A video shared on Facebook claims Ukrainian forces destroyed 450 “armored” Russian ships.
Verdict: False
The Ukrainian military has claimed to have destroyed 15 Russian warships in total. There is no evidence 450 ships have been destroyed in total
Fact Check:
The Ukrainian military launched its counteroffensive to retake occupied territories in the south, according to Reuters. Ukrainian artillery strikes also hit Russian ships with attacks on its Black Sea headquarters and naval aviation bases earlier in August, CNBC reported.
The Facebook video, viewed more than 23,000 times, claims the Ukrainians destroyed hundreds of Russian Ships as the war has progressed. “Ukrainian Army Destroyed 450 Armored Russian Ships! RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR | NEWS,” the video’s caption claims.
The claim is baseless. Credible media outlets have not reported the Ukrainians have destroyed hundreds of Russian ships. Neither the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense or the Russian government have released any announcements about the destruction of a large number of Russian ships. (RELATED: Did The Ukrainian Navy Destroy 13 Russian Warships In One Strike?)
Oryx, an open-source analysis website that tracks military losses in various conflicts, has visually confirmed that a total of 11 Russian naval vessels have been destroyed or damaged since the start of the conflict in February. The Ukrainian military has claimed to have destroyed 15 Russian ships as of Aug. 30, according to The Kyiv Independent, which has remained unchanged since Aug. 18.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Aug. 30, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/gvvvxV7EU3
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 30, 2022
Check Your Fact has repeatedly debunked claims around Russian naval losses in Ukraine. Recently, Check Your Fact debunked a claim that the entire Russian Black Sea Fleet had been sunk by the Ukrainian military.