FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show a Ukrainian Anti-Tank Missile Sinking A Russian Ship?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows a Russian patrol boat being destroyed by a Ukrainian anti-tank missile.

Verdict: False

The footage is from a military-style video game. It does not show actual events from the conflict in Ukraine.

Fact Check: 

Ukraine received anti-tank weapons from multiple NATO countries, including the U.K. which sent thousands of Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons (NLAW), according to The New York Times. U.S. intelligence is suggesting Russia may be “preparing for a long war” in the Donbas region, the outlet reported.

The Facebook video, which has been viewed more than 230,000 times, purportedly shows a Russian patrol boat being fired upon by Ukrainian forces armed with NLAWs. The first half of the video shows soldiers tracking the boat with the missile, while the second half shows artillery hitting armored vehicles. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Ukrainian Forces Destroying Eight Russian Tanks?)

The footage is not genuine. A keyword search found the footage comes from ARMA 3, a military-style video game published by Bohemia Interactive. The video first appeared May 11 on YouTube where it was shared by the user ARMA ZONE with a title that includes the words “Milsim ARMA 3,” a clear disclaimer indicating that the video is a simulation, not real. The Facebook video lacks such a disclaimer.

The second clip featured in the Facebook video is also from a YouTube video, uploaded May 10, by the same user titled, “Russian armor was heavily shelled by the Drone guided artillery on the Eastern front | ARMA 3 Milsim.” Likewise, this footage is also from ARMA 3.

This is not the first time clips from ARMA 3 have been misidentified as real footage from the war in Ukraine. Check Your Fact recently debunked a viral video claiming to show Ukrainian forces destroying Russian armor in the Donbas region.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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