'JAWS' image used to depict people fleeing Russian missile attack

A scene from the 1975 movie “Jaws” has been edited and falsely circulated online to suggest it depicts beachgoers in Crimea fleeing missile fire on the Russia-annexed peninsula. This manipulated image surfaced following a Ukrainian attack on Crimea on June 23, 2024, which resulted in the deaths of four people.

The altered photo shows a crowd scrambling out of the sea with a mushroom cloud and smoke on the horizon. A user on X claimed it depicted people fleeing Russian air defense missiles intercepting the Ukrainian attack. However, this image is actually a doctored version of a scene from “Jaws,” with the explosion and smoke digitally added.

In response to the June 23 attack, Russia accused the United States of providing the weapons and targeting data. Russian state television broadcast footage showing people running from a beach and others being carried away on sun loungers.

The U.S. stated it supplied weapons to Ukraine to help defend its sovereign territory, including Crimea, and that Ukraine was responsible for targeting decisions and military operations. A U.S. official later clarified that Ukraine was not targeting civilians, explaining that Russia had intercepted a missile aimed at a missile launcher, causing it to explode and shower shrapnel on the beach.

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