Fact Check: Beirut blast video shared as Russian missile attack on Ukrainian port

Hyderabad: A 1.54-minute video showing several massive explosions is going viral on social media, with users claiming that it shows four Russian missile attacks on the port of Odesa in Ukraine.

NewsMeter received the video on its WhatsApp tipline number (7482830440) for its verification. The text along with the video read, “The port of Odessa, Ukraine, was hit by four Russian missiles that hit two British cargo ships that were just below the ground, triggering a massive EXPLOSION. Brits ship carrying high explosives to Ukraine! (sic)”

A Facebook user also shared the first 30 seconds of the same video claiming the same.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the video shows explosions in Beirut, Lebanon, not Russian missile attacks on Ukraine.

On performing a reverse image search of the first few frames of the video, we found a 37-second-long video showing similar visuals published by Al Arabiya English on August 9, 2020, titled “Beirut explosion seen from the top of a building.” According to the description, two explosions had ripped through Beirut’s port.

In the subsequent frames, we noticed a board reading Maverick’s Cafe Bar and Dog Palace, suggesting the video was shot near a pet cafe. On performing a reverse image search of this frame, we found a video showing similar visuals, tweeted by a user on August 5, 2020.

The user mentioned in the caption that the video shows explosions from the Dog Palace Lebanon and the Maverick’s Cafe. He also said, “We are all fine and also our dogs are ok.”

An Aljazeera report said that a massive explosion on August 4, 2020, in the Port of Beirut ripped through Lebanon’s capital, killing 218 people, injuring 7,000 and leaving 300,000 displaced. It also mentioned that a fire caused the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which had been improperly stored at the Beirut port warehouse for six years.

Hence, we conclude that the viral video shows explosions at the Beirut port in Lebanon, not the Russian missile attack in Ukraine. The claim is false.