Does a viral video really show the destruction of "40 Russian strategic bombers" of type TU-95 destroyed by a "daring Ukrainian FPV-drone swarm raid"? No, that's not true: This particular viral social media footage originates from the video game ARMA3. It does not depict the actual drone strikes reported on by worldwide media on June 1, 2025.
The video (archived here) appeared on TikTok on June 1, 2025 as part of a multi-part series.published by an account named "theusmilitarynews.132" with following caption on the video:
40 RUSSIAN STRATEGIC Bombers TU-95 Destroyed in Daring Ukrainian FPV-Drone Swarm Raid
Part 6
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Jun 2 09:07:40 2025 UTC)
@theusmilitarynews.132 ♬ original sound - theusmilitarynews.132
The video appeared to be related to an actual drone strike that took place on June 1, 2025 and which appears to have destroyed or damaged several strategic bomber aircraft.
However "Part 1" of the video series (archived here) featured some footage that looked like it was filmed directly from a drone:
(Screenshot by Lead Stories)
The display elements and the metal wires in the video looked exactly like those featured in some video game footage found on YouTube (archived here) that showed the game "Arma 3":
"Arma 3" is a video game that is often used to deceive social media users into thinking that footage from its gameplay is from a real conflict. Bohemia Interactive, the company that developed the game, issued a statement that helps social media users determine whether online videos are legitimate conflict footage or footage of "Arma 3" gameplay (archived here). The statement says that, among other features, such footage "Often takes place in the dark / at night" and has "Unnatural particle effects" in its depictions of explosions. These are qualities found in the footage in question. The statement also notes how the game can easily be modified, which may contribute to its use in misinformation:
Arma 3 is more than just a military simulation game, it is a unique open sandbox platform. The original game takes place in the middle of a futuristic fictional conflict in 2035. A pillar of the Arma series, however, is how open the games are to user customization and user-generated content (modding). Modders can create whole new terrains, ground vehicles, aircraft, weapons, uniforms, equipment, and scenarios. They can then share their creations with a community of players. For instance, as of today, there are more than 20.000 Arma 3 mods available to download via the Steam Workshop. This means that players of Arma 3 can recreate and simulate any historic, present, or future conflict in great detail (thanks to its advanced game engine). This unique freedom of the Arma 3 platform comes with a downside: videos taken from Arma 3, especially when the game is modified, are quite capable of spreading fake news.
