A video shared on Instagram claims to show a birds-eye view of a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian troops during the war.

 

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Verdict: False

The drone strike has been circulating since 2020. Russia did not begin its invasion or partial mobilization until 2022.

Fact Check:

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued new warnings to the West over their involvement in the Ukrainian war, going as far as to suspend their participation in the START treaty, according to Reuters. The treaty limited the number of nuclear weapons a country could have, CNN reported.

The Facebook video claims to show a drone strike on Russian troops. The video caption reads, “A group of mobiks recently arrived in Ukraine, greeted with a very warm welcome.” Mobiks is a term used for Russian troops who were conscripted by the partial mobilization order issued by Russia in September 2022, according to The New York Times.

The video predates both the invasion and the partial mobilization order. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from 2020. The video was shared on YouTube in October 2020 with the title, “Azerbaijani drone strike on Armenian soldiers.”

The video was also shared on Instagram in October 2020 with hashtags noting it is from the Nagorno-Karabakh War. It was also shared on a Turkish news website in May 2021. The video was first debunked by Reuters. (RELATED: Did A Patriot Battery Shoot Down A Russian Fighter In Ukraine?)

Azerbaijan often targeted Armenian soldiers and equipment with drone strikes during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ukraine and Russia both use drones to coordinate artillery strikes, attack vehicles and troops, and for other purposes, Foreign Policy reported.

Misinformation around the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not new. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video claiming a U.S. Patriot battery shot down a Russian fighter in Ukraine.