Did former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson perform a Nazi salute during an event at Ukraine's Lviv University? No, that's not true: A photo showing Johnson with an arm raised in a Nazi salute is digitally altered and was intended as satire. It has been propagated across social media by anti-Ukraine proponents who claim it is real. The original photo shows Johnson and University of Lviv faculty members standing straight with hands at the side to honor Ukraine's national anthem.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) posted on TikTok on September 11, 2023. A text graphic, translated into English from Czech by Lead Stories, read:
Johnson raised his right hand, like a Nazi salute, in Lviv.
It continued:
The real Nazi Halic received a massive applause from Bandera´s followers on social media. In the comments, a Nazi 14/88 code was used. It is strange that Johnson also did not receive the Iron Cross either, apart from the doctorate from Lviv University.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of the writing of this fact check:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Sep 25 08:45:17 2023 UTC)
News reports of the actual event at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (also known as Lviv University) include an original unaltered photograph of Johnson and the professors standing straight with hands at their sides to honor the Ukrainian anthem. Video of the event further reveals that Johnson and faculty members never made the Nazi gesture. Lead Stories debunked the digitally altered photo of Johnson here.
(Source: Lead Stories composite image with Twitter screenshots taken on Thu Sep 14 14:38:34 2023 UTC)
The TikTok post uses a screenshot of a post on a Ukrainian-language Facebook account. There, the image appears as satire that mocks pro-Russian disinformation narratives about Ukraine's supposed Nazi beliefs.
The image used in the Facebook posts bears the watermark and handle of the Ukrainian satirical outlet Smak. On its X (formerly Twitter) account, Smak identifies itself as a satirical site. It states in comments below the photo that "Photoshop AI happens." 
(Source: Lead Stories composite image with Twitter screenshots taken on Thu Sep 14 14:38:34 2023 UTC)
The altered image of Johnson, and university professors from Lviv´s Ivan Franko National University, where the former British prime minister received an honorary doctorate on September 9, 2023, spread across social media accounts on various platforms shortly after the event.
Former Prime Minister Johnson was in office when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He has been a firm supporter of Ukraine, which he visited during his time in office and following his resignation.
