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Fact-Check: This Video of Jets 'Bombing' Paris Is Generated Using CGI

We found that the video was released by Ukraine in a bid to urge other countries to impose a no-fly zone.

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A video that shows a woman posing near the Eiffel Tower before jets can be seen flying and bombing the area is going viral on the internet as a recent incident that took place in France.

(More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.)

What is the truth?: The video can be traced back to March 2022 and has been generated using computer-generated imagery (CGI) tools.

  • It was released by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine's official Twitter handle.

  • The post requested other countries to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine in a bid to prevent Russian attacks.

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What led us to the truth?: On performing a Google Lens search on several keyframes of the video, we came across a news report published on Forbes.

  • The report carried the same visual and was headlined, "Ukraine’s Promotion Of Fake Paris Bombing Video Highlights Risks Of Misinformation."

  • It mentioned that the viral video which showed Paris under attack was fake.

  • While it is not clear where the video originated from, it was being shared by the Ukrainian government and media outlets to request the closing of Ukraine's airspace.

  • It further said that according to experts, the dissemination of the fake video might be dangerous.

  • The report also linked to the tweet posted by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

  • It was longer than the viral video and carried texts that said, "Just think if this were to happen in another European capital." It ended with a quote from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Other sources: Newsweek published a similar report on their website and added that Ukraine's Defense Ministry released the edited video in a bid to urge North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

  • However, NATO members have refused to comply with Ukraine's request fearing an escalation of the war.

  • Al Jazeera had too shared the video on their YouTube channel where they termed it as "simulated video."

Recent update on France: The riots in the country have reportedly calmed down after mayors called for rallies to protest against the violence and looting, BBC reported.

  • It said that the violence has reduced and fewer arrests were made.

  • Violence and riots gripped parts of France after a 17-year-old was shot dead by the police.

  • The victim's grandmother recently appealed for calm and asked protestors to end violence.

Conclusion: Neither the video is recent nor does it show any real incident of jets bombing the regions near the Eiffel Tower.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)

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