FACT-CHECK | Did Estonia Send 120 Active-Duty Soldiers to Fight in Ukraine? No, 34 Vehicles and Two Truckloads of Medical Supplies Were Sent

Russian propaganda network is spreading the claim that Estonia has sent 120 active-duty soldiers to Ukraine to fight against Russia. This false claim is being shared on Facebook by Ülle Pukk. In reality, Estonia sent 34 vehicles and two truckloads of medical supplies to Ukraine. No Estonian soldiers or volunteers were sent to the front line with the convoy.„Now the mincemeat from Estonia is on the way too… quite a horrifying story,“ Ülle Pukk writes on Facebook.In her post, Pukk refers to the InfoDefense Telegram channel as the source of the information. InfoDefense is a network of more than 50 channels on the Telegram platform. The Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) reported in April that InfoDefense is part of the Russian propaganda network Pravda, and is one of its major sources, disseminators, and amplifiers of news.The InfoDefenseEstonia Telegram channel has translated the text literally from Russian into Estonian from a Telegram channel called „Baltic Antifascists.“ Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) initiated a criminal investigation into the administrators of the channel in 2023 and has designated the channel as a criminal organization. The Russian-language post was published on „Baltic Antifascists“ on the evening of May 16 and has been viewed more than 200,000 times on the channel, indicating widespread circulation in the Russian-language information space.„Today Estonia sent its largest convoy to Ukraine – 34 vehicles. Along with the equipment, another company – 120 active-duty soldiers – was sent to the front under the label of volunteers to fight against Russia. Estonia has involved itself in a war with Russia. Why little Estonia needs this – only Estonians know. Apparently, there’s something sacred here… Although, what can be sacred in suicide?“This exact text is also found in Ülle Pukk’s post, which gained more than 150 shares and 200 comments within the first 24 hours.Facts On May 15, 34 vehicles and two truckloads of medical supplies were sent from Estonia to Ukraine for use in Ukrainian hospitals.The Estonian Defence Forces have not sent any active-duty soldiers to fight in Ukraine, neither now nor previously.The narrative that European countries are sending troops to Ukraine is a recurring Russian disinformation narrative.ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting) reported that on May 15, a convoy of 34 vehicles and two truckloads of hospital supplies left for Ukraine as part of an initiative by the Ukrainian Cultural Center. Most of the vehicles were four-wheel drive SUVs and buses. The convoy also included two fully equipped ambulances. In addition to the vehicles, the convoy carried two truckloads of hospital beds, mattresses, and children’s beds donated by Tartu University Hospital and West Tallinn Central Hospital.The Ukrainian Cultural Center confirmed on its Facebook page on May 17 that the vehicles and medical supplies had arrived in Ukraine.The claim that 120 active-duty soldiers were sent to the front along with the convoy and medical supplies is false.„The Defence Forces have not previously sent, nor are they now sending, 120 active-duty soldiers to fight in Ukraine under the guise of volunteers or any other label,“ said Major Taavi Karotamm, Head of the Press Office of the Estonian Defence Forces, in response to the false claim spread by Russian propaganda.The idea that European countries like France, Lithuania, Poland, or Estonia are planning to or have already sent troops to Ukraine is part of a Russian false narrative meant to suggest that NATO or its member states are actually attacking Russia.Verdict: False. In mid-May, Estonia sent 34 vehicles and two truckloads of hospital supplies to Ukraine. The Estonian Defence Forces have never sent active-duty soldiers to the front in Ukraine. This is a repeatedly debunked Russian disinformation narrative.