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Fact check: Viral images show former Miss Grand Ukraine holding an airsoft gun, not joining military

McKenzie Sadeghi
USA TODAY

The claim: Former beauty queen Anastasiia Lenna joined the Ukrainian military

Thousands of volunteers have joined the defense of Ukraine to fight against Russian forces, but a former beauty queen isn't among them, contrary to viral rumors circulating online.

Since Russia launched a military assault on Feb. 24, images of Ukrainian men and women in civilian clothes carrying rifles have gone viral. The latest photo to capture widespread attention is one purporting to show former Miss Grand Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna joining the military to defend her country.  

“Anastasia (sic) Lenna became Miss Ukraine in 2015,” reads the caption of a Feb. 27 Facebook image that generated more than 8,300 reactions in less than a week. “Today she is fighting for her country with 36,000 women.”

Another Feb. 27 Facebook post with thousands of interactions compares an image of Lenna at a beauty contest next to photos of her in tactical gear, claiming she “changed her high heels for combat boots to fight for her country.”

Similar versions of the claim were amplified by websites across the world.

“Here is Miss Ukraine, Anastasiia Lenna, defending her homeland. This is bravery. This is patriotism,” reads a Feb. 26 tweet with thousands of likes.

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But as India Today reported, Lenna has clarified that she did not join the military. The false narrative is based on photos she recently shared to social media that show her holding an airsoft gun alongside captions expressing her support for Ukraine.

Devin O'Branagan, a Twitter user who shared the post, said in a direct message that there were a "number of seemingly solid sources that convinced me it was true."

After being contacted about her post, she said she did some research and deleted her post after coming across an article from The Quint.

USA TODAY reached out to the other social media users who shared the claim for comment. 

Lenna clarifies viral photos

The photos of Lenna circulating online are authentic, but in a Feb. 28 Instagram post, she wrote that they show her holding an airsoft gun, denying rumors that she joined the military. She said her Ukraine-related social media posts were meant to “inspire people.”

“I am not a military, just a woman, just normal human,” Lenna wrote. “Just a person, like all people of my country. I am also an airsoft player for years. You can Google what #airsoft means.”

Lenna’s Instagram page shows she has been sharing photos of herself playing in airsoft games since as early as September 2020 accompanied by the hashtags #airsoftgirl and #airsoftqueen. A photo of her wearing a camo print jacket, which was used by some users to make the claim, was captured in October 2021 at Strikeball Corsairs Club in Kyiv.

However, some of her more recent photos, shared in February amid escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, included no mention about airsoft guns, leading some people to assume that she joined the military. 

On Feb. 22, Lenna shared photos of herself holding an airsoft gun with the hashtags #standwithukraine and #handsoffukraine. She uploaded another image on Feb. 2 of her in the snow aiming a gun and wrote, “winter wars continue,” according to a Google translation.

Fact check: Viral image does not show 8-year-old Ukrainian girl confronting a Russian soldier

While Lenna never claimed she joined the Ukrainian military, she has reposted and interacted with posts from other users praising her for “putting down her crown and sash to defend her country.” On Feb. 27, she shared a video of her practicing shooting with the caption, “You can help us! Anyone who wants to join the defense of security in Europe and the world can come and stand side by side with Ukrainians.”

USA TODAY reached out to Lenna for additional comment. 

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that former Miss Grand Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna joined the Ukrainian military. Lenna clarified she has not joined the military and that she is an airsoft player. Her Instagram page shows she has been sharing airsoft game photos for years, and she says the recent posts of her holding an airsoft gun were meant to inspire people amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

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