FACT CHECK: Video Claims Ukraine Shot Down A Russian Drone Over Kyiv

A video shared on Facebook claims Ukraine shot down a Russian drone over Kyiv on May 4, 2023.

Verdict: False

The drone was Ukrainian, not Russian. It was a Bayraktar TB2 drone that lost connection, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Fact Check:

Russia claimed Ukraine attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin with drones earlier this week, according to The Associated Press. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied the claim, the outlet reported.

The Twitter post, which shows a cut of two videos, claims that a Russian drone was shot down over Kyiv. The video’s caption reads, “Moment Russian drone attacking Kyiv was downed – drone burned and fell to the ground.”

The drone shot down over Kyiv on May 4, however, was Ukrainian. The Ukrainian Air Force said on its verified Facebook page that the drone shot down over Kyiv was a Bayraktar TB2 drone, which is operated by Ukraine. (RELATED: Did The Leaked Pentagon Documents Show Ukraine Suffered 71,000 Dead?)

“May 4 about 20 hours in the Kiev region, during the planned flight, lost control of bpla bayraktar TB2. Since the uncontrolled stay of BPLA in the skies of the capital could lead to unwanted consequences, the decision was made to apply mobile fire group calculations,” the post reads. “The target is destroyed! It’s a pity, but it’s a technique, and such cases happen. Probably a technical malfunction, the causes are being established.”

Ukraine Weapons Tracker, a Twitter account that tracks and analyzes the Russian-Ukrainian war, was one of the first to show that the drone shot down over Kyiv was Ukrainian, not Russian.

#Ukraine: A Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UCAV was shot down by a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile over Kyiv in an example of friendly fire. pic.twitter.com/r9m11PfXND

— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) May 4, 2023

“A Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UCAV was shot down by a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile over Kyiv in an example of friendly fire,” the account tweeted.

This is not the first time the Ukraine war has been used to spread misinformation online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video allegedly showing Ukrainian troops preparing a counteroffensive against Russian forces.