FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Ukrainian Drone Sinking A Russian Warship?

A video shared on Facebook claims to show a Ukrainian drone sinking a Russian frigate off the coast of Odessa, Ukraine.

Verdict: False

The footage is from a military-based video game. It does not show a genuine Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian warship.

Fact Check: 

The Ukrainian military claims drones have destroyed Russian warships and landing craft in the Black Sea near Snake Island, according to Radio Free Europe. The sinking of the Russian warship Moskva last month is also believed to be the result of a Ukrainian missile strike, The New York Times reported.

The Facebook video claims to show low-resolution footage of Bayraktar drone strikes on Russian warships off the coast of Odessa. “In Odessa (Ukraine) Bayraktar TB2 Drone massacred Russian Cruiser Frigate Warships Admiral Makarov,” reads the video’s caption.

The Admiral Makarov is a Russian warship that was rumored to have been recently hit by a Ukrainian missile strike, according to Forbes.

However, the video does not show real footage of a drone strike. A reverse image search revealed the footage actually comes from ARMA 3, a military-style video game published by Bohemia Interactive. The video first appeared May 7 on YouTube where it was shared by the account Several, which has uploaded several simulations of drone attacks on Russian targets. While the two videos share the same title, the YouTube video has a Disclaimer in the description that clarifies the footage is not real.

“THIS IS ONLY SIMULATION, NOT REAL LIFE!,” reads the video’s description. (RELATED: No, This Is Not Footage Of A Ukrainian Missile Blowing Up A Russian Naval Vessel)

This is not the first time a video has been falsely linked to the war in Ukraine. Check Your Fact recently debunked a viral video that claimed to show Russia’s Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, being struck by a Ukrainian missile.

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