Myth Detector found out the origin of the photo that shows a Russian border guard and that the deputy minister of defense of Georgia, Davit Sujashvili, used to congratulate border guards on their professional day.
Information about publishing this photo was disseminated by TV Formula on March 21. Formula also reported that the Deputy Minister deleted the photo after commenters pointed out that it showed a Russian border guard. Sujashvili later apologized to the public and explained the fact with a mistake of the Facebook page administrator.
Search engine yandex.ru shows that this photo was published as early as on May 28, 2019. In the article, titled “FSB Border Office in South Ossetia: People Can Sleep Calm”, the said photo is inserted with the following caption: “Russian border guards protecting South Ossetia”.
Another article, titled “Bibilov Congratulates Border Guards: Exemplary Manhood, Respect, and Courage”, used the same photo on May 28 as well.
(Бибилов в поздравлении пограничникам: высокий пример доблести, чести и отваги).
The given photo is also used in an article by Sputnik Ossetia, dated October 31, 2019, titled “Joint South Ossetia and Russia Commission Once Again Reviewed the Border Demarcation Issue”.
(Совместная комиссия Южной Осетии и России вновь обсудила демаркацию границы).
The photo is used by Sputnik Abkhazia too in its August 30, 2019 article. It is used with regards to Samachablo, as it is attached to the news article titled “United States Calls on Russia to Help South Ossetia, Georgia Avoid Escalation”.
(США призвали Россию помочь предотвратить эскалацию между Южной Осетией и Грузией)
The information has also been disseminated with an identical title and photo by a Russian news agency TASS.
