Anna Hartz
Propaganda Video Shows U.S. Armored Carrier Used in Russian Assault
War often mixes brutality with symbolism, and in modern conflicts, images and videos can sometimes become as powerful as the weapons themselves.
Propaganda has long been a tool of war, shaping narratives and bending reality to fit political goals. That was evident again this week when Russian state media released new footage from the battlefield in Ukraine.
Why An American Flag?
On Aug. 18, Russian outlet RT shared a video showing a U.S.-made M113 armored personnel carrier storming Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, reports the Kyiv Independent.
The vehicle carried both Russian and American flags. According to RT, the machine was being used by soldiers from Russia’s 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Guards Division.
The M113 is a vehicle supplied to Ukraine by Western partners, and the one in the footage was most likely captured during earlier fighting.
The timing of the video drew attention. It appeared only days after U.S. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Russian media framed that meeting as the end of Moscow’s isolation, even though no peace agreement came out of it.
Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the video. He called it “the height of insolence” and accused Russia of using U.S. symbols in a war that has killed civilians. The Kyiv Independent said it could not verify the footage.
Fake Hope
Russian propaganda outlets have used Trump’s words to their advantage. They have painted him as a pragmatic leader who wants peace while portraying Ukraine and its allies in Europe and the U.K. as obstacles.
In recent days, Trump himself said his talks with Putin were “10 out of 10” and suggested Ukraine could end the war quickly if President Volodymyr Zelensky made concessions.
Those concessions would reportedly include giving up NATO membership and dropping claims to Crimea.
The footage allegedly comes from Zaporizhzhia, where Russia is redeploying troops and preparing for another offensive.
About 70% of the region remains under Russian control, including the massive Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russia declared the full annexation of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson in 2022 after holding widely rejected referenda.
