FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Russian Soldier Parachuting Into Ukraine?
A video shared on Twitter purportedly shows footage recorded by a Russian soldier as he parachutes into Ukraine amid the recent invasion.
Modern warfare is really something else…
Russian troops recording their invasion into Ukraine and uploading it to TikTok pic.twitter.com/85RHX9nJMS
— DedWhaleson (@DedWhaleson) February 24, 2022
Verdict: False
The video was posted on Instagram in 2015. It has nothing to do with the current invasion of Ukraine.
Fact Check:
Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine last week, sparking fierce fighting across the country, according to PBS. One video shared on Twitter claims to show a Russian soldier recording himself and others as they parachute into the country.
“Modern warfare is really something else… Russian troops recording their invasion into Ukraine and uploading it to TikTok,” reads the tweet. (RELATED: No, This Image Does Not Show A Russian Fighter Jet That Was Shot Down In Ukraine)
While Russian paratroopers have descended into Ukraine, according to France 24, the footage shared on Twitter predates the invasion by many years. A reverse image search revealed the video was first posted on Instagram in August 2015 by user @romanadler123. The same user also shared the footage on TikTok in a post that is no longer publicly viewable. The context of the clip is unclear but it predates the Russian invasion of Ukraine by more than six years.
A variety of other falsely-labeled videos have circulated on social media in connection with the invasion. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video that allegedly showed a Russian cruise missile hitting Kyiv as well as another video that purported to show a Russian fighter jet plummeting to the ground after being hit in Ukraine.