Did the U.S. Department of Defense include the Russian flag on a graphic tweeted in observance of U.S. Flag Day? Yes, with qualification: The "Happy Flag Day" post does include two rectangles of white, blue, and red, which is the same design as the flag of Russia. There is no reference to Russia in the text and the U.S. flag is included in the graphic.
The graphic appeared in a post (archived here) published on the official X account of the U.S. Department of Defense on June 14, 2025. The text introducing the graphic read:
Happy Flag Day! ???????? Let us honor the emblem of our nation and the stars and stripes that unite us all. As we display our nations flag and reflect on the values it represents, let's celebrate the freedom, courage and resilience that makes our country great. https://t.co/nivJsGH5cQ
Users on social media only saw this title, description and thumbnail:
Department of Defense ???????? on Twitter
Happy Flag Day! ???????? Let us honor the emblem of our nation and the stars and stripes that unite us all. As we display our nations flag and reflect on the values it represents, let's celebrate the freedom, courage and resilience that makes our country great. https://t.co/nivJsGH5cQ
This is the lower left section of the graphic that includes the two Russian flags.
(Source: screenshot of X.com by Lead Stories)
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's country page for Russia describes that country's flag as "three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red."
(Source: screenshot of /www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/russia/flag by Lead Stories)
Lead Stories reached out by email to the Pentagon's press office for comment on the use of the design in the U.S. Flag Day post. We will update this article with any response.
