Emma Pengelly
Image source
The distinctive yellow-colored apartment block in the background helped us verify the footage.
We are checking images and video circulated earlier today that depict the scene of a alleged vehicle-borne explosive explosion that authorities in Russia say killed a high-ranking soldier in Moscow.
Russian authorities stated that Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov was in the vehicle that detonated and that he later died to his injuries. An investigation is currently ongoing.
Our starting point to verify the site of where the pictures originated was based on posts saying the explosion occurred on Yasenevaya Ulitsa in the southern part of the capital city of Russia.
We used panoramic mapping services on digital map platforms and the local mapping service Yandex to corroborate the distinctive yellow hue of a nearby residential complex captured in the footage.
Locating additional structures, streetlights and the road configuration verified the exact location the pictures were captured.
Additionally, we verified that the video clips were recent and that the visuals had not undergone digital alteration.