Blogger Andrew Tate visited a tank training ground in Russia; the Ukrainian Armed Forces have responded
Controversial blogger Andrew Tate arrived in Russia and posted a series of videos from a military training ground, where he is seen riding a tank, firing weapons, using a flamethrower, and singing the song “Katyusha.” His brother, Tristan Tate, accompanied him to Russia.
After the footage spread on social media, some users began calling on the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces to strike the blogger.
The Ukrainian military unit responded to this.
The UAF emphasized that Andrew Tate is not a legitimate military target under international law, despite his controversial reputation and provocative behavior.
“The fact that a person behaves like a scumbag does not make them a legitimate military target under international law. Climbing onto a tank for the sake of internet fame is not enough to be considered a combatant. Do something that actually meets these criteria—then we’ll talk. Until then, we’ll keep our drones for real military targets,” the SBS stated.
At the same time, the military noted that if the blogger were to find himself directly in the combat zone, the situation could be viewed differently.
“If Tate ever shows up in the area of responsibility of Ukrainian operators, the decision will be quite swift,” the Unmanned Systems Forces noted, adding that he is currently far from the front lines and appears mainly for staged videos.
Andrew and Tristan Tate have become famous for their social media activity and provocative statements. Andrew Tate has a multi-million-strong audience and regularly posts content that draws sharp criticism for its sexist statements and promotion of an aggressive lifestyle.
The blogger himself has repeatedly called himself an “absolute misogynist.” Despite his accounts being blocked on certain platforms, Tate’s content continues to spread widely through fan pages and reposts.
In December 2022, the brothers were arrested in Romania. Andrew Tate was charged with rape and human trafficking, while Tristan Tate was charged with human trafficking. Both denied the charges and were placed under house arrest for a time.
In August 2024, Romanian law enforcement officials brought new charges against the brothers, including sexual relations with a minor and trafficking of minors. The Taitas also rejected these charges.
The bloggers’ trip to Russia and their appearance at a military training ground sparked widespread reaction on social media; however, the Ukrainian Armed Forces emphasized that military targets are identified solely in accordance with international law, not under the influence of public sentiment.
