Support The Moscow Times!

The Internet Is Accusing Putin of Using U.S. Footage to Boast About Russia's Airforce

Researchers from the Conflict Intelligence Team have already compared the controversial footage.

Edelveis Ararat / YouTube

If you're a fan of a certain President Putin, then you've probably seen at least some of U.S. director Oliver Stone's latest project: "The Putin Interviews."

Stone, who has shrugged off accusations that the documentary all but fawns over its subject, spent days in the heart of the Kremlin to make the documentary. Stone followed the Russian president's every step.

Stone quizzed Putin on Russia's response to a number of global problems, including the ongoing war in Syria.

In one scene, Putin appears to proffer his own mobile phone, showing Stone footage of the Russian military's work in the area. "This is what our airforce is doing," he says. 

You can see the full moment here at 49 minutes and 10 seconds:

The clip caught the attention of a number of eagle-eyed viewers, who said that they had seen the footage before.

They claim that the video isn't Russian at all, but this footage of a U.S. military helicopter in Afghanistan shown below.

Researchers from the Conflict Intelligence Team, a Russian non-profit organization, have already compared the U.S. footage with that from Stone’s documentary. They appear to be almost identical.

Key differences include the fact that Putin's version appears to have Russian-language audio: but copies of the video with Russian pilot chatter does exist on YouTube.

Some have speculated that the audio appears to be a recorded conversation between Ukrainian pilots during military operations over Donetsk. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed the claims as "complete nonsense." Oliver Stone is yet to comment.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more