FACT CHECK: Video Claims To Show Prigozhin’s Plane Crashing
Screenshot/Facebook
Verdict: False
The video shows a plane that was shot down in June 2023 during the Wagner mutiny.
Fact Check:
Prigozhin, the financier of the mercenary organization Wagner Group, was confirmed dead by Russian authorities after conducting genetic tests on the victims recovered from the wreckage, according to Reuters. U.S. officials told The Washington Post that an explosion may have been the cause of the plane crash.
Social media users have been circulating a video of a plane falling out of the sky, claiming it shows Prigozhin’s plane crashing. One user captioned it, “A video appeared that allegedly shows the moment of the crash of Prigozhin’s plane.” The video was also shared by a Ukrainian government adviser.
This claim, however, is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video has been circulating since June 2023. The video allegedly shows a Russian transport aircraft being shot down by Wagner during its short-lived mutiny. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Volodymyr Zelenskyy Dancing With A Rocket Launcher?)
Eight members of the Russian Il-22 aircraft were killed today, shot down by Wagner forces. pic.twitter.com/uM0WnxJJWA
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 24, 2023
The aircraft is part of Oryx’s list of visually confirmed losses of the Wagner mutiny. Check Your Fact found in an earlier fact-check that at least 13 Russian military personnel died during the Wagner mutiny.
Social media users often share videos with miscaptioned descriptions. For example, Check Your Fact previously debunked a video claiming to show the Ukrainian president dancing with a rocket launcher.
