Thread by @EekadFacts

#Exclusive🧵| In search of respite from the tumultuous conflict in their homeland, Ukrainian fighters and dual-national mercenaries were spotted in Gaza, lending their support to the IDF.

📍Eekad launched a detailed investigation using open-source tools to unravel the mysteries surrounding these soldiers, including potential ties to U.S. mercenary companies.

📍It all began with the British Intelligence Telegram channel, that shares content from conflict zones.

📍On December 17, they published videos and images suggesting a collaboration between Ukrainian soldiers and the IDF in Gaza, prompting our comprehensive probe into the truth behind these seemingly unconventional alliances.

📍A particularly striking clip that captured our attention featured soldiers conversing in a foreign language while taking cover behind a wall in Gaza.

📍Employing artificial intelligence tools, we identified the language as local Russian, commonly spoken in eastern Ukraine. Here is the translated text:

📍The channel also shared another clip allegedly filmed inside a school classroom in Gaza.

📍On the blackboard, the slogan "Try Zub" (meaning the trident), the national emblem of Ukraine, was prominently displayed. Below it, a sentence written in Ukrainian declared, "Glory to Ukraine! Mother, I am in Gaza."

📍To validate the connection of this school with the Gaza Strip, we examined the footage, focusing on the military tanks featured in the video.

📍Remarkably similar to the Israeli Merkava tank, these tanks exhibited identical characteristics such as metal panels, protectors on the tank's sides, the rear door, protruding metal structures on its sides, and monitoring and communication technologies at the back, pointing to their affiliation with the IDF.

📍Our attention then shifted to determining the location of the video. We scrutinized discernible features of the destroyed school hall, such as wall paint colors, the brown tables, dark flooring, the lower edge along the floor's perimeter, and the size and color of the teaching board.

📍Delving further, it became apparent that this classroom bore a resemblance to another one in Shujaiya's schools where members of the Golani Brigade had been previously sighted. The footage of this particular incident had gained notable traction on social media.

📍This suggests that the Ukrainian logo on the blackboard was captured in a school in Gaza, likely within Shujaiya neighborhood.

📍The British Intelligence channel also shared a picture showcasing a soldier in the same classroom as the earlier clip. The soldier gestured toward Ukraine's national “Try Zub” slogan.

📍The sight of a soldier pointing to the Ukrainian emblem raises the likelihood that he might be the same individual who sketched it and wrote the letter to his mother in Ukraine.

📍Utilizing AI-driven facial analysis and feature-matching techniques, we identified several individuals closely resembling the masked soldier in question.

📍Yet, many of these images showed individuals closely resembling the masked soldier, leading Eekad’s team to Ukrainian news sites and platforms linked to the Jewish community in Ukraine.

📍We identified a person named Victor wearing a military jacket.

📍Delving into his background, we came across his biography and explored his social media accounts.

📍On his Instagram profile, Victor proudly proclaimed his status as a former IDF fighter and a special forces operative in the Ukrainian army. This revelation prompted us to dig deeper into his history.

📍Further scrutiny of his Instagram account unveiled a pivotal post shared by his wife on February 21, 2023, which extensively detailed his network and highlighted his IDF role, as well as his relocation to Ukraine in March 2022 following the Russian invasion.

📍The post further revealed Victor's vital role in the military group Masada 6, which he co-founded and later took leadership of.

📍This group comprises mercenaries from various nationalities actively engaged in Ukraine combat operations.

📍Eekad's team examined the photograph accompanying the post, revealing Victor adorned in attire bearing the U.S. company Forward Observations Group (FOG) logo, specializing in arms sales and recruiting mercenaries globally.

📍This company had previously supported the Ukrainian army in Donestk and Pavlohrad and had appeared with military gear in several cities, including Benghazi, Raqqa, and Bagram.

📍The multifaceted chapters of Victor's life, including his association with unofficial military groups and activities in Ukraine and Israel, spurred Eekad to extend its inquiry into his other platforms. The objective was to ascertain whether he was indeed the masked figure observed at the school in Gaza.

📍A search on a Telegram channel linked to Victor, named “Wolf & Kida aka Masada,” revealed an introductory post featuring a picture of Victor and his wife, Kida, wearing military uniforms.

📍They urged followers to contribute donations to support their military group, Masada 6.

📍Analysis of the photo revealed that Victor's uniform prominently displayed the logos of both FOG and his military group, Masada 6.

📍This discovery pointed to a substantial link between Masada 6 and FOG, suggesting an organized collaborative effort.

📍Our probe extended to Victor's Telegram channel.

📍On October 11, he posted a photo showcasing military gear intended for members of the Masada 6 group in Israel.

📍Subsequently, on October 18, Victor announced his arrival in Israel with fellow group members, emphasizing their affiliation with FOG. He also posted a selfie in full military uniform adorned with the FOG logo on October 30.

📍In the following days, Victor shared numerous images and videos, prominently showing him alongside Israeli soldiers on the Gaza frontlines. He consistently stood out in distinct attire, marked by the conspicuous FOG logo.

📍The unexpected revelation that caught us off guard was Victor sharing the same photo and video on his channel on December 16 that kickstarted our investigation, which was also reported by the British Intelligence channel.

📍It is now indisputably confirmed that the masked figure in the school is none other than Victor, working for FOG under the auspices of his mercenary group, Masada 6.

📍Additionally, we discovered a photo shared on December 3 of Victor in an FOG military uniform, featuring a Ukrainian flag badge. He was pictured alongside the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, suggesting a collaborative recruitment effort involving Ukrainian mercenaries and the Israeli government.

📍A noteworthy discovery emerged in a clip published by Victor on December 17, where he spoke in the local Russian language, underscoring a possible connection to the soldiers in the initial clip we analyzed, conversing in Russian.

📍In this footage, Victor was attired in an FOG uniform.

📍What stands out is the clear coordination in the participation of Ukrainian mercenaries with the IDF in Gaza, hinting at a relationship that appears to extend beyond simple coincidence.

📍This alignment was foreshadowed by statements from Ukrainian officials expressing support for Israel.

📍On December 13, the Ukrainian embassy in Tel Aviv labeled both Russia and Hamas as "terrorists," urging a collective fight against them.

📌Our investigation has brought to light several crucial insights:

➡️The presence of Ukrainian soldiers in Gaza, likely in the Shujaiya neighborhood, was captured in several images and videos.

➡️Some soldiers engaged in conversations in Russian may originate from eastern Ukraine while concurrently holding Israeli citizenship. Their involvement could be attributed to being called up by the IDF as part of the reserve forces.

➡️Furthermore, we identified a soldier with a verified track record of combat experience in Ukraine and Gaza. This individual not only founded and led a military group but is also presently affiliated with a U.S.-based mercenary company.