No, this video doesn’t show Russian ballistic missiles in Niger

Many TikTok and Facebook users in West Africa have been widely sharing a video (shown at right) that they say shows trucks transporting Russian "Satan 2" missiles (left) in Niger. However, the video actually shows trucks carrying storage tanks in the Republic of Congo. © Observers

A video reported to show trucks transporting Russian ballistic missiles in Niger has been widely circulating amongst West African Facebook and TikTok users since August 11. It turns out, however, that the video was filmed in the Republic of the Congo, not Niger, and shows trucks transporting storage tanks.

If you only have a minute

• A number of West African social media accounts have been sharing a video showing two trucks carrying large cylinders. The accounts claim that the cylinders are a type of Russian ballistic missile called "Satan 2".
• One of these videos has already garnered more than four million views on TikTok.
• However, in reality, the cylinders are not missiles – they are storage containers, likely for transporting oil. 
• Finally, the video was filmed in Congo, not Niger. 

The fact check, in detail

The video, first posted on TikTok on August 11, shows two trucks carrying enormous cylinders with red stars on them. The trucks are driving past a number of buildings. 

The audio – the sound of women crying and screaming – seems to have been added to the footage. First posted by an Ivorian TikTok account, the video has since garnered four million views. 

Text on the video in French reads: "Delivery of ballistic missiles to Niger, Satan 2 [Editor’s note: a type of extremely powerful intercontinental Russian missile] in Niger". 

The TikTok user who published this video on August 11 claims that it shows Russian "Satan 2" missiles being deployed in Niger. © TikTok

The video was picked up and shared by a Facebook account that often comments on news in West Africa. The account also seems to be in favour of the military coup that took place in Niger. Posted on August 11, the video has since been shared a thousand times. 

On August 11, the same video was picked up by a Facebook account. © Facebook

In the comments section, many people said the footage was likely fake. 

Many people who commented on the footage shared on TikTok on August 11 said that they thought the trucks were likely carrying water tanks (in French, citernes). © TikTok

No, this video doesn’t show 'Satan 2' missiles

While the red star on the tanks may look like a Russian symbol, we know that "Satan 2" missiles are not transported on the back of trucks like the ones shown in the video. The public got a glimpse of how Russia transports these missiles during tests carried out at the Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome back in 2018.

This video shows "Satan 2" missiles being transported to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in 2018. Russian Ministry of Defence

In this photo, you can see that the "Satan 2" missile, also known as "RS-28 Sarmat", is usually transported using a specialised vehicle. These same vehicles were on display during a military parade that took place on May 9, 2022.  

These vehicles don’t look anything like a semi-truck. Moreover, the exterior of the missile – which is khaki green and includes several metallic components – looks nothing like the objects in the video. 

In the first image (at left), there is no sign of the metal equipment visible on the actual missiles (at right). Nor is there any sign of the warhead shape or the khaki green protective covering. © Observers

Moreover, even when its khaki protective covering is removed, the missile doesn’t look like what is being transported on the trucks in this video. You can see the missile, without protection, in this Bloomberg video that shows a test of  "RS-28 Sarmat" that took place in April 2022.

But if this video doesn’t show a "Satan 2" missile, then what does it show?

Typical features of fuel storage tanks

At the top of the cylindrical objects being transported by the trucks, there are two rounded protuberances. 

In this screengrab, taken from the video, you can see two protuberances on either side of the cylinders. © TikTok

These are openings that allow for the liquid stored in the tanks to be pumped out. They are typical of liquid storage tanks that will be buried.

There are a number of different storage tanks used for storing oil. You can see that they are very similar to the cylinders that appear in the video: a cigar shape with two openings at the top. © Observers

The tanks, often made out of fibreglass or metal, are often used to store oil in liquid form. 

The shape of the last truck, which you can see in the upper section of the video, in the background, looks like the kind of truck used to transport oil, like the one shown in the photo below. © Observers

An employee at Sanergrid, a company that specialises in manufacturing this type of storage tank, shared these images with our team. 

The expert said that the video likely showed a subterranean containment pit or another type of oil storage container.  These containment pits are often used to hold pollutive liquids in case there is a spill from an electrical transformer. 

Video taken in Pointe-Noire, in the Republic of the Congo

Even though the video doesn’t show much of the location where it was filmed, there is enough to figure it out. At one point in the footage, you can see a blue-green wall in the background. Black letters on the wall spell out "Betsaleel". After that comes what looks like the beginning of the French word "maternelle", which could indicate a primary school (called an école maternelle in French).

During two short moments in the video, you can read the words on the blue-green wall. First, you can see the name "Betsaleel", followed by "matern…", which seems like the start to the French word "maternelle", which might indicate a primary school (école maternelle). You can also see the words "anglais" (English) and "complet" (full). © Observers

In the comments section, a number of people say that the video was filmed in Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo. We did a Google search for "betsaleel" and "Pointe-Noire" and pulled up information on the “Complex School Betsaleel College Primary Maternal” in Pointe-Noire, which offers primary through secondary education. 

We took a look at the street where the school is located on Google Street View. When we compared it to the video, it turned out to be the same place.  

In these images, available on Google Street View, you’ll recognize the word "Betsaleel" from the video, as well as the blue-green wall. The square black light (here outlined in yellow) also appears in both images, helping us to identify that they were filmed in the same location. © Observers

This screengrab, also taken from Google Maps, shows the buildings across the street from Betsaleel school, including a modern-looking building, a series of columns (in pink) and a brown kiosk (in blue). © Observers

Our team contacted Betsaleel School. They confirmed that the video did indeed show the outer wall of their establishment. Thus, we can say with confidence that the video was not filmed in Niger, but in the port city of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo. 

In conclusion, this video doesn’t show "Satan 2" missiles in Niger. It actually shows storage tanks used for storing liquid fuel in Pointe-Noire, in Congo Brazzaville. Moreover, the "Satan 2" missiles are still in a testing phase: to our knowledge, they have not been deployed abroad.