Scenes from an ARMA-3 video game shared as Ukrainian FGM 148 javelin missile attack on Russian tanks!

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now run into almost eight months. Despite Russia boasting of superior military power, Ukrainians have managed to stage an intense fight back and challenge the Russians, along with the military support of western countries.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been a prominent topic on international media and social media networks. Several footages get shared claiming to be scenes of intense fighting. However, some clips are unrelated to the ongoing battles, and here is our investigation of such a misleading video.

Social Media Posts

“Ukraine is hunting Russian tanks with American FGM - 148 Javelin missile. Have to see to believe it” was the caption given to a clip viral on Facebook, depicting scenes of several tankers being bombarded by missiles, as seen below.

Facebook

These videos were viral on Facebook.

And viral on WhatsApp too.

We decided to do a fact-check on these.

Fact Check

First, we used the Invid-We Verify tool and found the original video related to the viral clip.

The video was posted to YouTube on July 20, titled, “Ukraine NLAW Anti-Tank Missile Destroyed 2 Russian Tanks - Arma 3 Game (Military Simulation).”

The description of the YouTube channel says, “All Military Simulations are created in the video game ARMA-3. All events in my videos are fictitious! All videos are recorded and edited by me personally.”

The video shows five tanks driving up a road before it zooms in on a scene in which a missile shoots the front tank at the 2:35 mark, matching the first scene in the viral social media posts, as seen below.

Archived

The YouTube version is more extended and higher resolution than the clip-on social media, and it is evident that the footage is computer generated. The explosions from the missile do not look natural, and the terrain visible in other parts of the YouTube version is also obviously CGI.

The fact checks over the same issue done by Reuters and AP can be read here and here.

Also Read: ARMA-3 Video Game Visuals Shared As Israel’s Air Defense System Footage

We also came across media reports that the USA had supplied Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) to Ukraine, and here is a statement that states, according to documents leaked on Russian social media, that these missiles have a poor hit-to-miss ratio, range, and technical malfunctions.

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Conclusion

Our investigation found that the viral video does not depict FGM 148 javelin missile attacking Russian war tanks. The footage is computer-generated and depicts only a scene from an ARMA 3 video game.