Emma Pengelly
Image source
The distinctive yellow-colored apartment block in the background assisted us verify the footage.
We are checking images and video posted earlier today that depict the aftermath of a reported car bomb blast that Russian officials say fatally injured a high-ranking military officer in Moscow.
Officials in Russia confirmed that Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov was inside the car that detonated and that he later died of his injuries. An investigation is under way.
Our starting point to verify the location of where the pictures originated was based on posts saying the explosion occurred on Yasenevaya Street in the southern part of the Russian capital.
We used panoramic mapping services on digital map platforms and the local mapping service Yandex to corroborate the unique yellow colour of a nearby apartment building captured in the footage.
Identifying additional buildings, lamp-posts and the street layout confirmed the exact location the footage were taken.
Additionally, we verified that the videos were recent and that the visuals had not undergone digital alteration.
A seasoned software engineer with a passion for open-source projects and tech education.
