This video is circulating on social media as part of the Ukraine war.
The clip is intended to show a Ukrainian anti-tank missile destroying a Russian tank.
But the clip is a fake. What is behind the social media video?
The sensational clip is not made in the context of the current war in Eastern Europe.
The video is uploaded to YouTube in 2017, years before the current conflict. Old videos are always being taken out of context to spread fake news.
Arabic is spoken in the original video – which is a clear indication that the clip is not from Ukraine. But in the currently circulating version of the clip, this original sound track has been replaced with music. Apparently to cover up the manipulation. The clip probably comes from Syria.
The case shows how easily old videos can be taken out of context in the context of current events. A clip from 2017 becomes a supposedly current war video. But in the end a fake, no matter how good or convincing it is made, is always a fake.
How do we check videos for manipulation in the editorial office? It is important to look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We take a close look at each image and enlarge individual sections. Indications of a fake are, for example: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or editing errors. The general rule at stern is: Seriousness before speed. We always double-check facts and material thoroughly before publishing them. For this we work with the cross-editorial “Team Verification” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, Radio NRW.