|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Claim: A Facebook user claimed that Ukraine had attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Verdict: True. The Sun and The Express confirmed an assassination attempt was made on President Vladimir Putin, but the explosion affected only one of his cars.
Full Text
Negotiations between the United States (US) and Russia have commenced in Saudi Arabia to put an end to the three-year-long Ukrainian-Russian war, which has claimed the lives of millions.
The negotiations came after the US talks with the Ukrainian government, part of President Donald Trump’s plan to ensure a ceasefire between the two warring countries.
Meanwhile, a Facebook user (Alhaji Abdulrahman Shakundum) posted a video in which he claimed that Ukraine had attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin in his car.
The viral video—with a Hausa caption—“Ku taya Putin da addu a,” meaning “pray for Putin”—shows an Aurus Limousine engulfed in fire as people nearby make concerted efforts to put out the flames.
As of Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the claim had garnered 1,000 likes, 59 comments, and 138 shares.
In the comment section, some Facebook users expressed relief that the 13-year-old ruling president was still alive despite the fire eruption.
“By God willing, he is alive,” Muhammad Alfa wrote.
“This is America’s work, not Ukraine; they used the peace talks as a way of stabbing him in the back,” Abdul Yusuf opposed.
Recently, a claim submitted to the DUBAWA chatbot questioning the veracity of an alleged assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin prompted DUBAWA to investigate the story.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a Google keyword search to identify the source of the information and discovered that The Sun and The Express published the viral video on March 29, 2025. The news outlets reported an explosion involving Putin’s limousine in Moscow.
The Sun reported that nearby footage revealed that the fire had started from the engine and moved to the interior of the E275,000 Aurus Senat. Upon the fire’s outburst, workers in the neighbourhood restaurants and bars tried to salvage the situation.
Hindustan Times also reported the incident.
This is not the first time the Russian ruler has been a target of assassination. Putin himself had disclosed that he had survived several assassination attempts in the past.
Conclusion
The Facebook user’s claim is true. Credible news outlets have confirmed the incident.
