Category Fact checks / debunkings

FAKE: In Ukraine, women with a chemical education are being recruited for the war to prepare ‘provocations’

The Russian media quotes a Kremlin protege of the people’s militia in the so-called “LPR” that women who have an education in chemistry, biology or veterinary medicine are allegedly being recruited for the war in Ukraine. The publication adds that in this way Ukraine is preparing for “provocations” with chemical weapons.

This is a fake. There is no convincing evidence that women are being recruited into the Armed Forces of Ukraine to prepare “provocations” with chemical weapons.

Read MoreFAKE: In Ukraine, women with a chemical education are being recruited for the war to prepare ‘provocations’

FAKE: Military from AFU threatened with a gun a woman with a child because she spoke Russian

Russian media and Telegram channels are distributing a video in which Ukrainian soldiers allegedly stopped a woman with a child because she did not give way to them. As evidence, they provide a segment from the video recorder in the woman’s car. The soldiers then allegedly started yelling at the woman, cursing her, threatening her with guns and shooting in the air because she was speaking to them in Russian.

In fact, this video is staged, it was filmed in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region, where there are no Ukrainian troops.

Read MoreFAKE: Military from AFU threatened with a gun a woman with a child because she spoke Russian

FAKE: Only ‘pure-blooded Ukrainians’ can donate blood – photo of the announcement

An alleged announcement from the online service “Doc.ua” is being spread online that from March 1, 2023, the reception of donated blood will be carried out only when the donor is a “pure-blooded Ukrainian”. Foreign citizens are prohibited from being donors.

However, the service did not provide such announcements. In Ukraine, ethnicity is not included in the list of criteria for a potential blood donor.

Read MoreFAKE: Only ‘pure-blooded Ukrainians’ can donate blood – photo of the announcement

FAKE: Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to create same-sex unions more often – Zaluzhnyi

A screenshot of the news, which was allegedly published on the Dialog.ua website, is being spread online. It says that Valerii Zaluzhnyi allegedly reported that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to create same-sex unions more often.

However, this is a fake. Zaluzhnyi did not make such statements, and there is no such publication on the Dialog.ua website.

Read MoreFAKE: Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to create same-sex unions more often – Zaluzhnyi

Fake Ukrainian Assassination Attempt on Tucker Carlson Reaches Millions on X

The creators of the disinformation claiming Ukraine plotted to assassinate Tucker Carlson did not intend for it to be used inside Russia: they designed it specifically to target U.S. audiences. That is evident from the fact that no major Russian state-controlled news outlets reported the “breaking news” about the alleged plot despite their weeks-long fixation on every minor detail of Carlson’s visit to Moscow.

Read MoreFake Ukrainian Assassination Attempt on Tucker Carlson Reaches Millions on X

How Russian flag hoisting signals influence operations in Nigeria

The #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria held in August 2024 took a new turn on its third day as some young Nigerians, particularly in the northern part of the country, were seen displaying the Russian flag, a move condemned by the federal government as “treasonable.”

Read MoreHow Russian flag hoisting signals influence operations in Nigeria

Fact Check: Italian PM Meloni Did NOT Say ‘If Russia Does Not Agree To The Terms Of The Peace Summit, We Will Force It To Surrender’ | Lead Stories

Did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni say, "If Russia does not agree to the terms of the peace summit, we will force it to surrender"? No, that's not true: The comments attributed to her come from a falsified Russian translation of what she said in English at the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland in June 2024. While Meloni has strongly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine, no credible sources report her saying that Russia should be forced to surrender.

Read MoreFact Check: Italian PM Meloni Did NOT Say ‘If Russia Does Not Agree To The Terms Of The Peace Summit, We Will Force It To Surrender’ | Lead Stories

Zelenskyy and Wife Photographed with Stacks of Money? | Snopes.com

Because the photograph was digitally edited to include Zelenskyy and Zelenska, we have rated this claim as "Fake."

The TinEye reverse-image search tool showed that the original photograph [with stacks of money] depicted Floyd Mayweather, a former professional boxer.

Read MoreZelenskyy and Wife Photographed with Stacks of Money? | Snopes.com