FACT CHECK: Was There Recently A ‘Big Explosion’ In Moscow?
A video shared on Facebook claims that there was a “big explosion” in the Russian capital of Moscow.
Verdict: Misleading
Previous explosions and fires have occurred in Moscow before September 2022. However, no such explosions claimed by the video have occurred recently.
Fact Check:
Ukraine launched a large counter-offensives in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions, leading to Russian troop withdrawals and the liberation of several occupied areas, according to The New York Times. Multiple bodies have been exhumed from a large grave site in Izyum following months of Russian occupation, BBC reported.
The Facebook video, viewed more than 46,000 times, claims that there was a “big explosion” in Moscow. The video narrator claims the explosion took place at a warehouse near Russian President Vladimir Putin’s home, though other specifics of the attacks were not disclosed. (RELATED: Was The Russian Defense Ministry Guesthouse Attacked?)
The claim is misleading. While there have been previous incidents of explosions and fires in the city during the invasion of Ukraine, no credible media outlets report such an explosion taking place at the described location. Likewise, no such explosion referenced on the Russian Government’s official websites or its verified Twitter account.
A reverse image search shows that at least one of the photos used in the video is actually from Ukraine. The image of the damaged building is of the Kharkiv city hall building, which was struck by a Russian missile early in the war, according to The Associated Press.
One explosion in August killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian philosopher and ultra-nationalist, Alexander Dugin according to CNN. Earlier that month, a warehouse near Moscow did catch fire, killing one and injuring 13, but was owned by Russian-based online retailer Ozon, The Associated Press reported.
This is not the first time a false report on an attack in Moscow has circulated on social media. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim from June 2022 suggesting an airport in the city was struck by missiles.
