FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Russian Special Forces Being Attacked In Ukraine?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows Russian special forces being attacked in Ukraine.

Verdict: False

The footage is from a military-based simulation game.

Fact Check:

Russian special forces have extensively been used in Ukraine and other conflicts, according to BBC News. At least one unit, the 3rd Guards Special Forces Brigade, took heavy casualties during the war, including nine dead and one wounded during the retreat from the strategic city of Lyman, the outlet reported.

The Facebook video, viewed more than 41,000 times, claims Russian special forces were forced into the “meat grinder.” The video’s caption reads, “JUST NOW! Russian Special Forces Got into the MEAT GRINDER of the Ukrainian Army.”

This claim, though, is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found the video was posted to YouTube Dec. 2 with the same title. The Facebook video shows footage from ARMA 3, a simulation-based video game published by Bohemia Interactive.

“DISCLAIMER: All videos on this channel are Arma 3 game simulation! They do not reflect reality and are the product of the author’s imagination! This channel is not for propaganda purposes!” reads the YouTube description. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Russian Fuel Convoy Destroyed In Kherson?)

Russian casualty estimates differ. The Ukrainian Armed Forces estimate that Russia has lost 92,000 troops as of Dec. 6. The United States estimates that Russia has lost around 100,000 troops (killed, wounded, missing in action ETC), while BBC News has confirmed a minimum of 9,000 dead Russian troops through open-source information.

Misinformation around the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not new. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video claiming to show a Ukrainian attack on a Russian airbase in Crimea.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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