Footage of Russian bombers predates June attack on Crimea | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY
·3 min read

The claim: Video shows Russian nuclear bombers mobilizing on June 23 after Crimea attack

A June 23 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a compilation of footage of military aircraft and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Major alert, 23 Jun 2024," reads on-screen text in the video, which was originally shared as a TikTok. "Russian nuclear bombers spotted moving after the Crimean beach was targeted by US missiles."

The post was liked more than 250 times in four days. The original TikTok video was liked 18,000 times in the first two days.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

The clips of Russian military aircraft in the post predate a June 23 attack on Russia-annexed Crimea, meaning they are unrelated to the assault. One clip featured in the post, showing a Russian bomber, has circulated online for at least five years.

Old footage wrongly linked to June 23 attack on Crimea

The Instagram post appears to reference a June 23 attack on Russia-annexed Crimea that, according to Reuters, the Kremlin said included U.S.-supplied missiles. Moscow blamed the U.S. for the attack – which killed four people and injured 151 others – and warned it would retaliate. Pentagon spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz attempted to distance the U.S. from the strike, telling Reuters, "Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations."

But the footage in the post does not show Russia mobilizing nuclear bombers in the wake of the attack on Crimea. The clips in the post predate the June 23 assault.

The video opens with a clip that has circulated on YouTube since at least 2018, when it was described as showing a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber in Syria.

The video goes on to show footage of a Tupolev Tu-22M3 strategic bomber that has circulated on Instagram since at least May 25.

Fact check: Image shows memorial, not girls joining Ukraine military

From there, the video shows footage of Putin that has circulated on YouTube since at least Feb. 22. The video is described as showing the Russian president flying aboard a Tupolev Tu-160M, a modernized strategic bomber with nuclear capabilities.

The Reuters article about the attack on Crimea did not mention Russia mobilizing nuclear-capable strategic bombers in response to the attack. And no immediate news reports about the attack mentioned Russia moving such bombers as part of its response

However, a Reuters report on June 23 said Russia could reduce its decision-making time for the use of nuclear weapons if it believes that threats are increasing. Putin also said in May that Russia might change its nuclear doctrine setting the conditions under which nuclear weapons could be used.

President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike targets inside Russia. The new authorization was described as a major American policy shift in the Ukraine war, which has entered its third year.

The Instagram user who shared the video did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video of Russian bombers predates June 23 Crimea attack | Fact check

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories