Russia has officially invaded Ukraine, starting a needless war that has the potential to cause extreme human suffering and create millions of refugees. But don’t believe everything you see on the internet right now, especially if you’re checking social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
The photos and videos coming out of Ukraine are harrowing, with the country’s border stations destroyed by Russian troops, Ukraine’s airports under fire, and Russian missiles landing in Kyiv. But not everything being shared on social media at the moment is trustworthy.
In fact, Gizmodo has found at least ten viral photos and videos currently being spread on social media that are completely fake. In some cases, the videos and photos are years old. In others, the images are clearly not from Ukraine. There are even two examples of videos on Twitter today that are actually from war-themed video games, something Russian state media has previously tried to do on multiple occasions.
We’ve got a round-up of fake photos and videos we’ve found so far, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine still very much in its infancy. Nobody knows how long this invasion will last. But however long that may be, you can bet on one thing: There will be plenty more fake photos and videos passed around online before this conflict is over.
