Latest fact checks & sources

Does a viral video really show a Russian Su-27 jet intercepting a NATO F-15 trying to get closer to a Tu22m3 bomber over Ukraine? No, that’s not true: The footage which was widely copied to other social networks carried the watermark of a TikTok channel that publishes aviation videos. The caption under the video indicated it was created in the “War Thunder” video game.

Kremlin outlets have amplified claims tying former parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy to the Maidan shootings, the May 2014 Odessa fire, and an alleged coup in Kyiv. In reality, there is no evidence linking Parubiy to either the killings of protesters or the Odessa tragedy. Nor was there a coup in 2014: Ukraine’s government was formed through a legitimate process that Moscow itself formally recognized at the time.

Ukrainian officials have made no move to block the annual Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman, despite claims circulating on social media and pro-Russian outlets. The allegation – attributed to unnamed sources – was swiftly dismissed by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, and the foundations that coordinate the yearly gathering. Organizers confirmed that preparations for Rosh Hashanah 2025 remain on track.

The bill concerns exclusively the internal optimization of administrative management and is related to the provision of social and financial guarantees for residents of the territories controlled by Ukraine; it does not provide for Ukraine to abandon the occupied areas or cede them to Russia. In addition, it is being considered by a special committee and may not be adopted

Is there any evidence for a story being spread online about “Olena K.”, a Ukrainian anti-corruption official who supposedly defected to Europe and revealed real-estate corruption involving President Zelenskyy worth $1.2 billion ? No, that’s not true: The story did not contain any verifiable details or documents and no media reported on the supposed events. The London Telegraph, the website where the story originated, was only registered in August 2025 and the profile picture of the journalist who supposedly wrote the story was stolen from the social media profile of a different journalist.

The footage does not depict Pakistani forces shooting down an Indian drone. Rather, it shows a Russian drone falling outside Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Propagandists distorted the content of the publication. In fact, the columnist expressed his personal opinion on why such a move would be appropriate from a political point of view.

This “decree” is fake and does not appear on the official website of the President of Ukraine. The “document” contains glaring formatting and structural inconsistencies and attributes powers to the head of state that he does not possess: exemption from conscription on the basis of kinship is not provided for by Ukrainian law. Meanwhile, an authentic decree numbered 273/2025 does exist, but it concerns the awarding of the title Hero of Ukraine and has nothing to do with military recruitment – its content has been completely falsified to create a manipulative narrative.

Representatives of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Andrew in Toronto have denied claims that a portrait of Symon Petliura hangs in the sanctuary or that the Ukrainian historical figure is being honoured as a “saint”. The portrait of Petliura is in a parish hall, not on the altar, and is therefore not an icon. Furthermore, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC) is an independent church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is not a parish of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

What was claimed: According to Der Spiegel, German intelligence have just arrested two suspected Russia spies who had US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s private phone number in their mobiles. Our verdict: A spokesperson for Der Spiegel confirmed it did not publish such a story.

What was claimed: A video shows Russian president Vladimir Putin laughing with his face in his hands during a comedy routine in which Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to play the piano with his penis, before he became president of Ukraine. Our verdict: False. These two clips are from different events and have been edited together to misleadingly make it appear as if President Putin was in the audience for the routine.

There is no evidence that such ads were posted in Lisbon.

WHAT WAS CLAIMED: A BBC report reveals a Russian missile victim who met Prince Harry is a fraud. OUR VERDICT: False. The BBC report is fake and the boy is a genuine victim of a Russian missile attack.

The story by the British tabloid The Sun on this topic is fabricated, and the comment by a royal expert in it is taken from an old video on a completely different topic.

No such cardinal exists, and his photo was generated by artificial intelligence. In addition, the Vatican Bank does not hold accounts for governments, foreign individuals or clients unrelated to the Catholic Church or the Holy See.

This whole news is made up. Zelensky has never made such statements, and the text itself is full of logical errors.

In reality, the Ukrainian media did not report such information, and the “debunking” publication on Politico is fabricated.

On the contrary, Metropolitan Epiphanius expressed his sincere condolences on the Pope’s death, noting that Pope Francis had dedicated his life to serving God, spreading the Christian faith and launching numerous humanitarian initiatives to help those in need.

There is no evidence in the video of the presence of the TCC, military personnel or document checks. In fact, the ‘Easter races’ are a regional tradition: it is believed that the first person to return home after church will have good luck and prosperity on their land for the next year.

The fragment of the greeting that is being shared online was created specifically for a foreign audience. The president congratulated Ukrainians in state language.