At least fourteen people were confirmed dead after a helicopter crashed in Brovary, Ukraine, according to authorities.
Three key Ukrainian officials from the interior ministry have been pronounced dead following the helicopter crash.
Since the accident occurred, social media users have circulated video clips and photos alleging to show the moment of the helicopter crash and its aftermath.
Helicopter Crash in the Kyiv's Suburb
A helicopter carrying a dozen people crashed into a kindergarten in a foggy residential suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday, claiming the lives of 14 people, including a child.
Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi was killed alongside his first deputy minister and state secretary.
There was no immediate information on whether the helicopter crash was an accident or connected to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Monastyrskyi is the most well-known Ukrainian casualty since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, as he served as one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's longest-serving political advisors.
Do These Videos Show the Ukrainian Helicopter Crash?
Social media users circulated a video purporting to show the fatal helicopter crash in Ukraine.
The video shows a plane falling from the sky before crashing to the ground.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the viral video to be outdated and unrelated to the fatal helicopter crash in Kyiv, Ukraine.
On March 25, 2022, the WFAA media outlet uploaded the same video to YouTube.
According to the outlet, a helicopter crashed and caught fire near Rowlett, resulting in the deaths of two people, including the pilot.
The second circulating video clip shows a helicopter that bounced off the runway before it spiraled out of control and blew up.
Misbar's reverse image search revealed that the footage was misleading and does not feature the recent helicopter crash in Ukraine.
Misbar’s team found the original video uploaded to YouTube on September 5, 2014.
The viral video was cut from the original video, and it can be seen from 1:16 to 1:34 seconds.
According to the video's description, on September 4, 2014, a Mi-8 helicopter crashed during an airshow at Gelendzhik Airport in Russia.
It was also mentioned that two people were killed after the crash.
Misleading Photos of the Ukrainian Helicopter Crash
Social media users circulated photos purportedly showing the aftermath of the Ukrainian helicopter crash.
A Facebook user shared a photo along with other photos showing the wreckage that resulted from the helicopter crash.
Misbar's team found that the photo is old and does not show the aftermath of the incident. It shows destroyed houses after Russian shelling in Soledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine.
On May 24, 2022, the photographer Andriy Andriyenko captured the photo for the AP agency.
Furthermore, media outlets from the MENA region also circulated two misleading photos, alleging they show the recent helicopter crash in Ukraine.
Misbar’s team found the first circulating photo to be outdated.
NBC News featured the same photo in a published article on August 2, 2015.
The photo shows a plane crash during a Russian air show at the time, which claimed the life of the pilot.
The second viral photo is also misleading. It shows the aftermath of the Nepal plane crash on January 15, 2023.
Officials said that a plane carrying 72 people crashed close to an airport in the heart of Nepal, killing at least 68.
The BBC displayed the photo in an article about the incident three days ago.
Misbar’s Sources
