No, a Ukrainian attack didn’t destroy a Moscow skyscraper

There’s the war in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country, and then there are skirmishes to control the narrative. 

A video shared on Facebook on July 4 under the label "RUSSIA VS UKRAINE today" shows a black smoke plume at the top of a skyscraper. It suggests that Ukraine is taking the war into Russia. 

"GIANT EXPLOSION IN MOSCOW," a description of the video says. "Putin Panics. Horrible Attack Destroys Skyscraper in Moscow. State of Emergency Declared....."

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We found the same footage in a July 4 article on the website of the British tabloid the Daily Express. While the headline describes a fire at a "huge Moscow tower block" as a "Putin nightmare," it doesn’t say the incident was an attack or connected to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

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"Fire broke out on the roof of the mammoth but yet unfinished Capital Towers building that is around 300m high and has 66 floors," the story says, citing local reports. "Scaffolding caught fire at the top of the massive building." 

But the unfinished building wasn’t destroyed, the Express says. "The fire was put out before the fire brigade arrived, with only scaffolding burned, according to the Tass news agency in Russia, citing various sources."

A Polish news organization, also citing the Tass agency, said "the fire affected one square meter of space."

We didn’t see any credible reports tying the fire to a Ukrainian attack, or any attack. 

We rate this post False.