Did Russian President Vladimir Putin say "Don't dare to touch the Strait of Hormuz" on April 1, 2026? No, that's not true: The posts attributing those words to him originated from self-described satire and parody accounts. The fake story was spreading across social media platforms paired with a well-known video meme showing Putin walking.
Claim: Amid the Philippines' energy emergency, a shipment of Russian crude oil was sent to the country because of the Dutertes.
The facts: The Dutertes are not linked to the delivery of Russian crude oil to the Philippines. The Inquirer.net report referenced in the TikTok video never mentions the Dutertes or their alleged role in the Russia oil purchase. The video merely juxtaposes the news report headline and the name of the oil tanker, "Sara Sky," to imply that they are linked.
Does a viral image of world leaders showing their middle fingers as an act of apparent disagreement with U.S. President Donald Trump show a real 2026 TIME Magazine cover? No, that's not true: The magazine's website did not contain such a cover. The image displayed shows signs strongly pointing to generative AI.
Vishvas News found in its investigation that the viral CCTV footage claiming to show a Ukrainian attack on Russian oil refineries is fake. While it is true that Ukraine has conducted real drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in March 2026, this particular video is a synthetic fabrication.
With the Pentagon potentially seeking a $200 billion supplemental package to fund the ongoing war with Iran, President Donald Trump defended that figure in part by saying U.S. ammunition "was taken down by giving so much to Ukraine." He then exaggerated the amount of aid to Ukraine and falsely said that former President Joe Biden "didn't rebuild anything" in the defense stockpile. Trump has a point that the military assistance provided to Ukraine reduced the U.S. reserve of weapons. But that aid largely has not affected the military operations in Iran, defense experts told us. Furthermore, Biden signed multiple spending bills passed by Congress that included funding to replace the older weapons that the U.S. gave to Ukraine with new items. Experts also told us that Biden's administration put money into increasing the production of munitions for the military.
Claim: The video is shared as drone footage of massive destruction in Tel Aviv, Israel after recent attacks
Fact: The video actually shows damage in Bakhmut, Ukraine after Russian attacks and not Tel Aviv.
WHAT WAS CLAIMED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer posted a statement on X saying that American forces must withdraw from UK airbases within 48 hours and pay historic rent if the United States ends its commitment to NATO.
VERDICT: False. The image of the post is fabricated and originally came from a satirical social media account. No such statement has been published on Keir Starmer's genuine X account or made publicly by him.
Videos of an explosion on a bridge have been shared on social media alongside claims the King Fahd Bridge linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia was hit by a missile. But the video actually shows a 2022 explosion on the Kerch bridge, which connects Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
In reality, the video features a woman talking about anti-government protests in Iran. Propaganda edited the footage and faked the heroine's voice using AI.
As Kenya works to bring home citizens duped into fighting for Russia in Ukraine, two graphics have falsely claimed that Kenyan cabinet secretary for labour Alfred Mutua admitted recruiting them.