Claim: A viral post on Xallegedly shows "[f]irst images of the truck driver at Irkutsk airbase" — it includes a photo of what's made to look like an ID card from Ukraine.

Original publisher’s rating

DW Fact check: False While the ID card of "Semen Hydenko" itself is suspicious — take a closer look at the bottom which just shows a line of zeros — a reverse image search reveals that the ID card has been used regularly in the context of disinformation in the past as well. It has circulated at least from 2022 onwards to claim, for instance, that the man pictured was allegedly responsible for the Kerch Bridge blast or an assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump in 2024, during the election campaign. A reverse image search of the man pictured reveals his identity: It is US comedian Sam Hyde, who has been linked to various alt-right communities. He's been the subject of a number of fact checks in the past.

Reviewed by Deutsche Welle ↗ · June 2, 2025