Fact check: Video shows South Korean rocket launch, not UFO in Poland

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
·2 min read
1

The claim: Video shows UFO shot down in Poland

A Feb. 16 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a twisted trail of smoke behind an object in the night sky.

"The air force shoots down a UFO in Poland. Seen by many witnesses. What do you think of this footage?" reads the post's caption.

The post was liked more than 6,000 times in six days. A similar post on Twitter was retweeted more than 2,000 times.

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Our rating: False

The video is miscaptioned. It shows an unannounced test of a solid-fueled rocket launched by South Korea's military on Dec. 30, 2022.

Video shows test launch by South Korean military

The test launch triggered hundreds of reports from residents of a suspicious flying object and strange lights across the country, according to the Associated Press.

South Korea's Defense Ministry, which described the launch as a success, said in a statement on Twitter that the purpose of the test was "to strengthen national defense capabilities in the field of independent space-based surveillance and reconnaissance."

A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. North Korea has fired a pair of short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Monday, South Korea's military said, two days after the North resumed testing activities with an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

"Prior to the flight test, measures were taken for airspace and maritime safety related to the launch route, but due to military security issues, it was not possible to report to all citizens in advance," the ministry said in a follow-up tweet.

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The ministry later shared multiple videos of the launch on social media.

A photo by the AP shows the same light and trail of smoke seen in the post.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment.

Reuters also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video shows South Korean rocket launch, not UFO in Poland