FACT CHECK: No, Video of a Patriot Launcher Is Not From Ukraine

Jesse Stiller | Contributor

A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, allegedly shows an M901 Patriot launcher firing a PAC-2 missile in Ukraine.

Verdict: False

The video is from a November 2022 training exercise in New Mexico. 

Fact Check:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the country received their first shipment of F-16 fighter jets after months of delays, according to The New York Times. A U.S. official told the outlet that the fighter jets have not yet been used against Russian forces, as pilots in the region needed to get acclimated to small-scale operations.

The X post appears to show a Patriot missile defense system firing a missile at an unknown target while in Ukrainian service. “First footage of a US-supplied «M901 PATRIOT» launcher in Ukrainian service firing a «PAC-2» missile,” the post reads.

The video was not taken in Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The clip is actually from the U.S. Marines website, showing the same Patriot defense system and dated Nov. 5, 2022.

“Soldiers with the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command conduct a Patriot missile live fire at McGregor Range Complex, New Mexico, November 5, 2022,” the caption beneath the video reads.

Another Patriot system was sent to Ukraine earlier in the war, with plans for such a move going back to December 2022, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In July 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a $225 million package for Ukraine, which included another Patriot system, The Associated Press reported.

Jesse Stiller

Contributor

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