FACT CHECK: No, This Is Not Footage Of A Ukrainian Missile Blowing Up A Russian Naval Vessel

A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows Russia’s Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, being struck by a Ukrainian missile.

Verdict: False

The clip, taken in 2013, shows the Norwegian military testing a missile on a decommissioned vessel. It has nothing to do with the current conflict in Ukraine.

Fact Check: 

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the Moskva had sunk after ammunition on the vessel exploded, causing significant damage and starting a fire, according to BBC News. Ukraine claimed to have struck the vessel with Neptune missiles, the outlet reported.

The 10-second Facebook video shows a naval vessel in the distance suddenly exploding. The caption identifies the ship as the Moskva, claiming that the footage “PROVES IT WAS BLOWN UP” and pointing to a missile on the left side of the video that can be seen before impact. (RELATED: No, Ukraine Has Not Created A Social Credit System As Part Of The ‘Great Reset’)

The footage, however, predates the conflict in Ukraine. CNN and SWNS published footage of the same explosion in June 2013. The outlets indicated that it showed Norway’s Navy striking one of its own decommissioned ships to test a newly-developed missile.

The test took place off the coast of the Andoy municipality in Norway, according to Yahoo News. The municipality, located in the northern portion of the country, is an island just off the mainland, as seen on Google Maps.

Several videos and images have been misattributed to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video from early in the conflict that allegedly showed a Russian cruise missile hitting the city of Kyiv.

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