Fact check: Video shows tanks in Kansas, not Poland
The claim: Video shows tanks in Poland
A Jan. 26 Instagram video (direct link, archived link) shows a train carrying dozens of tanks through a snowy landscape.
“SPOTTED IN POLAND! Why is warmongering Biden sending tanks to Ukraine while our border is being INVADED by the cartels?” reads the video’s caption.
The post was liked more than 30,000 times within a week. Other versions of the video appeared on TikTok and Twitter.
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Our rating: False
The video shows tanks in Kansas, not Poland, accoring to the person who recorded it. A Department of Defense spokesperson said tanks being sent to Ukraine as part of a recent U.S. weapons deal are not in Poland.
Video shows tanks in Kansas, not Poland
The video shown in the Instagram post was originally shared on Twitter on Jan. 24 by Kansas resident Eddie Johnson, who told USA TODAY he recorded the video that day in Kansas.
His tweet was a response to reports that the Biden administration was considering sending battle tanks to Ukraine. President Joe Biden announced the next day the U.S. will send 31 tanks to the Ukranians to help them fend off an expected Russian springtime offensive.
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Johnson told the Associated Press, which also debunked the claim, that he filmed the clip “as he was driving on Highway 40 outside of Gorham,” a city in Kansas.
Johnson’s video shows the back of a stop sign next to a green street sign that reads “Hwy 40.” A Google Maps street view of the intersection of Highway 40 and 400th Avenue shows a similarly situated stop sign and green street sign. A rail line like the one in Johnson’s video is visible next to the road.
A Kansas Department of Transportation map shows the rail line that runs through Gorham is operated by Union Pacific. A spokesperson for Union Pacific told AP the transportation company, “couldn’t disclose any information regarding specific shipments, but did confirm that they transport cargo freight for the U.S. military.”
The M1 Abrams tanks destined for Ukraine as part of Biden’s recent announcement are not in Poland, said Lt. Col. Garron Garn, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense. He said it will take several months for the tanks to reach Ukraine.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.
Reuters also debunked the mislabeled video.
Our fact-check sources:
Eddie Johnson, Feb. 1, Twitter direct message exchange with USA TODAY
Garron Garn, Feb. 2, Email interview with USA TODAY
Eddie Johnson, Jan. 24, Tweet
Kansas Department of Transportation, Oct. 4, 2022, Kansas Railroad Map 2022
USA TODAY, Jan. 25, Biden announces US will send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, signaling new phase of war
Wall Street Journal, Jan. 24, U.S. Poised to Provide Abrams Tanks to Ukraine
The Associated Press, Jan. 27, NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week
Reuters, Jan. 31, Fact Check-Clip of tanks transported by railway was filmed in Kansas, not Poland
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Miscaptioned video falsely claims to show tanks in Poland
