FAKE: Ukrainian forces shelled Vesela Hora on 23 February 2022
There is no evidence of Vesela Hora being shelled by the Ukrainian army
Category Fact checks / debunkings
Read MoreFAKE: Ukrainian forces shelled Vesela Hora on 23 February 2022
FAKE: All calls will be recorded, social media will monitor communication
This claim has been shared in several waves in at least three countries, but it is nothing more than an attempt at inducing panic
FAKE: Ukrainian commando group crossed the Russian border in Rostov region
Ukraine haven't trespassed Russian border and didn't send commandos or APS's across the border
Vladimir Putin’s false war claims
Putin claims:
“Does Ukraine need to be denazified” - false,
“Is Russia’s attack a defense case under the UN Charter?” - false,
“Was there a ‘genocide” in Ukraine?” - false.
Russia has so far failed to provide any evidence in their claims.
War in Ukraine: Disinformation about invasion abounds on social media – Truth or Fake
Many posts on social media claiming to pertain to the current conflict in Ukraine are in fact videos and photos of different events in other regions that happened several years ago. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
There are no US-run biolabs in Ukraine, contrary to social media posts
There are no U.S.-run biological weapons labs operating in Ukraine.
The U.S. Defense Department and the Ukraine Ministry of Health have had a partnership since 2005 to improve public health laboratories and prevent the threat of outbreaks of infectious diseases.
That effort is part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which began in 1991 to reduce the threat of existing weapons of mass destruction programs in former Soviet Republics.
Our ruling
A social media user tweeted that Russia was targeting U.S.-run biolabs in its invasion of Ukraine. That account was soon suspended by Twitter.
There are no U.S.-run biolabs in Ukraine. The country is one of many former Soviet Union republics, and other countries, partnering with the Defense Department as part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. It's the latest claim in a series of disinformation efforts by the Russians, an expert told PolitiFact.
While the U.S. may provide funding to upgrade or build labs in other countries, the labs are run by the partnering nations and the program's goal is to prevent biological threats, not create them. We rate this claim False.
Vladimir Putin repeats false claim of genocide in Ukraine
Despite multiple claims of a Ukrainian genocide against ethnic Russians, there is no evidence to support it.
International bodies that include Russian representatives report that civilian deaths have plummeted since 2014.
Russia's ambassador to the U.S. relied on misleading and outdated evidence to back the claim.
Our ruling
Putin said ethnic Russians in Ukraine face genocide.
His ambassador provided misleading evidence, and international observers found no activities to support the claim. Civilian deaths have plummeted to less than 1% of what they were in 2014.
We rate this False.
Photo shows Syrian child, not victim of Russia’s Ukraine invasion
Social media posts claim a photo of a wounded child shows a victim of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This is false; the picture is from 2018 and was taken in Syria.
Photo does not show Japanese ambassador staying to fight in Ukraine
Social media posts claim a photo of a man in samurai regalia shows Japan's ambassador to Ukraine, saying he chose to stay and fight invading Russian forces. This is false; the image pictures Ukraine's ambassador to Japan, who tweeted it prior to the invasion.
Video does not show ‘Russian jets over Ukraine’ — it has circulated in old posts about air show rehearsal
A video of military planes flying in formation over residential buildings has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times in posts that claim it shows Russian fighter jets entering neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. The posts circulated online within hours of Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashing a full-scale ground invasion and air assault on Ukraine. The footage, however, has been shared in a false context. It has circulated since at least 2020 in social media posts about rehearsals for a Victory Day air show in Russia.