Conspiracy ideologues spread false tank videos

Videos of tank transports in Germany are doing the rounds. Behind a Leopard 2 train heading east, however, is something different than claimed. After the decision to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, videos were distributed on social networks that are supposed to show such transports. In fact, transporting military equipment is everyday business for Deutsche Bahn – and the images in the videos are older or the tanks are not intended for Ukraine. The videos are intended to suggest that delivery has already begun. (See the posts in the video above). A recent video has been circulating since Sunday that actually shows Leopard 2 tanks. The recordings in the snow are from the train station in the Senftenberg district of Hosena in the Brandenburg district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz. The transport actually crossed the Polish border, confirmed a spokesman for the Bundeswehr’s Territorial Command. However, the destination is Lithuania. “The rail transports are not related to material deliveries to Ukraine.” No delivery with national insignia The federal government also estimates that the first Leopard main battle tanks from Germany should only be in Ukraine in about three months. And they will then look different than those on the freight train in Brandenburg: the tanks in the video wear national insignia. Military equipment is not handed out with German national insignia, which will be removed beforehand. The tanks filmed in Hosena are intended to replace other forces as part of the German forces in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence, it is a routine rotation. In 2016, a NATO summit decided on Enhanced Forward Presence to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and act as a deterrent. However, that was already a reaction to the annexation of Crimea and Russian support for separatists in Ukraine. The tank images from Brandenburg are being disseminated, some with absurd comments. Two identical tweets with identical spelling mistakes on different days claim to have “just received” the video from a friend. The federal police “hide” there and prevent filming. Military transports are usually accompanied by military police, and films are of course allowed in public spaces, according to a Bundeswehr spokesman. Tanks often on trains to and from exercises However, this and other videos appear in a conspiracy ideological and pro-Russian milieu. A scene was also posted on the German-language channel “Putin-Fans” as an allegedly new video that was shot in Heiligenstadt in Thuringia in April 2022. The channel said about tank deliveries: “But remember, the train of tanks is coming back, only the Red Star, Z and V will be on these tanks!” These are symbols of the Russian invasion troops in Ukraine. This scene was so widespread in April 2022 that the Thuringian CDU MP Thadäus König got in touch: He criticized that the video was “unfortunately often completely taken out of context and unjustified with arms deliveries is brought”. Because: The film shows battle tanks from a Thuringian battalion on the way back from a military exercise in Saxony-Anhalt. The Bundeswehr spokesman: “Military equipment is regularly relocated for exercises.” The command was unable to give a figure on the frequency of tank transports at short notice. Rarely does it cause a stir, as it does now, after the decision to supply tanks, which is controversial among parts of the population, has been made. In order to create a mood, even more absurd scenes are used: A video that is “currently” distributed from Mannheim even shows US Abrams main battle tanks, which were relocated in spring 2022.