In a video circulated by Russian media claiming it shows Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky's double, the Ukrainian President is followed
by his personal bodyguard, Maxim Donets, who has headed the Ukrainian
Presidential Security Service since 2-019.
An out of context excerpt from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's
press conference is being circulated online by Russian and US social media
users, claiming that he is calling on Americans to fight for Ukraine.
Answering questions during a press conference dedicated to the first
anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky said that
if Ukraine fails to stop Russia, then NATO countries will have to do it,
because capturing Ukraine will not stop Russia's expansionist policies
regarding its neighboring countries, including NATO members.
Since the end of 2022, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has seen several similar examples of fake anti-Ukraine advertisements, reportedly on billboards in the United States and Poland. But when we took a closer look, we found some clues that convinced us these ads were fake and that the videos were edited.
In the video, President Joe Biden appears to say he's reinstating the draft so the U.S. can help defend Ukraine against Russian forces. The video is a deepfake.
The words "big, fat, corrupt sinkhole" are not a direct quote, but an interpretation of what Gates is saying in the edited clip.
As his quote shows, Gates was referring to "pre-war" Ukraine, crucial context that was omitted from the clip circulating online.
It is not clear what Gates' timeframe is for "pre-war"—it could refer to before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 or its initial invasion in 2014.
Misleading Material. The clip was removed from its important and clarifying context, giving a misleading impression of what Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader's remarks were a hypothetical answer about what could happen should Ukraine lose the war to Russia, partially due to decreased support from the United States. [...]
Zelensky did not suggest that Americans should send their children to fight now for Ukraine against Russian forces.
A widely shared image claims to show a notice from Twitter informing users that only the platform's paid subscribers would be able to feature the Ukrainian flag emoji on their profiles. This is false; the supposed screenshot appears to be a digital fabrication, and Twitter has made no such policy announcement.
There is no information in the video to prove those hit were civilians.
Moreover, there are other visual clues that suggest the people in the video may have been military targets.
Claim: A music video features Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dancing in high heels, a cropped top, and skin-tight pants with three other men.
Rating: True
Context: Zelenskyy was a comic actor before he ran for political office. This video, made in 2014, was a parody of a well-known music video by the Ukrainian boy band Kazaky.
Images of a Ukrainian soldier on the frontline wearing what seems to be an Islamic State (IS) group badge on his arm have taken the internet by storm. Some users and media outlets claim this is evidence of links between the terrorist group and Ukraine. The soldier himself says differently. We tell you what we know so far in this edition of Truth or Fake, with Vedika Bahl.