The claim that a Russian youth was beaten to death by a "mob of Ukrainian refugees" in the German city of Euskirchen was published in a video addressing Russians in Germany. However, the incident never happened.
As it happens, official United Nations data suggests that the 14,000 casualty figure that Putin has used does not only refer to civilians. During Russia's 2014-2021 military operations against Ukraine, 14,500 people died in the Donbas war. Of that 14,000, 3,404 were civilians, 4,400 were Ukrainian servicemen and 6,500 were Russian militants. The figure Putin operates with, is the total number of casualties incurred in the Donbas war by both sides.
Posts shared online claim to show members of a Russian military choir being arrested for singing anti-war songs. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has indeed cracked down on people spreading "false information" about the war in Ukraine, leading to many people's arrests, this video is not an example of that. In fact, it shows an incident from 2015 when the choir performed a song from a James Bond film.
Clinton has not been indicted on any charges stemming from alleged spying on Trump.
This claim is another dramatic oversimplification of a recent legal filing by Special Counsel John Durham.
This claim originated in an article published by a website known for sharing misinformation, including one previous false claim on Ukraine.
• Russia's president stated many reasons for the invasion. Ending child trafficking was not among them.
• According to the U.S. State Department, Russia is failing to deal with human trafficking within its own borders.
Our ruling
A post on Facebook alleged that Russia started its invasion of Ukraine to fight child trafficking.
The claim originates in an article published by a website known for fabricating stories and sources.
There is no evidence that ending child trafficking is a goal of the war in Ukraine. Russia itself is failing to deal with human trafficking within its own borders, according to a report by the U.S. State Department.
And while Putin has been very descriptive about his reasons for invading Ukraine, child trafficking has never been mentioned.
We rate the post False.
A viral photo of a helicopter airlifting a tractor predates Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. An Indian tractor manufacturer posted it on Twitter in November 2020.
The helicopter in the photo is labeled "Indian Air Force." India is not a member of NATO.
Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has restricted dissenting voices, independent news reporting and public discourse on social media platforms.
A new law in Russia threatens up to 15 years of prison time for spreading information about the war that authorities consider to be "false."
There are no parallels in the U.S., where freedom of speech, expression and the press are safeguarded by the Constitution. Gabbard alleged censorship by social media companies, but experts say those claims are not supported by evidence.
Our ruling
Gabbard said, "What is happening here is not so different from what we're seeing happening in Russia, where you have got state TV and controlled messaging across the board."
Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia ' a country with a long history of suppressing free speech and access to information ' has restricted dissenting voices, independent news reporting and public discourse on social media platforms, including with a new law threatening prison time for spreading "false" information about the war. Those measures are without parallel in the U.S., where freedom of speech, expression and the press are enshrined in the Constitution.
We rate Gabbard's claim Pants on Fire!
Social media posts claim that the avenue outside the Russian consulate in Montreal was renamed for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of support for the country after it was invaded by Russia. This is false; the Avenue Zelensky sign pictured in the posts was installed during the filming of a satirical television program, and the city told AFP that the name of the street remains unchanged.
Social media posts claim Russia's ambassador to the United Nations said during a General Assembly session that former US president Donald Trump was "overthrown." But diplomat Vassily Nebenzia's full remarks make clear he was referring to the revolution that toppled Ukraine's president in February 2014, not Trump's 2020 electoral defeat.
Conspiracy theorists and Russian apologists reached new lows in attacking the Ukrainian president in March 2022.