Fact-Checkers Warn of Old Footage Being Falsely Associated With Ukraine Invasion

By Reuters Fact Check

Social media users are sharing a photo of a plane plummeting from the sky followed by a trail of smoke and flames, linking it to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The image, however, is unrelated to the conflict. It was taken in 2015, according to a stock image website.

One account sharing the image wrote (here “Ukraine military says it has shot down six fighter jets and a helicopter belonging to Russia.”

Other users also link the photo to the invasion, suggesting it depicts a Russian plane shot down by Ukraine (here, here, here).

Russian plane shot down by Ukraine.
Save Ukraine Stop War. 😞 #worldwar3 #RussiaUkraineConflict pic.twitter.com/ZrqM39XNXn

— AB  (@i_am_artyom) February 24, 2022

Ukraine’s military said it downed six Russian warplanes in its east, destroyed four Russian tanks near the city of Kharkiv and killed 50 troops near a town in the Luhansk region, according to Reuters (here). Russia denied that its aircraft or armoured vehicles had been destroyed.

However, the photo shared on social media was captured during an airshow in Samara, Russia, on Aug. 22, 2015, according to stock image provider Shutterstock (here).

Shutterstock’s caption for the image explains that the flight group “Falcons of Russia” performed a demonstration show devoted to the celebration of the National Flag of the Russian Federation.

Additional photos of the performance can be found here.