Has the popular Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak made a promise to Russian military members, to offer a 1-million-ruble reward for the destruction of a U.S.-supplied Abrams tank used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that the singer made such a commitment. Lorak also stated that she could not contribute to military efforts, explaining that her brother was killed while fighting in Afghanistan in 1987.
On October 15, 2023, this claim appeared in a video posted on the TikTok account @stop_nazim7 (archived here) and was also shared here and here. The text on the video (translated from Russian by Lead Stories staff) reads:
Ani Lorak promised a reward of 1 million rubles for the first Abrams destroyed:
"I am tired of constant questions on the subject of whom I support in this conflict. My homeland is Ukraine, I love it with all my heart and wish it only prosperity. But my country is sick. And it continues to get pumped full of Western weapons. I have never transferred funds to support the AFU, all this was invented by my enemies in Ukraine. But now I want all this to end as soon as possible and that is why I have announced a reward for the first Abrams destroyed, which Zelensky already boasted about".
the singer stated.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Oct 26 13:06:52 2023 UTC)
There is no evidence that supports the claims attributed to Ani Lorak. As one of the most popular pop stars in the post-Soviet region, she consistently shares her updates on her Instagram page, where she boasts a following of 7 million. No information about the so-called one-million-ruble reward for the destruction of an Abrams tank can be found on her social media.
Ani Lorak is a singer from Ukraine who has lived in Russia for many years. Following the commencement of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Lorak took to Instagram to issue a plea for an end to the conflict. In an interview with a prominent blogger, she emphasized the personal significance of military operations (translated from Russian by Lead Stories staff): "The subject of military operations has special meaning to me because my brother was killed in Afghanistan (while serving in the Soviet Army during the war) when I was 9 years old. I can't contribute to any military needs, it's impossible because it's not in my nature. It will never happen - I tell you one hundred percent. I want to stay out of it."
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2023, several well-known Russian artists publicly expressed their commitment to providing rewards for destroyed German-made Leopard tanks in Ukraine. However, Ani Lorak has never made such declarations.
In January 2023, as part of military aid to Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced that the United States would provide 31 M1 Abrams tanks. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany would send Leopard 2 battle tanks.
