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On Feb. 25, 2022, a photograph of a woman in a military uniform was widely shared on social media attached to the claim that it showed the Ukrainian vice president's wife taking up arms to fight against Russia's invasion: This photograph was not taken in February 2022, and it does not show the Ukraine vice president's wife. One reason that this claim is wrong is that Ukraine does not have a vice president. Therefore, the Ukraine vice president's wife simply doesn't exist. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the president of the Ukraine. While Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister of Ukraine, would likely be considered the next most senior official, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliamentary body, would take office if Zelenskyy was unable to perform his duties. (Stefanchuk would have limited powers and would only serve as acting president as a new election is conducted). In any case, the above-displayed picture does not show the wife of any of the aforementioned men. This photograph shows an unnamed female Ukrainian soldier during a rehearsal for a military parade in celebration of Ukrainian independence. It is available via Alamy with the caption: While this photograph was frequently miscaptioned to claim that it showed the wife of Ukraine's vice president (who does not exist), some iterations claimed that this showed Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine. That is also false. Here's a picture of Zelenska that was posted to her Instagram account shortly before Russia's invasion. It's clear that she is not the same woman pictured in the above-displayed image. A different photograph has also made the rounds on social media claiming to be Ukraine's first lady. The following image, however, does not show Zelenska. According to Reuters, this image actually shows former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna. On March 1, Zelenska posted a series of photographs of Ukraine's many female soldiers along with a message of support (translated via Google):
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