No, this video doesn't show the drone attack on ships in Egypt

A video circulating online has been widely misinterpreted as showing a drone attack on ships in Egypt, but French media outlet France 24 has confirmed that the footage does not depict the actual incident. On July 29, the Energos Winter, a U.S.-owned liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage vessel, was struck by an unidentified drone in the port of Damanhour, located on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. The attack ignited a fire that spread to the Greek-owned methaner GasLog Salem, causing significant damage to both vessels. Damanhour is one of Egypt's main LNG export terminals, sending fuel to European markets. The confusion arose after several videos emerged online, capturing the aftermath of the attack. These clips showed thick smoke rising from the LNG terminal and firefighters dousing the burning ships with water. The fires were eventually brought under control, and Egyptian authorities reported no casualties. One particularly popular video, which gained millions of views on platforms such as Instagram, X, and Telegram, depicted a drone striking the bridge of a ship. In the footage, a crew member films the scene, speaks Arabic, and runs toward the bridge following an explosion. However, independent verification by France 24 revealed that the video did not show the Energos Winter or the GasLog Salem. Instead, the footage was recorded five days earlier, on July 24, during an attack on the Russian freighter New Victory in the Black Sea. This incident occurred when a Ukrainian drone struck the ship, an event that had already been widely covered by international media and social media users. Comparisons between the visuals in the disputed video and photographs of the New Victory, available on specialized maritime tracking websites, confirmed its identity. A Reddit post published five days before the Egyptian attack contained exactly the same sequence of events. This suggests that the footage was shared online well before the real incident took place, leading to widespread misinformation. France 24’s investigation further clarified that the video in question was unrelated to the attacks in Egypt, highlighting the need for careful scrutiny of viral content. On July 30, the Egyptian government officially confirmed that a drone attack was responsible for the fires that damaged the two vessels. However, no country or group has claimed responsibility for the strike. The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions involving Iran and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as well as the United States and Israel. These conflicts have disrupted energy supplies through key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. Since February 28, when the U.S.-Israel coalition launched an offensive against Iran, Tehran has attempted to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil exports from the Persian Gulf. On July 20, the Houthi rebels announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabian vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb, linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. These developments have intensified concerns over the security of critical trade routes. International media outlets, including The New York Times, have raised questions about potential Iranian involvement in the July 29 drone attack. In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, denied these claims on X, accusing Israeli forces of engaging in “false flag operations” aimed at destabilizing regional peace. While the origins of the attack remain unclear, the incident underscores the growing risks posed by unmanned aerial systems to commercial shipping in volatile geopolitical environments.