FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Vladimir Putin Walking Home From A Recent Press Briefing?

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows Russian President Vladimir Putin walking home following a Feb. 27 press briefing.

Verdict: False

The video shows Putin walking home after a funeral in 2013. The footage has nothing to do with current events.

Fact Check:

Russian forces launched an invasion of Ukraine Feb. 24 shortly after Putin announced a “special military operation” in the country, according to The New York Times. Fighting between the two nations has now entered its sixth day, France 24 reported.

A video shared on Facebook claims to show the Russian president forgoing a motorcade to walk home after a Feb. 27 press conference amid the conflict. The video shows his security detail following close behind. “Putin snubs his presidential motorcade to walk home after a press briefing early today,” reads the Feb. 27 post’s caption.

The video predates the current war in Ukraine by more than eight years. The footage first appeared on Russian state-run media network RT’s YouTube channel in August 2013. (RELATED: Does This Video Show The ‘Ukrainian Headquarters’ Exploding?)

“After the farewell ceremony with his judo coach Anatoly Rakhlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to walk alone along the streets of St. Petersburg,” reads a translated portion of the 2013 video’s description. Rakhlin died on Aug. 7, 2013 at age 75, the Associated Press reported. Photos of Putin attending the funeral two days later on Aug. 9 and walking by himself afterward are available on Getty Images.

Putin did make a televised statement Feb. 27 to announce that Russia’s “nuclear deterrent forces” would be placed on alert, citing “aggressive statements” from NATO countries, Axios reported.

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