Following the Venezuelan-affiliated Tanker Reportedly Pursued by American Maritime Authorities
Emma Pengelly
Image source
A uniquely yellow-fronted apartment block in the background helped us verify the footage.
We are verifying video footage and photographs circulated earlier today that depict the scene of a reported vehicle-borne explosive explosion that authorities in Russia say fatally injured a senior soldier in Moscow.
Russian authorities stated that Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov was inside the car that detonated and that he later died of his injuries. A probe is currently ongoing.
The initial step to verify the site from which the pictures originated was based on social media reports indicating the blast happened on Yasenevaya Street in the southern district of the Russian capital.
We used street-view imagery on digital map platforms and the Russian search engine Yandex to match the distinctive yellow colour of a nearby apartment building captured in the video.
Locating other buildings, streetlights and the street layout verified the exact location the footage were captured.
We also checked that the video clips were recent and that the images had not been digital alteration.
