- A TikTok dance video with Ukrainian soldiers was viewed more than 5 million times on Twitter.
- The Ukrainian Defense Ministry Twitter account shared the video, saying: “Morale is high.”
- Similar videos from unverified accounts have also been making the rounds on TikTok.
On social media, videos showing what appear to be Ukrainian soldiers engaging in joyful trends and dances are going viral, generating a mixed response.
The most viral video in the genre appears to be a 23 second clip shared by the official Twitter account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine On December 5th. It shows a person in military attire performing a dance in the snow while gunshots are heard in the background. The caption read, “Winter has never been an obstacle to a good mood,” and it had more than 5 million views.
The same account had previously shared a 21 second video of a soldier dancing on the hood of what appeared to be a military vehicle, which was viewed more than 285,000 times and included the caption “Morale is high.”
—Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 5, 2022
The videos have received a mixed reaction from Twitter commenters, some of whom have expressed exasperation with the soldiers.
“What’s the point of these dance videos?” a comment with more than 1,400 likes, he said. “War is hell, the soldiers in the trenches are freezing to death and most likely they are not thinking about the pikachu dance. If he was on the front lines watching this, he would be angry.”
but another commentator With more than 700 likes, he came to his defense. “Maybe, just maybe, it’s to help get through that hell.”
—void mayne() (@goolandthekang) December 5, 2022
A Twitter user wrote: “For those of you who think this is bad: I’m not sure if you’ve ever been in a combat zone, but I… people do things to have a semblance of fun, joy and normalcy when we can.” .
In the comments, some Twitter users also shared older images of soldiers dancing Y Photos of soldiers participating in “WWII nonsense” in response to the dance video.
Similar videos have been circulating on TikTok as well, though they don’t appear to have been posted by official accounts.
A passing user @diyak_yuriy has aware Three videos from last month showing a person dressed in what appears to be a Ukrainian military uniform. The most recent, posted on November 27 and December 2, shows the person dancing to trendy sounds and has received a combined 2 million views.
Diyak Yuiry, the 24-year-old dancer behind the account, told Insider that he has been in the military for more than three years and was “very grateful to everyone” who viewed his TikTok and left comments. “I think this is a positive moment,” he said. “The situation in our country is such that those moments are special.”
a similar video Posted on December 5 by the account @military_dancer it also appeared to show a Ukrainian soldier performing a train dance and was viewed more than 131,000 times.
Viewers seemed to get a more positive response on TikTok. One comment with over 1,800 likes read: “Damn! These Ukrainians sure have a sense of humor. I’m rooting for you,” while a comment with over 200 likes read: “You can’t break the spirit of a brave soldier . Keep going”. dancing.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, but since then Vladimir Putin’s troops have lost more than half of the territory they had initially gained, the bbc reported in November.
Half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was damaged or destroyed as a result of the Russian attacks, triggering a “devastating energy crisis,” according to Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. Business Insider reported. “This winter will threaten the lives of millions of people in Ukraine,” Kluge said.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
For more stories like this, check out Insider’s digital culture team coverage here.