Video Shows Israeli Air Strikes in Gaza, Not Russia Attack on Ukraine
The Claim
The video shows the Ukrainian defense ministry building following Russian airstrikes.
News posted on
Emerging story
Facebook and Twitter users, as well as online news websites, have recently shared a video claiming that it documented the moment the Ukrainian defense ministry building was targeted by Russian missiles. One of the social media posts was viewed, liked, and shared by over 500,000 users.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s team investigated the circulated claim and found it misleading. The video was first shared on YouTube in May 2021. The video then showed an Israeli airstrike that targeted a 12-story building, which housed media outlets, in Palestine’s Gaza City.
Misbar’s team also found another video clip taken from another angle, which was published by BBC News Arabic on YouTube on May 13, 2021. In the video description, the clip is said to have documented the moment of the destruction of the Al-Shorouk residential building in Gaza City as a result of the Israeli bombing during a direct interview with the channel’s correspondent, Adnan Al-Bursh.
Until March 18, no official reports confirmed the targeting of the Ukrainian ministry of defense building, but Russian media reported that the Russian army targeted a Ukrainian military’s weapons depot.
The video resurfaced against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian military operation against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, amidst negotiations to end the war.
Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri
