Russia-Ukraine War: These Videos of the Invasion Are Actually from the Middle East

• Russia-Ukraine War: These Videos of the Invasion Are Actually from the Middle East
  by Rayhan Uddin, https://www.middleeasteye.net/
  Misleading clips from Syria, Libya, Lebanon and Palestine go viral, as Facebook launches an investigation into misinformation
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  Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, social media has been awash with videos claiming to show the latest developments on the ground. At least 137 Ukrainians have been killed, including soldiers and civilians, as Moscow launched air strikes across its neighbouring country and Russian troops closed in on the capital Kyiv. 
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  As one of the most serious escalations in violence in recent European history, the war is playing out in real-time on digital platforms. But while social media has proven to be an invaluable source of information and live updates for many, it has also been a vehicle for spreading fake material.
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  Much of that has involved viral content purporting to show fighting between Russia and Ukraine, but actually coming from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Here, Middle East Eye takes a look at some of the misinformation spreading online, originating from the region:
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  Syria
  One particular video has been blamed for being a major source of fake news spreading online. It shows aerial footage from an unmanned vehicle precisely targetting and blowing up artillery, including tanks. Social media users claimed it was taking place at the Ukrainian border, near the Kharkiv region. The video was shared widely, most notably by one verified journalist. 
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  Several users replied to his tweet to clarify that the footage was in fact from two years ago, showing a Syrian government convoy being destroyed by Turkish Bayrakat TB2 drones in Maarat al-Numan, Idlib province. The original tweet has since been removed by Twitter.
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  Reports from March 2020 confirm that Turkish-made TB2 drones were being used by opposition forces in Idlib to target Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. Remarkably, the same footage was also shared on Facebook by Ukraine’s land forces official account, with the caption: “UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES RELEASED VIDEO WITH DESTRUCTION OF RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT Bayraktar TB2.”
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