FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show NATO Helicopters Being Shot Down In Ukraine?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook claims to show North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) helicopters being shot down in Ukraine.

Verdict: False

The video does not show NATO helicopters in Ukraine. The footage is from a video game simulator.

Fact Check:

NATO countries have provided Ukraine with various amounts of heavy equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers and Soviet-era helicopters, according to Oryx, a military analysis website. Heavy losses have been reported in Bakhmut as a battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to engage, BBC reported.

The Facebook video claims to show NATO helicopters being shot down in Ukraine. The video’s caption reads, “NATO sent their jet fighters & Helicopters to help Ukraine. As soon as they entered the border, they were attacked by Russian missile and not a single one escaped. Only the Chinese media reported that news, none in the West did.”

This claim, however, is false. The Facebook video shows footage from ARMA 3, a simulation-based video game published by Bohemia Interactive. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found the video was posted to YouTube April 6, 2022 with the title, “Combat Helicopter shot down by Missile – 4 Tanks Blown Up – Milsim – ArmA 3.”

NATO has not intervened in Ukraine. NATO’s website stresses that the alliance is defensive and it would not intervene militarily in the conflict under a section titled, “Why isn’t NATO sending troops or closing the skies above Ukraine?”

“NATO’s actions are defensive, designed not to provoke conflict but to prevent conflict. The Alliance has a responsibility to ensure that this war does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine, which would be even more devastating and dangerous. Enforcing a no-fly zone would bring NATO forces into direct conflict with Russia,” the section reads. (RELATED: Did A Ukrainian Drone Sink A Russian Ship Carrying A S-400 Air Defense System?)

Social media users have previously shared footage from ARMA 3, claiming it shows combat footage from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Check Your Fact has previously debunked such claims and recently fact-checked a video claiming to show Russian forces being ambushed by Ukrainian troops.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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