Get PolitiFact in your inbox.

Yacob Reyes
By Yacob Reyes February 25, 2022

Video of standoff between soldiers in Ukraine is from 2014

Footage of soldiers firing shots into the air as hundreds of unarmed people march toward an airbase in Belbek, Crimea, is being shared on TikTok as Russia invades Ukraine. 

"Ukrainian and Russian soldiers face off in big battle border," one post sharing the footage wrote. 

"#Ukrainian and #Ryssland Soldiers face to face," another post said. 

This footage was posted over 12 times on TikTok and viewed on the platform more than 20 million times as of Feb. 25. But it does not show a scene from the Russian invasion. It is seven years old. BBC News Turkey shared the footage on Youtube on March 4, 2014.

Featured Fact-check

According to the BBC article, the video depicts pro-Russian troops who seized an airbase firing "warning shots" to prevent some 300 unarmed Ukrainian soldiers from approaching. 

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

The tense standoff occurred as Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

We rate claims that the footage depicts the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine False.

Our Sources

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Yacob Reyes

Video of standoff between soldiers in Ukraine is from 2014

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up