FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A SU-25 Jet Being Shot Down?

A video shared on Facebook claims to show a Su-25 aircraft being shot down by a Stinger anti-aircraft missile.

Verdict: False

The footage comes from an open-world video game and does not depict real events.

Fact Check:

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claims to have shot down 143 Russian airplanes and 134 helicopters as of April 3, including a $36 million Sukhoi Su-34, according to Newsweek. Videos of various Russian aircraft being shot down over Ukraine have been shared by media outlets such as Radio Free Europe, the Daily Mail and The Washington Post.

The two-minute Facebook video, which has over 2.5 million views, appears to show an aircraft performing maneuvers as a soldier fires a series of shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missiles at the plane. One of the missiles hits the plane, causing it to fly away before apparently crashing in the distance.

“Su25 Airplane shot down by FIM92 Stinger Missile,” reads the Facebook post’s caption. The SU-25 is a single-seat, close-support military aircraft developed by the Russians, according to airforce-technology.com.

The footage does not depict real-world events. A reverse image search revealed the video actually shows gameplay from ARMA 3, a military-style video game published by Bohemia Interactive. The video was posted March 21 on YouTube by user “Several.” The video is titled “Su-25 Airplane shot down by FIM-92 Stinger Missile – Military Simulation – ARMA 3.”
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The Facebook video and the YouTube video share the same title, though the Facebook post removed a section of the title that identified it as simulation footage. The YouTube channel that originally posted the video has published multiple videos depicting simulated combat in ARMA 3, including some featuring the same aircraft and weapons. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Russian Fighter Jet Being Shot Down In Ukraine?)

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