How ABC News' Visual Verification team authenticates photos and videos from Ukraine conflict

In the first few days of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a dramatic video purported to show an heroic Ukrainian fighter pilot shooting down a Russian jet.

The problem was that it was completely fake. ABC News tracked the creator, who confirmed that it was made from a very realistic-looking flight simulator game called DCS that allows for cinematic footage to be captured.

With both sides pushing propaganda and social media platforms that are designed to elevate the most emotional and dramatic images, it's essential to be especially careful when verifying content from this war.

Below, we have outlined some of the internal fact-checks and processes that every image or video must pass before being published by ABC News.