Fact Check: Is TIME magazine cover featuring Putin's photo with Hitler moustache fake?

Two photos circulating on social media depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin as German dictator Adolf Hitler on the cover of TIME Magazine seems to be fake.  One of the photos is Putin sporting a Hitler moustache, while the other is a blended image of Putin sporting Hitler's piercing gaze and a Nazi symbol. Both photographs are accompanied by the phrase "The Return of History: How Putin Ruined Europe's Dream." According to the viral posts, these photographs were supposed to be from the magazine's February 28-March 7 edition.

After seeing it posted online, many individuals fell for the ruse and even offered their thoughts about it.

TIME Magazine did not issue such covers, and both viral photos have been modified. They were really designed by a graphic designer as artworks. The photographs have gone viral amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on Thursday last week.

All uncertainty regarding the covers was put to rest on February 28 when Patrick Mulder took to Twitter to reveal that he designed them.

Patrick Mulder, a graphic designer, made the artwork and shared it on Twitter along with a note. Mulder stated that he intended to produce something that contributed to the discussion surrounding the invasion of Ukraine and caught the general sentiment.

"Because my TIME artwork has gone viral, I felt it would be fair to write a bit about it. The picture is one of three that I produced on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. I thought TIME's official cover was uninspired and lacked conviction," Mulder took to Twitter.

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• Russia
• Ukraine
• Russia Ukraine crisis
• TIME Magazine
• Vladimir Putin
• Hitler