leaky tank sarnia

Ontario restaurant slammed for pro-Russia conspiracy claims about the Ukraine war

A restaurant in Sarnia, Ontario is under fire for posting a slew of unsubstantiated theories about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, ranging from Russian state-supplied propaganda to straight-up QAnon-level conspiracies.

The war is already reported to have caused thousands of unnecessary deaths, but The Leaky Tank, a truck stop along Highway 40, seems to be dishing out more than just diner eats, after an image of a menu showing specials surrounded by controversial political messages appeared online.

The scrawled message — in all caps to really get the point across — reads, "FYI... Russia is not occupying Ukraine, they are denazifying it. Poutin [sic] spoke out against the great reset and calls those who seek to oppress as Satan worshippers that they are. Russia is taking out bio labs and human trafficking. He's fighting against the enslavement of humanity."

Uhhhh, what?

There's a lot to unpack here, and while it would be too time-consuming to delve into all of these accusations, the outlandish conspiracy theories packed into this brief statement were thoroughly shot down on social media.

This isn't the first time The Leaky Tank has made divisive political statements, having been among the groups vocally fighting against lockdown and vax mandates.

Seeing the backlash growing, the restaurant owner appeared to make matters worse by issuing a non-apology-style apology on Facebook, directed at "the haters" in an effort to stop the "vile comments," before making it clear the owner stands behind their inflammatory words.

One customer did their best to describe a few of the pretty bonkers "reports" out of Ukraine shared in the restaurant, which seem even too absurd for Russian state media outlet RT.

Though some are also quite concerned about the menu items listed.

A new message has since appeared, this time with just the daily specials. Though the word is out, and anyone not taking Russia's side on the conflict is probably going to be looking for a new spot to eat.

Lead photo by

The Leaky Tank


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

Thousands of people want to boycott Loblaws stores 'indefinitely'

One of the most anticipated Toronto restaurants of the year is now open

Toronto cafe is closing after 12 years

New food hall in Toronto with over 50 vendors opens this month

Loblaws finally agrees to sign Canada's Grocery Code of Conduct

Toronto restaurant that enforced a no-tipping policy is shutting down

15 restaurants in Toronto that make you feel like you're in Europe

Toronto co-op grocery store says people are flocking to join amid Loblaws boycott