Claim: A user on Twitter claims the picture of a burning inflight jet was that of the 6th Russian aircraft downed by Ukraine.
The claim showcasing the picture of a burning inflight jet that was alleged to be the 6th Russian aircraft downed by Ukraine is false. The picture has been online since 2014 and has featured on different websites, under different narratives. This claim is false.
Full Text
Lately, the Russian/ Ukrainian tensions have been the major news headlines across the world. Like most prominent topics, this also has made its way to the social media sphere and users have been sharing multiple reports that have attracted mass attention.
A typical example of such a narrative is a tweet made by Illia Ponomarenko (@AIPonomarenko) where he reportedly shared a picture of an inflight burning jet as the 6th Russian aircraft downed by Ukraine.’
The post attracted over 12,000 reactions, and was retweeted over 3,000 times since its appearance online. Multiple comments shared on the post suggest most users believed the claim. However, others argued that it was not true.
Claims made during crises can escalate tensions and sometimes even heighten the reality of the situation. As such, Dubawa opts to confirm this claim.
Verification
A Yandex reverse image search showed the image was featured in a 2014 news report by Khoiro Ummah news. The report details how ‘Al-Qassam successfully Shoots Israeli F-16 Fighter Plane,’ using the image to support the context.
Similarly, the Islamic Republic News Agency in 2018 featured the same picture in a news report, with the headline: ‘Syria shoots down Israel’s jet fighter.’
Again, the Mehr News Agency also used the same picture in a news report that dates back to 2018. Like the other two websites, this one also had a different headline that says: ‘Saudi jet fighter downed by Yemenis.’
Apparently, the alleged picture of the burning in-flight jet seems to have been used by different sources and for different reasons for some years. Nonetheless, while its true source could not be ascertained, it can be confirmed that the image has long existed before the start of the recent Russian/Ukrainian tensions.
Conclusion
While the Russian/Ukrainian tensions might have been a source of diverse speculations, the picture of the alleged inflight burning aircraft is not from the Russian/Ukrainian frictions.
