No, this video does not show a NATO strike on Moscow
A video circulating widely on social media claims to show NATO forces striking Moscow at night, in what users have described as an "escalation" and an attempt by the Western alliance to start a "nuclear war".
Users claim, without evidence, that the strike occurred earlier this month, on the eve of the 2 June peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in the Turkish capital of Istanbul.
Known US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones shared the false claim on his X account, garnering more than 2 million views.
"NATO is openly trying to start a nuclear war with Russia. Moscow is under attack again. The night before the peace talks," Jones wrote.
Euroverify detected the unfounded allegations spreading on Facebook, TikTok and X in at least five European languages.
We used a reverse image search to identify the origin of the video, and found that it has been available since December 2023.
A closer analysis found that it shows an attack by Ukraine's air forces on a Russian warship known as Novocherkassk in the port of Feodosia in Crimea, which Russia occupied and unilaterally annexed in 2014.
One person was killed in that attack and several others injured, according to media reports.
The footage corresponds to Euronews' reporting of that event on 26 December 2023.
The misrepresentation of the video comes amid increasing disinformation about Russia's war in Ukraine.
Targeted disinformation operations aimed at undermining the credibility of the NATO Alliance are also on the rise.
NATO troops have not directly engaged in any military activity as part of Russia's war in Ukraine, but do supply Ukrainian armed forces with military equipment and arms, including long-range missiles.
At least two people were killed and 60 wounded in Kharkiv after Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack across Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said.
'Seventeen strikes by enemy UAVs were carried out within just 10 minutes in two districts of the city this night,' Kharkiv's Mayor Igor Terekhov said.
More than 15 apartments were on fire in a five-storey building and several houses were hit. 'There may be people trapped under the rubble," Terekhov added.
The strikes caused widespread destruction in the Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts of Kharkiv, hitting apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, industrial sites and public transport.
'Those are ordinary sites of peaceful life — those that should never be targeted,' Terekhov wrote on Telegram, as Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov said that nine children aged between 2 and 15 were among the injured.
Emergency crews, municipal workers and volunteers worked through the night to extinguish fires, rescue residents from burning homes, and restore gas, electricity and water services to the area.
Images from the scene published by Ukraine's Emergency Service on Telegram showed burning apartments, shattered windows and firefighters battling the blaze.
Ukraine's Air Forces said Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on Wednesday with 85 Shahed-type drones and decoy UAVs, which targeted the northeastern city and other areas.
Air defence systems managed to neutralise 49 drones, intercepting 40 and jamming nine more with electronic warfare.
Separately, the death toll from a wave of Russian strikes Tuesday morning on Kyiv and Odesa rose to at least three and another 13 wounded after Moscow attacked the areas with drones and missiles.
A maternity ward and residential buildings were among civilian targets hit, according to Odesa's regional head Oleh Kiper.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced frustration about the lack of response from the US and other countries over the recent escalation of Russian attacks, including a record 419 Russian drones which were launched at Ukraine on Monday night.
"Russian missile and Shahed strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace," the Ukrainian leader posted on X on Tuesday morning.
For yet another night, instead of a ceasefire, there were massive strikes with Shahed drones, cruise and ballistic missiles."
Zelenskyy said 250 of the drones were Shaheds, and two of the seven missiles were of 'North Korean production'.
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