Cell phone video recorded in what is most likely a training event held by the Ukrainian military shows a rocketeer making a direct hit on a probable training target. It's being passed around the internet as combat footage.

Hey guys, just a quick word. If you're getting a good amount of your combat footage from Reddit and Telegram, you need to be wary of footage like this that's circulating over there. We don't often use Reddit as a source, however we do often check there for corroborating reports, as individuals in Ukraine are actively using the platform to talk about their experiences. That said, this is one of the primary reasons we don't use it heavily as a source.

This video is being plastered all over Reddit today, and it's being captioned as Ukrainian Soldiers destroying a Russian tank. Truth be told, this is more than likely a live fire training exercise. I've personally seen hundreds of rockets impact with their targets, and it's not too hard to tell the difference between a kinetic strike on armor versus a kinetic strike on a berm covered in tires. This video falls firmly into the category of a live fire rocket hitting a berm.

Your key indicator is the puff of dark cloudy smoke, which indicates the rocket detonated primarily on dirt. When a rocket hits armor, the smoke is usually white, and there's often visible fire. On top of that, the burning material of the armor itself can usually be seen long after the rocket has made its impact, and in this video we can see that the dust cloud caused by the rocket impacting with the dirt is already beginning to dissipate.

I understand people's urgency to make everything look like a Ukrainian victory, however this doesn't do anyone on the ground in Ukraine any favors. If the world thinks Ukraine is absolutely stomping a mud hole in Russian forces, then there's really no more need for lethal aid to be sent. The reality on the ground however is quite different, the Ukrainian people are fighting a war of attrition which they stand little chance of winning without support from the rest of the world. Rephrasing or retitling videos to garnish imaginary points on the internet doesn't do you any good, and it certainly doesn't help out the situation on the ground in Ukraine. So please, call these people out when you see them.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.