Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Safe Despite False Report from Russia

Members of the Tennessee National Guard are safe, despite a false report from a Russian media outlet claiming they had died while fighting in Ukraine.

The Russian news site Pravda claimed the trio served as mercenaries in the fight between Ukraine and Russia.

However, the Tennessee National Guard directly disputed the fake news, detailing that all three of the current and former members of the guard were not deployed at the time and are safe and accounted for.

“The three soldiers identified in the article are either current or former members of the Tennessee National Guard. They are accounted for, safe and not, as the article headline erroneously states, US mercenaries killed in Donetsk People’s Republic,” the organization said in a social media post.

Furthermore, they explained that no forces were currently active in Ukraine.

“Elements of Tennessee’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment deployed in 2018 as part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine where more than 200 Soldiers assisted the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the continued development of the Yavoriv Combat Training Center. The 278th ACR lead the JMTG-U effort and assisted in the development of cadre, ranges and training areas, equipment and instrumentation requirements, and a realistic operational training environment. All Tennessee elements redeployed safely to Tennessee in 2019 after a successful mission.”

Amid the country’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia has cracked down on free speech and freedom of the press, as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to control the narrative.

While members of the Tennessee National Guard are not deployed to Ukraine, individuals were recently sent to the U.S. southern border. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee authorized the deployment of dozens of members to address the ongoing border crisis.

“An open border has far-reaching consequences that are fueling a drug crisis impacting both our national security and the safety of our state,” Lee said at the time. “I have authorized additional Tennessee Guard support at our Southern border as we look to address drug trafficking at the source.”

— — —

Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tennessee National Guard Field Artillery Unit” by Tennessee State Government.