Authors
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.
To say that the situation in the global community is tense with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with an all out ‘military intervention’ by Russia is an understatement. Panic and speculations are rife, and with developments on the ground changing quickly, the scope of misinformation is huge. Social media is full of unsubstantiated and unverified videos claiming to show the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One such video shows a fighter jet coming crashing down after being shot down. The caption accompanying the post alleges that it shows a ‘Russian jet shot down by Ukraine forces’. But Newschecker’s fact check reveals that the video is actually from Libya and is from 2011.
According to media reports, the Ukrainian army has claimed that it shot down 7 Russian planes and that the Shchastya region had been brought under Ukrainian control and 50 Russian soldiers were killed. It is in this context that the viral video is being shared.
Among several users who shared the video linking it with the Russia-Ukraine conflict was user @EffectIndo, whose post garnered over 500 likes and over 100 retweets at the time of publishing. Several other users also shared the same video with similar claims.
Fact check/Verification
To verify the authenticity of the video, Newschecker began by analysing the video from start to finish. While there is no audio that can be heard in the initial portion of the video, one can hear people cheering in the background once the plane is hit, and towards 17 seconds into the video, one can hear loud chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’.
We further checked the comment section of the video to note that a user pointed out that the video was old and was from Libya.
Newschecker thus conducted a keyword search on YouTube and came across a video that looked similar to the viral video. On analysing the video frame by frame, we found it to be the same as the viral video.
The video, uploaded on March 19, 2011 by news agency Associated Press carries the caption ‘Raw Video: Plane Shot Down by Libyan rebels’. The description of the video further reads ‘Libyan rebels shot down a warplane that was bombing their eastern stronghold Benghazi on Saturday, as the opposition accused Moammar Gaddafi’s government of defying calls for an immediate cease-fire. (March 19)’.
Also Read: Gaming Footage Shared As Video Of ‘Russia Vs Ukraine MiG-29 vs C- Ram Fight’
Conclusion
The video, claiming to show a Russian fighter jet shot down by Ukrainian forces, is actually not from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but instead is a video showing Libyan rebels shooting down a jet and is from 2011.
Result: False/False Context
Also Read: Old Video From China Passed Off As Explosions In Ukraine After Russian Air Strikes
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.
Authors
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.
