Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Recent video of Iranian/Hezbollah missile misfire.
Fact
2022 video falsely linked to ongoing Middle East crisis.
A twenty-seven-second-long-video showing a missile malfunctioning, moments after taking off, and purportedly exploding near its launch site is going viral on social media platforms, with users linking it to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Multiple X and Facebook users claimed that the video shows an Iranian missile making a “U-turn and destroying the launcher.” While others alleged that it depicts a Hezbollah missile directed towards Israel “returning to its source and blowing up the launch pad.” Newschecker, however, found such claims to be untrue.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Also Read: Lebanese People Supporting IDF Soldiers? Here’s The Truth Behind Viral Claim
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the viral footage led us to a Facebook post by @defenceXpress, dated June 24, 2022. Carrying the same video, it stated, “Footage of a purported Russian SAM malfunction in Alchevsk, #Luhansk, in which the missile made a direct U-turn into the launch area.”
Following this, we looked up keywords such as “Russian missile,” “backfire” and “launch” on YouTube which yielded a post by news.com.au, dated June 24, 2022, featuring the same footage. “Dramatic moment Russian missile fails during launch,” the post stated.
Also Read: Old Video Of Israel’s Rafah Attack Shared As ‘Israeli Aircrafts Destroyed By Iran’
A Telegraph report from June, 2022 too featured the viral footage, and stated, “a Russian missile was seen launching into the air before it turned back on itself and landed at the launch site.”
Notably, a Snopes report, analysing such videos, noted that there was no evidence to show that the missile landed on its own launcher, or injured/killed any Russian troops. It further stated that an alternate angle of “what appeared to be the same missile being fired showed that it did not land on its own launch site.”
Newschecker was not independently able to verify such details about the video. However, it dates back to 2022, and is unrelated to the current crisis in the Middle East.
Conclusion
Hence, an old video reportedly from Russia has been falsely shared to show an Iranian/Hezbollah missile misfire.
Result: False
Sources
Facebook Post By @defenceXpress, Dated June 24, 2022
YouTube Video By news.com.au, Dated June 24, 2022
YouTube Video By The Telegraph, Dated June 24, 2022
If you would like us to fact-check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form. Follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates.
Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
