FACT CHECK: Did A CNN Article About Russian Military Action In Ukraine Feature A Photo From The Waco Siege?

A post shared on Facebook purportedly shows a CNN article about the war in Ukraine that features an image from the 1993 Waco siege.

Verdict: False

The image has been altered. There is no record of CNN publishing such an article.

Fact Check:

The Facebook image shows what appears to be a screenshot of a Feb. 28 CNN article titled, “Russian Military Forces Set Fire to Compound Outside Kiev Occupied by Women and Children, Burning Them Alive.” The featured image shows a compound engulfed in flames.

“WACO TEXAS reported to be Ukraine by CNN,” reads the post’s caption. (RELATED: Did The Polish Post Office Create A Stamp Dedicated To Volodymyr Zelenskyy?)

As the caption alludes to, the image featured in the post shows a scene from the 1993 Waco siege in Waco, Texas. The siege occurred after U.S. federal agents attempted to carry out a search warrant at a compound occupied by members of the religious sect the Branch Davidians, according to ABC News. The Facebook post appears to be suggesting that CNN reused an old photo depicting the Waco siege in its coverage of the war in Ukraine.

The image, however, is fabricated. No such article could be found on CNN’s website or in any of the outlet’s social media posts. “This is fabricated,” said a CNN spokesperson in an email to Check Your Fact. 

There are no credible news reports suggesting CNN used a photo from the Waco siege in a story about current events in Ukraine or that Russian forces burned women and children alive. Russian forces have been laying siege to a steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine where Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been taking shelter for several months, according to The Washington Post. Women, children and elderly citizens were trapped in the plant but have since been evacuated safely, NPR reported.

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