Old footage from rap video used to claim Moscow Crocus City Hall attack was staged

By: Christian Haag
March 26 2024

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Video used to falsely claim that the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack was staged. (Source: X/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Context

Following the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow, a video is circulating that has been used to claim that the attack was staged. The viral video has no sound and shows a truck full of body bags. The camera zooms in on one of the bags, showing a person smoking a cigarette.

However, the clip is from a music video and has repeatedly been fact-checked since the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In fact

Using reverse image search, we found that the video originates from a Russian TikTok account called Vasya Ivanov Design. The footage, uploaded on March 28, 2021, shows the same footage but with rap music. The video description reads, "Husky music clip filming - Never Ever." Husky, whose real name is Dmitri Kuznetsoz, is a Russian rapper whose songs mock the Russian regime and authorities. In 2018, he was sentenced to 12 days in jail for hooliganism after he performed a song on top of a car in Krasnodar following his concert being canceled. 

Comparison between the viral video and Ivanov’s production video. (Source: X/TikTok/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Searching for "Husky - Never Ever" in Russian leads to the music video, which was published on September 26, 2020. The video description features Vasya Ivanov as a "Production Designer." The TikTok account has only published videos from February 22, 2021, to May 6, 2021, which could explain why the TikTok videos showing the production are younger than the actual music video. 

Ivanov has uploaded several videos showing the backstage production of the music video, which correlates with Husky’s music video. 

Image of body bags being lifted with a crane during the music video at timestamp 2:09 compared to the body bags being added to the building in behind the scenes video at timestamp 0:01.(Source: YouTube/TikTok/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Footage of the truck with bodybags at the end of the music video at timestamp 2:24 compared to the body bags being arranged on the truck in the behind the scenes production video. (Source: YouTube/TikTok/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

The footage has been fact-checked several times before and was alleged to show crisis actors having died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fake Ukrainian casualties after a Russian attack.

Verdict

The viral video claiming to prove that the Crocus City Hall attack was staged actually depicts the production of a music video for the song "Never Ever" by Russian Rapper Husky. It is not related to the terrorist attack in Moscow. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.