fact finder
In connection with the crashed Wagner private jet, incorrect content is circulating on the Internet. A video that has been watched millions of times does not show the crash of the Prigozhin plane, but a plane of the Russian Air Force.
Several recordings are circulating on social networks that are said to show the crash of the private jet in which the Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is said to have been. But only one of the videos shows the actual plane crash on the evening of August 23, on which Prigozhin is said to have been on board, according to the Russian aviation authority. Probably none of the ten occupants survived the crash.
A video that is widely used in this context shows an airplane falling from the sky in flames and is supposed to show the scenario. But the video is several weeks old and does not show the current crash.
Wrong video got millions of views
It was shared many times on Facebook, the short message service X and TikTok and viewed millions of times. The Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashchenko also shared the video shortly after the plane crash became known on X with the words: “A video has appeared which allegedly shows the moment of the crash of the Prigozhin plane”. This post alone was viewed 2.4 million times.
In addition, numerous compilations of various alleged recordings of the crash are circulating, where this video is also shown. The weekly newspaper “Die Zeit” also used it loudly “corrective” Clipped the wrong video on Instagram and TikTok posts, but later added a note saying the video wasn’t current.
Video shows others plane crash
The video was circulated in late June in connection with a plane crash in Russia’s Voronezh region during the Wagner uprising. According to Russian media outlet Fontanka, the video shows the crash of a Russian Air Force Ilyushin IL-22M aircraft near Kantemirovka. It was reportedly shot down by the Wagner mercenaries.
The same video can be found on the Azerbaijani YouTube channel “Kanal 13” under the title “Loss of Ilyushin Il-22M disrupts Russian air and land operations”. It is dated July 1st.
The video currently circulating was uploaded to various platforms a few weeks ago. On July 1st, for example, on the YouTube channel “Kanal 13”.
Also, an account specializing in military open source intelligence (OSINT) research posted various footage of the crash site and the crash on June 25.
Rigged RT article
In addition to the decontextualized video material, other incorrect content is also circulating on the Internet. For example, the screenshot of an alleged article by the Russian state broadcaster RT circulated. RT’s online article is said to claim that the pilot on the crashed plane had vaccine-induced myocarditis and a heart attack may have led to the crash.
However, the screenshot is fake, the article was not published on RT as such. In fact, RT published an article with the headline: “Wagner boss among the passengers of the crashed plane”. The article uses the same photo as shown in the screenshot, but the content is different.
Bad joke?
BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh writes on short message service X that the fake screenshot was originally distributed as a hoax.
A joke that is probably not so easy to catch. Because the screenshot continues to spread rapidly and has been seen thousands of times.
False information and videos lead to even more speculation and create confusion in a situation that is currently unclear.