Snippets from a military exercise in Poland have been uploaded and passed off as the United States forces in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid rising tensions with China.
A reader asked VERA Files to fact-check the circulating two-minute and 23-second video uploaded on June 23. The footage of military personnel and equipment seemingly in the midst of an operation bore this caption:
“US Navy In the West Philippines sea.”
The first clip in the video also carried this text:
“CONFLICT IN THE WEST PHILIPPINES SEA.”
This is misleading. The clips are of the U.S. Marines in an amphibious assault exercise with their allies in Ustka, Poland on June 16, not in the West Philippine Sea.
The U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service uploaded the original video with a description that it was from the maritime-focused exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 24.
Led by the U.S. Naval forces Europe-Africa and executed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Naval Striking and Support Forces, the exercise enhanced the participants’ combined response capabilities for freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea.
The misleading post was uploaded about a week after the June 17 incident where the China Coast Guard obstructed and harassed the Philippines’ humanitarian rotation and resupply operation to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
The United States, long maintaining a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines since 1951, has condemned China’s aggressive actions.
On July 8, the Philippines signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan which allows joint combat training between the two nations’ forces, enhancing their defense cooperation.
VERA Files has noted a rise of disinformation related to the WPS issue and the Philippines’ military capabilities and allies. (Read Photos NOT of U.S., U.K. soldiers, military vehicles arriving in Subic)
The video uploaded by the FB page US Military (created on Oct. 10, 2022) garnered 90,000 reactions, 4,800 comments, 5,900 shares and 1,700,000 views.
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