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Manipulation: European Countries Reneging on Military Promises to Ukraine

A recent Politico article has given rise to Russian propagandist manipulation about European promises to Ukraine. The article makes no mention about discarded European promises and focuses on two problems: the current depletion of weapons stocks in those countries that have been actively helping Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and the delay in the transfer of weapons from Germany and France to Ukraine. Because of this, six European countries did not make new weapons commitments in July, however, they did not renounce their previous ones. A pause in military transfers is not a point of no return, it is just that, a pause, to be renewed in the future.

Fake: Ukraine’s National Bank Admits Gold and Foreign Exchange Reserves Transferred to Poland

The Deputy Chairman of Ukraine's National Bank never said that Ukraine transferred its gold and foreign exchange reserves to Poland. According to the Ukrainian National Bank, the reserves remain where they have always been, as different financial instruments in several international banks.

Fake: Britain Decides When to Get Rid of Ukrainian Refugees

Russian propagandist media are making false claims about British attitudes to Ukrainian refugees based on a poll conducted by the British Office of National Statistics. The Homes for Ukraine program conducted a survey to assess how long current sponsors wanted the hosting arrangement with Ukrainian refugees to last. 24% of respondents said they were ready to help with housing for more than six months, but not for longer than a year. 23% said they were ready to help for longer than a year. There was no mention of any expulsion of Ukrainians from Britain in the survey.

Fake: Ukraine’s Melitopol University Asks to Be Recognized as Russian

Melitopol, the second largest city of the Zaporizhzhia region has four higher education institutions, two universities and two institutes. None of them have asked to be recognized as Russian. Russian occupying forces have seized university infrastructure and property in both Melitopol and the port city of Berdiansk and are trying to position these seized properties as "Melitopol University".

FRANCE 24 Observers’ guide to verifying images

Since 2018, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has been sharing tips for helping you to verify images that circulate online yourself. In this guide, we'll explain how to avoid falling into online traps - whether they involve photos or videos taken out of context or ones that have been actually doctored. We'll keep updating this guide, to keep you up to date on verification tools available for public use.

Manipulation: Ukrainian Grain Exported to the West, Not Needy African Countries

Most of the cargo ships that have managed to leave Ukrainian ports to date are commercial vessels carrying grain, purchased under commercial contracts that were concluded before the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. The United Nations believes that commercial trade plays a big role in stabilizing the global market even if that trade does not go directly to countries facing food shortages. The UN World Food Program is making efforts to deliver Ukrainian grain directly to those African countries where there is hunger. To that end the organization chartered the Brave Commander cargo ship carrying 23,000 metric tons of grain from the Ukrainian port Pivdennyi to Ethiopia.

Manipulation: Pentagon Says Ukraine Should “No Longer Expect” HIMARS and Missiles

US Defense Department spokesman Colin Kahl did not state that Ukraine would no longer receive HIMARS. Just as before, the US continues to comprehensively support Ukraine in the war unleashed by Russia. At the same time, the US administration is assessing what type of weapons are needed at the moment and can be delivered promptly. Presently the Pentagon considers that enough HIMARS systems were provided, and believes that right now it is worth focusing on organising a continuous ammunition supply for HIMARS and other multiple rocket launchers.

Fake: Kyiv Tests Dangerous Drugs on Own Citizens

Russian media are interpreting routine clinical trials of high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis drugs as an evil experiment on Ukrainian citizens. In these phase II drug effectiveness clinical studies, the trial participants were taking an already well-studied, potentially effective drug to treat their ailments. The clinical trials that Russian media are raising an alarm about are mentioned in published documents and are not a secret - they have passed all stages of verification and were carried out under the supervision of the Ukrainian Health Ministry's State Expert Center. Information about the drugs and the trials can be found on the Ministry of Health State Expert Center website Information on clinical trials in Ukraine.

Fake: European Parliament Finds No Evidence Russia Sponsors Terrorism

Russian media claims that the European Parliament found no evidence that Russia sponsors terrorism is the opinion of only one parliamentarian - Gunnar Beck, a member of the pro-Russian Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany) party. Beck however did not say anything about the European Parliament and its decisions regarding Russia and terrorism.