Claim by Viral social media post: Zelenskyy is Faking Blackouts to Secure More European Aid
StopFake rating: Outages across Ukrainian cities stem from voltage fluctuations and emergency shutdowns triggered by Russia's systematic strikes on the country's civilian energy infrastructure.
Claim by Viral social media post:
Bloomberg Published an Infographic Showing How Zelensky "Looted" France
StopFake rating:
Bloomberg did not post such an infographic.
Claim on x.com:
These are real videos of Ukrainian soldiers surrendering in the town of Pokrovsk.
Lead Stories rating: AI Generated
Claim by Viral social media post:
Ukraine Lost a Billion Dollars by Signing a Contract With an "American Weapon Store" - FT
StopFake rating:
The Financial Times did not write that Ukraine lost a billion dollars on this deal. The newspaper only reported on the arms supply contract that Ukraine signed with an Arizona company in the first months of the full-scale invasion. The company was never able to fulfill it due to the lack of experience in such large-scale deliveries. The irresponsible supplier received 17 million euros in advance, but Ukraine successfully sued for this money after the contract was canceled.
This photo is real. The first ladies met at the UN General Assembly in late September and discussed the protection of Ukrainian children. [...] However, this accusation against the Ukrainian media is completely unfounded. First, the photos are not identical: Melania Trump's facial expression and leg position are different in the photos. And secondly, the US First Lady took joint photos with Olena Zelenska and the Queen of Jordan on the same day, which is why she is wearing the same white suit. [...] There are no signs of editing on the photo with Zelenska.
A review of broadcast recordings and digital forensics shows the claim doesn't hold up. Ukrainian networks aired the official UN feed, while the version circulating online - showing a packed audience - was manipulated footage. [...] A review of the original United News broadcast - including the 1+1 TV segment - found no evidence of any 'added' audience. [...] The authentic broadcast carried unmistakable identifiers - the UN logo in the upper right corner and a Ukrainian-language audio track. By contrast, the fabricated version omitted these details, featured an English-language narration, and bore visible traces of AI manipulation.
The International Legion firmly denied any role in the appearance of the leaflets. Their limited distribution - confined to a single district of Berlin - points to a staged provocation designed to discredit Ukraine and its armed forces. [...] Notably, the leaflets appeared only in a single Berlin district and carried an overtly propagandistic message - an appeal to a 'sense of revenge.' [...] The press service of the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine told StopFake it had no connection to the creation, distribution, or promotion of the leaflets.
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.