FACT CHECK: Was A British Fighter Jet Shot Down Over The Black Sea?
A video shared on Facebook claims a British fighter jet was shot down over the Black Sea.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence a British aircraft was shot down over the Black Sea. There was a recent incident between the British and the Russian military, but no aircraft were destroyed or damaged.
Fact Check:
The United Kingdom (U.K.) provided billions of military aid to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, artillery and vehicles, according to the U.K. Defence Journal. The U.K. government has promised to provide billions more in aid to Ukraine in 2023, BBC News reported.
The Facebook video, viewed more than 69,000 times, claims that a British warplane was shot down over the Black Sea. The video’s caption reads, “Shot Down! British Warplane Shot Down by Deadliest Missile of Russian Fighter Jet Over the Black Sea.”
The claim, though, is false. If a British aircraft had been shot down by Russia, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. Neither the U.K. Ministry of Defense nor the Russian Ministry of Defense has released statements confirming the downing of a British aircraft. (RELATED: Did Ukraine Sink A Russian Submarine?)
There was an incident in September where a Russian Su-27 fighter released a missile near a British surveillance aircraft, according to The Guardian. U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace said that it was a “malfunction” and not a deliberate attack from the Russian military.
“We do not consider this as a deliberate escalation by Russia. Our analysis is this was a malfunction, but it a reminder of quite how dangerous things can be when you choose to use your fighters in the manner the Russians have done over many periods of time,” Wallace said.
Misinformation surrounding the latest developments of the Ukraine-Russia conflict has circulated widely on social media. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim suggesting Belarus launched an “all-out” attack on Ukraine.