FACT CHECK: Was The Russian Defense Ministry Guesthouse Attacked?

A video shared on Facebook claims the “Russian Defense Ministry guesthouse” was recently the target of an attack that led to a fire engulfing part of Moscow.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest an attack recently occurred against a government building in Russia.

Fact Check:

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced “a special military operation” against Ukraine in February, according to Reuters. While the vast majority of the fighting in the conflict has taken place in Ukraine, Russian authorities have accused the Ukrainians of striking targets within Russian territory, Al-Jazeera reported.

A video shared on Facebook over 12,000 times claims Moscow was recently attacked. “Moscow is engulfed in flames! The Russian Defense Ministry guesthouse was attacked during the night,” reads the Aug. 1 video’s caption. The three-minute video shows scenes of a burning building as a narrator gives details about the fire. (RELATED: Are Russia And Azerbaijan At War With Each Other?)

The claim is baseless. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting any attack took place against the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow. No such attack is referenced on the Russian Government’s official websites or its verified Twitter account.

The video itself does not provide any additional information about the alleged attack. Rather, it appears to simply read a July 21 article from The Mirror titled, “Moscow fire: Hundreds evacuated as blaze rips through tower block sending smoke into sky.” The article explains the cause of the fire in Moscow is unknown. It makes no mention of an attack.

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