Fact check: Viral clip shows 'Arma 3' video game, not war between Russia, Ukraine
The claim: A video shows war between Russia and Ukraine
As shelling by Russia-backed separatists continues in eastern Ukraine, the White House said in a Feb. 20 statement that Russia "appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon."
Online, some claim the conflict has already begun.
A video posted Feb. 20 on Facebook shows a flaming plane falling into a body of water. Then, the clip cuts to a rocket attack.
"Russia vs Ukraine war" reads the caption of the post, which racked up more than 3,700 views within a day.
Over the course of 12 minutes, the video shows a variety of military maneuvers involving planes, tanks and artillery. Similar clips have been viewed thousands of times on Facebook.
But the videos don't show the conflict in Ukraine, as independent fact-checking organizations have reported – they depict a video game called "Arma 3." As of Feb. 21, Russia had not invaded Ukraine.
More: Putin orders troops to two Ukraine regions after declaring their independence
USA TODAY reached out to social media users who shared the video for comment.
Clip shows video game
On Feb. 20, Warpig Gaming posted a video that he said showed a "Russsia (sic) War Exercise." The clip accumulated more than 47,000 views on Facebook.
But in a follow-up comment, the gaming video creator corrected the claim.
"THIS IS ARMA 3," Warpig Gaming wrote.
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"Arma 3" is an open-world, tactical-shooter video game that promises "true combat gameplay in a massive military sandbox." Players use tanks, planes, helicopters and a variety of weapons to defeat their opponents on realistic battlefields.
Warpig Gaming's 16-minute video contains many of the same clips shown in other posts, and USA TODAY found similar footage on YouTube. However, only the video creator's post alludes to the fact that the footage stems from "Arma 3."
This isn't the first time the video game has been used to promote misinformation online.
Fact check: Photo of woman holding rifle on bus not taken recently in Ukraine
In September 2021, Indian fact-checking organization BOOM debunked footage that claimed to show a Pakistani Air Force attack. Four months earlier, the Agence France-Presse debunked a video that claimed to show the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In both cases, the clips originated from "Arma 3."
USA TODAY reached out to Warpig Gaming for additional comment.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a video shows war between Russia and Ukraine. In fact, the video shows footage from "Arma 3," a military-style video game. Russia had not invaded Ukraine as of Feb. 21.
Our fact-check sources:
USA TODAY, Feb. 21, Putin orders troops to two Ukraine regions after declaring their independence
USA TODAY, Feb. 20, Biden may meet with Putin this week if Ukraine hasn't been invaded, White House says
Al Jazeera, Feb. 20, ‘They shoot, we hide’: Life amid shelling on Ukraine’s front line
Lead Stories, Feb. 17, Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Conflict Between Russia, Ukraine
Factly, Feb. 21, A gaming video is being shared as visuals of ‘Russia vs. Ukraine MiG-29 vs C- Ram Fight’
Arma 3, accessed Feb. 21, Features
Arma 3, accessed Feb. 21, Vehicles
Arma 3, accessed Feb. 21, Weapons
Poynter, May 2, 2018, Fake war videos are using footage from gamers on YouTube
Agence France-Presse, May 26, 2021, This footage does not show Israel’s air defense system -- it was mainly created from a video game
Boom Live, Sept. 6, 2021, Republic TV Runs Video Game Clip As Pakistani Airforce Attacking Panjshir
Warpig Gaming, Feb. 20, Facebook post
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: 'Arma 3,' not Russia/Ukraine conflict, shown in viral video