Oops! Ukrainian Agency Illustrates Lviv Tank Factory With Photo of Russian Tanks

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau has mistakenly accompanied a tweet about the arrest of the management of the Lviv Armored Vehicle Factory with a photo of Uralvagonzavod, the Russian tank and machine-building plant best known for its production of the T-90 tank. The flub caused a mild uproar on the Bureau's Twitter page.

Last week, Ukrainian investigators detained military officers and officials from the Lviv Armored Vehicle Factory on suspicion of embezzlement of budgetary funds allocated for the purchase vehicle parts for the military. Detectives arrested plant director Roman Tymkiv, his deputy, and two senior officers from the Armed Forces' Central Technical Management Bureau.

According to the agency, the conspirators' million dollar plus scheme involved the sale of used engines presented as new for Ukraine's T-72 main battle tanks. Tymkiv has been arrested for 60 days, his bail set at the US equivalent of about $77,000.

In a Twitter post about the arrests, instead of the Lviv Armored Vehicle Factory, the Anti-Corruption Bureau mistakenly used a photo of the shop floor of Russia's Uralvagonzavod factory, showing the production of what appear to be T-90 MBTs.

НАБУ та САП затримали посадовців ЗСУ та ДП «Львівський бронетанковий завод». Деталі:https://t.co/6o07r7gYO1 pic.twitter.com/JlYFE8OJCx

— NAB Ukraine (@nab_ukr) 14 июля 2017 г.

"The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office has detained officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and [management] of the Lviv Armored Vehicle Factory. Details:"

The tweet soon drew the attention of Ukrainian internet users, who angrily began pointing out the agency's error. Russian users soon joined in.

У военных русская форма. Доколе будете искать картинки в гугле?

— Матковський Олег (@MatkovskyiOM) 14 июля 2017 г.

"The soldiers have a Russian uniform. How much longer will you continue to search for images in Google?"

Какой крутой и современный завод во Львове!!

— Охрана Излучателя☭37 (@37OhranA) 16 июля 2017 г.

"What a cool and modern factory in Lviv!!"

Some Twitter users began posting real pictures of the Lviv Armored Vehicle Factory, pointing out that its condition at the moment isn't exactly camera-friendly.

вот правильная фотка =) не благодарите =) pic.twitter.com/CNgOfz7qfV

— Dodgek (@DodgekCrannock) 16 июля 2017 г.

"Here's the right photo =) No Need to thank me =)

Вот она правда, которую стыдно показать. pic.twitter.com/wRzI4PBLfs

— Anton Trekov (@RuTrekov) 16 июля 2017 г.

"Here it is, the truth that's too embarrassing to show."

Others were more creative, finding new uses for the famous 'Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!' mantra:

Слава Україні! 🇷🇺 Т-90 Слава!

— Andrey Panevin (@panevin_ru) 16 июля 2017 г.

"Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the T-90!"

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has since removed the original photo from its website, but said it couldn't edit it out from its social network accounts.

For the record, the Lviv Armored Vehicle Factory's shop floor looks like this:

Employees perform repairing works on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and tanks in a tank plant in Lviv (File)

© AFP 2023 / YURKO DYACHYSHYN

And here's a photo of a shop floor at Uralvagonzavod:

Workers of the JSC Uralvagonzavod assemble tanks on the production floor. In addition to its military production, the company is one of the largest scientific and industrial complexes in Russia.

© Sputnik / Sergey Mamontov

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