FACT CHECK: No, Ukraine Did Not Seize A Train Filled With Fighter Jets

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter
A video shared on Facebook claims that Ukraine seized a train filled with fighter jets.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that Ukraine captured a train filled with Russian jets.

Fact Check:

Ukrainian troops have continued to attack Russian lines in the south as they look to force a major breakthrough, according to The Washington Post.

The Facebook video, viewed more than 189,000 times, claims that Ukraine captured Russian jets being transported by train. The video’s caption reads, “Russian Jets Now Belongs to Ukraine! Ukrainians Seized the Train carrying Russian Fighter jets!”

This claim, though, is not true. If a Russian train transporting Russian fighter jets had been captured by Ukrainian forces, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense did not note any Russian aircraft losses from July 21 to August 3. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Volodymyr Zelenskyy Dancing With A Rocket Launcher?)

Check Your Fact also reviewed two databases of Russian aircraft losses. Oryx, a military analysis website that tracks equipment losses in the Russian-Ukrainian war, does not list any Russian fighter jets as captured. Out of the equipment listed as captured, one is a helicopter, and the rest are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) such as Orlan-10 drones.

WarSpotting, a website that also tracks Russian equipment losses, does not list any aircraft as captured. It states that one helicopter and 118 drones have been captured. There are also no trains listed as captured on the WarSpotting website.

Misinformation around the Russian-Ukrainian war is not new. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that Ukrainians were using props to fake damage to the Odesa Cathedral.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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