking control of the city in the Battle of Debaltseve, the final act of large-scale fighting before forcing Ukraine to sign the Minsk 2 accords.

A YouTube video uploaded on March 14 2015 by VOXKOMM International said, Raising the Soviet flag on Donbas.

In 2015, thousands of government troops retreated from Debaltseve following a strategic victory for the pro-Russians forces fighting against Ukraine. At least 22 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and more than 150 wounded in Debaltseve. Hence it may be said that the images being shared are not from the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.