FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Russian Ships Being Sunk By A Ukrainian Drone?
A video shared on Facebook claims to show a Ukrainian drone sinking Russian boats and submarines.
Verdict: Misleading
The video shows footage from an open-world military simulator video game. It does not depict actual Russian ships being sunk.
Fact Check:
The Ukrainian military has extensively used drones in its war against the invading Russians, according to CNN. The military has been particularly effective with its utilization of the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone, which has been used to destroy dozens of Russian vehicles, according to Forbes and Oryx, a blog that tracks losses in the war.
A Facebook video, viewed more than 12,000 times, allegedly shows footage of a TB2 drone attacking and destroying Russian ships. “Today Russian Submarines, Aircraft Carrier and Boats Were Sunk by Ukrainian Bayraktar,” reads the video’s caption.
The footage actually shows gameplay from ARMA 3, a military-style video game published by Bohemia Interactive. An internet search reveals the video first appeared on YouTube July 31 with the same title.
The video’s description explains it shows a simulation, not real footage from the war in Ukraine. “THIS IS ONLY SIMULATION, NOT REAL LIFE!” reads part of the description. “I make military simulations using Arma 3 Simulator. Bohemia allows to make YouTube videos from their game and monetize it.”
The user, Xadarov, has also posted other ARMA 3 videos based on the conflict in Ukraine. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Ukrainian Forces Destroying Eight Russian Tanks?)
