WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Around Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, here's a round-up of the misinformation around the crisis.

Misinformation around Ukraine-Russia crisis.

(Photo: Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint)

As tensions escalate between Russia and Ukraine, social media has been abuzz with misinformation related to the ongoing conflict. Several media organisations, journalists have been sharing visuals that are unrelated to the crisis, here's a round-up of all that has misled the public in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

1. Several Media Outlets Aired an Old Clip as 'Explosions in Ukraine'

As Russian president Vladimir Putin announced "special military operation" in Ukraine, several social media users, including journalists and media houses, shared a video claiming to show explosions in the coastal region of Mariupol in Ukraine.

The video was shared by media houses Brut India, Mojo Story, Times of India, as well as Hindi news channel Aaj Tak.

Brut India shared the clip in a segment. The reel is now deleted. 

We found that the video is at least from January. The video was uploaded on TikTok by a user who said it showed lightning striking near a power plant in Russia.

You can read our fact-check here.

2. Times Now Shares Old Video as 'Russian Jets Shot by Ukraine'

English news channel Times Now shared a 40-second clip on Twitter that showed planes flying over buildings, linking it to the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

“Ukraine says 5 Russian planes, 1 helicopter shot down in Luhansk,” the tweet read. The same visuals were shared by news outlet DNA as 'Russian jets entering Ukraine'.

An archived version of this Times Now tweet can be seen here.

Although it’s true that Ukraine claimed to have shot down five Russian planes and a helicopter, these visuals could be traced back to at least May 2020.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. 1993 Photo of Mid-Air Collision Shared as 'Ukraine Taking Down Russian Jet'

A photograph of a mid-air collision has gone viral claiming that it shows Ukraine taking down a Russian fighter jet.

An archive of the tweet can be found here.

However, we could trace the viral image back to 20 years. It was taken at a 1993 airshow at the Royal Air Force in Fairford, United Kingdom.

You can read our fact-check here.

4. Old Video From 2016 Shared as 'Russian Paratroopers Landing in Ukraine'

Several news organisations, including English newspaper DNA, shared a video that shows paratroopers claiming that Russian military paratroopers have landed in Ukraine near Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city.

An archived version can be seen here.

However, we found that these visuals are not recent and could be traced back to 2016. We found a tweet from 2016, the caption of which in Russian, translated to 'Khakhl, remember, this is what the Russian paratroopers look like'.

You can read our fact-check here.

5. Video Game Simulation Shared as Live Footage of 'Russia-Ukraine War'

A video showing an on-ground weapon system attacking and shooting down a fighter plane has gone viral as "live visuals of war".

Facebook users shared the viral video with a caption that read, "Russia vs Ukraine war Conflict Live News, Ukraine Crisis News (sic)."

The claim stated that these are "live visuals of war".

However, we found that the viral clip was a video game simulation from a game called ARMA 3. Part of the clip, which has been on the internet since at least 2019, was superimposed on a "breaking news" banner in the viral posts.

You can read our fact-check here.

6. This Image is From Gaza Strip; Doesn't Show Russia's Attack on Ukraine

A photo of a massive explosion, in what seems like a residential area, is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows Ukrainian capital Kyiv under attack from Russia.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

However, we found that this image is from May 2021 when the Israeli military had conducted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, that is controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

You can read our fact-check here.

7. Emotional Video of Soldiers Leaving for War is From a 2017 Documentary

An emotional video of two women sobbing as they embrace men dressed in military gear is being shared widely claiming to show scenes of "anxiety, farwell, and love" from Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

However, we found that the video is from a 2017 Ukrainian documentary film titled 'The War of Chimeras,' which documents the story of a young couple during the Battle of Ilovaisk, which took place in 2014 near Donetsk, Ukraine.

You can read our fact-check here.

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