FACT CHECK: Did Ukraine Sink Russian Naval Ships With HIMARS?
A video shared on Facebook claims Ukraine sunk Russian naval vessels with High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that Ukraine sunk Russian naval vessels with HIMARS. Ukraine previously destroyed Russian ships with anti-ship missiles.
Fact Check:
The Norwegian Intelligence Service recently asserted that the Russian Navy has deployed ships armed with “tactical nuclear weapons,” according to Newsweek. The deployment of these ships marks the first time nuclear-armed vessels have been used at sea by the country since the Soviet era, the Independent reported.
The Facebook video, viewed more than 19,000 times, claims Ukraine destroyed Russian naval vessels with HIMARS. The video’s caption reads, “Russian Navy In Flames: Ukraine Sinks Russian Warships With US HIMARS Missiles!”
There is, however, no evidence for this claim. If Ukraine had sunk Russian naval ships with HIMARS, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. Ukraine has claimed to have destroyed 18 Russian naval vessels, with the latest appearing to be a small boat commandeered by Russian troops in the Kherson region, the New Voice of Ukraine reported.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not claimed to have destroyed any additional Russian vessels since Jan. 23. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a non-partisan think tank that publishes daily reports on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, has not reported that Russian ships were destroyed by Ukrainian HIMARS. (RELATED: Did Ted Cruz Say He Had Evidence About The FBI’s Search Of Mar-A-Lago?)
Ukraine has destroyed at least two Russian vessels with anti-ship missiles. Ukraine destroyed the Moskva with Neptune anti-ship missiles in April 2022 and destroyed a Russian tug carrying supplies to Snake Island with Harpoon anti-ship missiles in June 2022, according to USNI News.
Misinformation around the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not new. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video claiming that a U.S. Patriot missile system shot down a Russian jet in Ukraine.
