Were German army soldiers killed after a Russian strike in Ukraine?

It’s an explosive allegation: Members of the German army - and therefore NATO forces - are accused of taking part in combat operations against Russia in Ukraine.

According to multiple socialmedia users, officers of the Russian Armed Forces destroyed a Leopard tank transferred to Ukraine with an entirely German crew of Bundeswehr soldiers inside.

"Russia claims to have encountered German soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Are NATO troops now involved in this war?" asked one X user. 

It appears the allegation was first shared by the Russian state media Ria Novosti on 23 September.

But once you read the article, things start getting a little murky. 

The information comes from one single source: an unnamed Russian Army officer who claims to speak German fluently.

He explains he found a dying mechanic onboard a destroyed Leopard tank who then confided in him that the rest of the dead crew were part of the Bundeswehr (German army). 

We could not independently verify these claims and Ria Novosti is known to spread pro-Kremlin disinformation.

Other online articles in French even purport the German Ministry of Defense admitted these accusations were true. 

But Euronews found no such statement on their website, nor in German media. 

Speaking to Deutsche Welle, the German MoD denied these claims. “There are no German tank crews in Ukraine,” emphasised one of the official representatives of the Ministry.

According to their website, Germany supports Ukraine by supplying weapons and equipment from Bundeswehr stocks, including Leopard 2 tanks, considered one of the most modern armoured vehicles in the world. 

Ukrainian soldiers were trained in Germany over the past few months on how to manoeuvre the tanks and other artillery. But the delivery only