The Russian Ministry of Defense published a photograph of an… (футбол · ракета · минобороны)
The Russian Ministry of Defense published a photograph of an 'Iskander' missile launch, captioning the image: 'This is not football!' On Thursday, July 16, the Russian Ministry of Defense released this photo via its Telegram channel.
Consensus
- The Russian Ministry of Defense published a meme image depicting a missile launch shortly after strikes on Ukrainian facilities.
- The image included the slogan 'This is not football' and referenced ongoing military operations against Ukraine.
- The attacks targeted defense industry and logistics infrastructure in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast.
- The operation was described as a response to previous Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.
Points of divergence
- The strikes occurred on the night of July 19 and targeted enterprises 'Radioniks' and 'Artem,' which produce components for FR-5 'Flamingo' missiles. — riamo
- The missile launch shown was specifically an 'Iskander' rocket, with the caption emphasizing continuous strikes by the Russian army. — tg_tass_agency
- The publication date was July 16, coinciding with the conclusion of the second semifinal of the 2026 World Cup; it also mentioned that a logistics company 'Rapid' in Kyiv was targeted for drone assembly and storage. — vm
Coverage (4 sources)
- "This is not football": Russia's Ministry of Defense published a meme after the strike on Kyiv — РИАМО
- Russian Ministry of Defense published a photo of an Iskander missile launch, captioning the frame: 'This is not football! The Russian Army is striking...', — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Russian Ministry of Defense Published Photo of Missile Launch with Caption 'This Is Not Football' — Вечерняя Москва
- Russian Ministry of Defense Published Photo of Iskander Missile Launch, Captioned: 'This Is Not Football! The Russian Army Is Striking Without Cease' — ТАСС (Telegram)