FACT CHECK: Image Claims To Show Aftermath Of Recent Ukrainian Attack

A post shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, claims to show a satellite image of the aftermath of the recent Ukrainian strike in Crimea.

BELBEK STRIKE /PRELIMINARY/ Overhead imagery reveals blast and fire effected multiple aircraft at the Russian Naval Air Station at Belbek in occupied Crimea. Damage to Su-30 and Su-24 strike fighters is evident, as well as damage to at least two other aircraft, type… pic.twitter.com/Mp7uq8fB9I

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) September 21, 2023

Verdict: False

The image is from an August 2022 Ukrainian attack.

Fact Check:

Ukraine struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, according to The Wall Street Journal. It comes as Ukraine has hit Russian targets in the Crimea, the outlet reported.

Social media users have been sharing a satellite image, claiming it shows the aftermath of the recent Ukrainian strike on the Belbek airbase. Chuck Prfarrer, a former Navy SEAL, was one of the most prominent to share it.

“Overhead imagery reveals blast and fire effected multiple aircraft at the Russian Naval Air Station at Belbek in occupied Crimea. Damage to Su-30 and Su-24 strike fighters is evident, as well as damage to at least two other aircraft, type undetermined,” Pfarrer’s tweet reads.

However, through a reverse image and keyword search, Check Your Fact found that the image is from an earlier Ukrainian attack on Saki airbase in August 2022. The image was published by a Ukrainian website. (RELATED: Russia Today Headline Claiming Prigozhin’s Pilot Had Post-Vaccine Myocarditis Is Fabricated)

Russian aviation at the Saki air base on August 10, 2022, after the explosions. Crimea, Ukraine. Photo credits: MAXAR,” reads the image description. The image roughly matches an image published by CNN, which obtained the image from Planet Labs. 

Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the Saki airbase attack, though Kyiv said nine airplanes were destroyed, according to The Guardian. Anonymous Ukrainian officials have also claimed responsibility for the attack, Yahoo News reported.

Check Your Fact asked Pfarrer for comment via a Twitter reply to his post and will update this article if a response is provided.

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