FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Battle Between Russian And Ukrainian Forces?

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows a battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Verdict: Misleading

While the final 50 seconds of the video shows Russian forces capturing an airport in Ukraine, the first two minutes show fighting in Syria that does not involve Ukraine or Russia.

Fact Check:

Russian forces have made gains in southern Ukraine and are currently laying siege to the key city of Mariupol, according to CNN. Senior Pentagon officials have suggested Russia and Ukraine have both suffered around 1,500 casualties during the first five days, The New York Times reported.

A video shared on Facebook claims to show firefights between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The footage includes scenes of soldiers exchanging fire from automatic weapons and shows one man firing a rocket-propelled grenade from a rooftop. “New updates Ukraine vs Russia,” reads the video’s caption. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Russian Fighter Jet Being Shot Down In Ukraine?)

However, the first two and a half minutes of the three-minute video shows fighting in Syria, not Ukraine. A reverse image search found the same footage was shared on YouTube Jan. 23 by the People’s Defense Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia. The fighting occurred in the Syrian city of Hasaka, where Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters escaped from a Kurdish jail following an assault on the Ghwayran prison that housed suspected ISIS members, according to BBC News.
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The second part of the video does show Russian paratroopers in Ukraine. The footage was captured by CNN correspondent Matthew Chance and his cameraman and shows Russian and Ukrainian soldiers engaging in a firefight over Hostomel Airport outside of Kyiv. Russian forces were able to capture the airport Feb. 25, BBC News reported.

Check Your Fact has fact-checked several misleading videos claiming to show Russian forces in Ukraine, including a video that claimed to show a Ukrainian pilot shooting down a Russian jet.

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