Mathrubhumi, TV9 Kannada air video game clip as airstrike in Ukraine

The ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine has given rise to online misinformation, with several individuals linking old and unrelated videos to the crisis. The video below is circulating with the claim that Russian fighter jets escaped Ukrainian airstrikes after bombing the country. This video has gained lakhs of views @SHEKHAR66355869 [close to 2 lakh views]; @jabaligainz [over 1 lakh views]; @BowiSammy [close to 2 lakh views]; and @schoolboyefr.

Kerala-based news channel Mathrubhumi also aired this clip during a broadcast. So did TV9 Kannada.

Upon reverse searching the video’s keyframes, Alt News found YouTube channel Compared Comparison had uploaded the video earlier this year in January. Thus, the clip doesn’t show footage from the ongoing crisis.

This clip is 14 seconds longer than the viral clip. The viral section begins 10 seconds into the video. The description and the title establish that the video is a playthrough of the 2013 video game ARMA 3.

ARMA 3 is an open-world, realism-based, military tactical shooter video game.

This video game’s clips are often circulated amid military conflicts. Alt News has debunked the video several times in the past.

This article was first published on AltNews and the original can be accessed here.