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| - Fact Check: This video of failed fighter aircraft take-off is old and not from Russia
The aircraft belonged to the Belarusian airforce and the incident occurred in Bobruisk city.
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India Today Fact Check
This video dates back to February 2017 and is from Belarus. The accident occurred during military training by the Belorussian air forces.
A video showing a failed take-off by a fighter aircraft has been circulating on social media, with claims suggesting it was a mishap involving the Russian Air Force.
The video begins with the aircraft accelerating on the runway. However, as it attempts to lift off, its landing gears retract, causing the tail to scrape against the runway. The aircraft eventually catches fire due to heavy friction. Despite the harrowing situation, the pilot managed to save himself by ejecting safely.
While posting the video on social media platforms, many users claimed the incident was from Russia and questioned its Air Force's competence. A user wrote, "Top Gun: Russia. Either Russia is running out of qualified pilots or they're having another go at the ekranoplane."
Others shared this video on X with a caption that read, "Russia ripping off the Houthis now."
India Today Fact Check found that the video is six years old and not from Russia.
OUR PROBE
A reverse search of a keyframe from the video led us to an article published on The Aviationist website, dated July 15, 2017.
According to the report, the incident involved a MiG-29BM Fulcrum belonging to the Belarusian airforce and occurred in Bobruisk, Belarus on Feb. 27, 2017.
With subsequent searches, we came across several news reports that featured screengrabs from the mishap, corroborating the details of the incident. The Mirror UK report highlighted that the MiG-29 caught fire during military training conducted by the Belorussian air forces at an airfield in Bobruisk, Belarus.
A report from The Sun quoted local sources indicating that the fire likely started in the engine, although no official confirmation regarding the cause was provided. The report also added that the pilot emerged unscathed. Nearly five months after the incident, in July 2017, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense officially acknowledged the accident and announced the commencement of an investigation.
It is worth noting that MiG fighter aircraft are of Russian origin and are used by several countries including India, Ukraine, and Germany for air combat. The viral video doesn’t show a mishap involving the Russian Air Force but rather an incident from Belarus in February 2017.
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