FACT CHECK: No, This Video Does Not Show Destruction In Ukraine
A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows a Ukrainian city in ruins.
Facebook/Screenshot
Verdict: False
The video was filmed in August 2020 and shows the aftermath of a large explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. It has nothing to do with the current situation in Ukraine.
Fact Check:
Authorities in Ukraine said five people were killed March 1 when a Russian airstrike impacted a TV tower in the capital of Kyiv, The Wall Street Journal reported. Major Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Kherson, have suffered heavy damage from shelling and direct attack by Russian ground and aerial forces, NBC News reported.
The Facebook video, which has been viewed over 14,000 times, shows smoke rising from a destroyed warehouse complex and heavily damaged buildings in the surrounding urban area. The caption says, “This is the present situation in Ukraine now…”
The video took place in Beirut and predates the current Russia-Ukraine conflict. Cristian Baysari, senior news anchor for the Saudi-based news station Al-Hadath, shared the video in an Aug. 4, 2020 tweet, reporting on an explosion at a warehouse in Beirut.
٤٠ قتيلا وأكثر من ٣٠٠٠ جريحا حتى الان
اضافة الى مفقودين
وكلمة مقتضبة لرئيس الحكومة يقول فيها ان المستودع الذي وقع فيه الانفجار خطير وموجود منذ 6 سنوات دون اعطاء اي تفسيرات عن طبيعة خطورته واسباب الابقاء عليه رغم ذلك طيلة هذا الوقت#بيروت #انفجار_مرفأ_بيروت #انفجار_بيروت pic.twitter.com/VSe82CgmiH— كريستيان بيسري (@cristianbaysari) August 4, 2020
“40 dead and more than 3000 wounded so far In addition to the missing,” the translated tweet reads in part. (RELATED: Does This Image Show A Genuine Time Magazine Cover Related To The Invasion Of Ukraine?)
The explosion was reportedly caused by the ignition of ammonium nitrate that was improperly stored for several years at the facility, according to CNN. Reuters, Getty Images, and the Associated Press published photos that seem to resemble the footage in the Facebook video.
Check Your Fact has recently debunked a video from the same event that was used to claim the “Ukrainian headquarters” had been destroyed by a large explosion.
