Video Allegedly Showing Recent Attacks in Ukraine Is Actually From 2017

On June 21, 2026, a 19-second video was posted on X by @MesutUdaySaddam. The post claimed that the video showed Russia’s recent missile attacks on Ukraine on June 21 and the resulting explosions. The video has been viewed more than 81,300 times and has received 400 likes.

 

The video was investigated for authenticity because it contained elements that could suggest it was created using artificial intelligence. It was analyzed using Grok, Google SynthID, and HIVE Moderation tools. All three tools confirmed that the footage was real and not AI-generated. In other words, the video shared on X was determined to depict an actual event.

However, analyses by both Grok and Gemini indicate that the video does not show recent Russian attacks on Ukraine. Instead, it contains footage from an event that occurred in 2017 or earlier.

To determine the video’s actual time frame, it was further examined using Google’s reverse image search. This analysis revealed that the footage is from a fire and explosion that occurred on March 23, 2017, at a military ammunition depot in Balakliya, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

In conclusion, the video is not AI-generated and contains real footage. However, it does not depict the Russian missile attacks on Ukraine on June 21, 2026, as claimed. Presenting footage from a different event in 2017 as if it were current demonstrates that the content is misleading. This example illustrates that even authentic footage can be used for disinformation when it is shared with incorrect information about the date, location, or event.