On. Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine. On March 1, the Associated Press reported Russian military forces shelled Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and military vehicles threatened the capital of Kyiv.
In Kharkiv, at least six people were killed when an administrative building was hit, the Associated Press said. Since the news broke of Russia’s attack, many photos and videos have been shared online, allegedly illustrating the current situation in the region.
THE QUESTION
Does this video show a Russian pilot landing in Ukrainian territory?
The video had more than 198,000 views at the time of publishing.
THE SOURCES
- Google Maps
- A TikTok video from July 2021
- The website and Instagram account for B Dompsa, a Parachute Infantry Brigade in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
THE ANSWER
No, that video does not show a Russian pilot crashing in Ukraine. It was filmed in Brazil and is nearly a year old.
WHAT WE FOUND
The 10-second video posted to Twitter shows a paratrooper crashing to the ground on a city street, as people shout in the background. The tweet said: “#Ukraine The moment a Russian pilot was ejected and landed in Ukranian [sic] territory. #UkraineKrieg”
This is not true. VERIFY can confirm the video was not taken from Ukraine or filmed in 2022.
Using reverse image search, the VERIFY team was able to find the same video posted to the TikTok account of @passospqd in July 2021. The people in the video were cursing in Portuguese, according to several translators VERIFY contacted
The building in the background can be seen clearly in the video at the 3-second mark. Using Google maps, VERIFY confirmed that the building is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and houses a portion of Parachute Infantry Brigade B Dompsa, a branch of the Brazilian military.
The same building can also be seen in videos posted on the official Instagram account of B Dompsa. A photo of the building can also be seen on a Brazilian military webpage.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story. VERIFY will continue to monitor for claims around Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Want something verified? Email your questions about the invasion to questions@verifythis.com.
More from VERIFY: No, a viral TikTok video does not show a Russian paratrooper dropping into current Ukraine conflict
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