A Christmas short video spreading on Russia's pro-government Telegram channels depicted the country's air defense system shooting down Santa Claus as he entered Moscow airspace.
The clip surfaced on Russian social media, including Telegram and VK, just hours after Russia was accused of being involved in the crash of an airplane in Kazakhstan, which killed 38 people.
Newsweek contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment on this story via email.
Why It Matters
The video, told from the perspective of officers working in the Russian air defense system, says that "we don't need anything foreign in our skies," as the nation continues the war in Ukraine.
Russia has suffered from increasingly long-ranged attacks from the air as Ukraine has escalated its retaliation this year, with missile strikes on Russian soil and drone attacks in urban areas all becoming part of the war.
What To Know
In the video, Santa can be seen flying over Moscow, speaking English to Russians. He is then shot down by a missile that explodes into Christmas fireworks.
Father Frost, a Russian version of Santa dressed in a traditional blue winter coat, is then seen praising the efforts of Russian military officers, before wishing the country a happy New Year.
The video was published on December 27, two days after Russia was accused by Azerbaijani intelligence of firing missiles at a civilian passenger plane, forcing it to crash land in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people in the process.
France-based outlet Euronews reported on Thursday that a Russian missile caused the crash, according to Azerbaijani government sources, who said the missile was fired during drone activity above Chechnya.
Russia has not yet made any comment on the plane crash, which was carrying several Russian citizens.
What People Are Saying
The character of a Russian air defense officer, played by Russian actor Dmitry Melnikov, said in the advert: "That's it, the target has been destroyed. We don't need anything foreign in our skies. Happy New Year."
Melnikov later said that he was not able to name the authors of the video due to an NDA agreement.
Jeffrey Fischer, a former U.S. Air Force colonel, reshared the video on X, formerly Twitter, adding: "Because human life is worthless to Russians, shooting down Santa (and Azeri Air) is funny. A holiday video circulating Moscow."
What Happens Next
An investigation into the airliner crash is being carried out by several countries in the area, including Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, along with Brazil, which will use the plane's black box to identify what caused the crash. Azerbaijani politicians have called on Russia to pay reparations to those affected by the crash.
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