Category Fact checks / debunkings

Production footage from sci-fi film falsely shared as ‘video of staged Russian attack in Ukraine’

As the civilian death toll mounted in Ukraine following Russia's invasion, a video has been viewed tens of thousands of times in social media posts that claim it shows a "staged scene of the Russian military bombing of Ukrainian civilians". But the clip in fact shows production footage for a science fiction film released years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the movie's director told AFP. The scene was shot in the United Kingdom - not Ukraine.

March 11, 2022

Disinformation Media taken out of context Attacks on civilians Fact checks / debunkings Methods Narratives Misconceptions Ukraine Russia The war is a hoax War crimes

Misleading posts circulate old footage of two Russian Tu-160 bombers arriving in South Africa

A Facebook post has shared a broadcast video of warplanes as proof that a pair of supersonic Russian nuclear jets touched down in South Africa's capital Pretoria amid the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, the claim has been shared out of context: the footage, while authentic, was taken in 2019 when Russia landed two of its heralded 'White Swans' strategic bombers in South Africa to 'deepen military cooperation' between the two nations.

March 11, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions South Africa Russia International community

Video shows US Marine in 2018, not Ukrainian soldier in 2022

Social media posts claim a video featuring a man in military uniform tearfully embracing a woman and a baby depicts a Ukrainian soldier heading to war. But the clip shows the 2018 homecoming of an American Marine who met his son for the first time.

March 11, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings USA Methods Misconceptions Ukraine International community

FactChecking Claims About the Conflict in Ukraine

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, following months of military buildup and, as we’ve written, repeated denials by Russian officials that their country planned to invade.

As is often the case with major news events, we have seen several false and misleading claims made on social media and by politicians related to the conflict.

March 11, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions

Photo shows Slovakian soldier returning from Afghanistan in 2012 — it does not relate to Ukraine

After Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, an image of a man kissing a woman's pregnant belly circulated in online posts that claimed it shows a Ukrainian soldier kissing his "unborn child goodbye" as he prepared to fight for his country. But the image -- which has been shared hundreds of times -- has circulated in a false context. It was originally published by the Slovakian defence ministry in a 2012 post about soldiers returning from a mission in Afghanistan.

March 10, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

Misleading claims on US border guards deploying to Europe spread online

Social media posts claim US President Joe Biden's administration is leaving the country's southern border exposed by asking guards protecting it to deploy to Europe to assist Americans fleeing Ukraine. But US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the claim incorrectly conflates different branches of the agency, and that the personnel in question are not primarily tasked with guarding against illegal border crossings and smuggling.

March 10, 2022

President Biden Fact checks / debunkings USA Ukraine International community

Video does not show Ukrainian presidential couple singing

Social media posts claim a video shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska singing together. This is false; the clip shows singers from America and Britain recording a cover of the 1981 duet "Endless Love."

March 10, 2022

Olena Zelenska Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Volodymyr Zelensky Methods Misconceptions Ukraine

Ukraine’s army is not using cats to spot Russian snipers

A tweet spread as a screenshot online says the Ukrainian army is using cats to locate Russian snipers via lasers attached to their rifles. But there is no evidence to corroborate the claim, a military expert dismissed it as "complete garbage," and the author of the post acknowledged it was intended as a joke.

March 10, 2022

Disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Satire/fiction taken seriously Ukraine Russia

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Volodymyr Zelenskyy And His Wife Singing ‘Endless Love’ By Lionel Richie? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
The video features Boyce Avenue member Alejandro Manzano and English musician Connie Talbot. The music video does not feature Zelenskyy or mention Ukraine at any point.

March 10, 2022

Olena Zelenska Disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Volodymyr Zelensky Methods Misconceptions Ukraine

China repeats false claim that U.S has biolabs in Ukraine

China's government is amplifying debunked claims about non-existent U.S. biological weapons labs in Ukraine, bringing the falsehoods back into the spotlight on social media.

Our ruling
A spokesperson for the Chinese government said the U.S. has biolabs in Ukraine.

The claim originated with the Russian government and has been previously debunked by U.S. government officials and weapons control advocates. Following Zhao's March 9 remarks, U.S. government officials strongly refuted the claims again, saying the false narrative was being used to lay the groundwork for further violence in Ukraine.

March 10, 2022

Disinformation Chinese propaganda Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings USA Biolabs / bio-weapons China Narratives Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community