Category Hatred and bigotry

Fake: Ukrainian Soldiers Fire on Car with Russian Speaking Mother and Child

Russian media are disseminating a video claiming it shows a Ukrainian
soldier shooting at a car with a woman and child inside because the woman
was speaking Russian. This poorly staged video was shot in Russian occupied
Ukraine near Donetsk. The alleged Russian speaking woman and child are
never seen, the location of the alleged incident is a spot where Ukrainian
military simply could not be present, all and the cross painted on the back
of the alleged Ukrainian military vehicle - a symbol that has never been
used by the Ukrainian military, all point to the the video being yet
another Russian fake.

Read MoreFake: Ukrainian Soldiers Fire on Car with Russian Speaking Mother and Child

Fake: Ukraine Replaces Victory over Nazism Day with Victory Over Russia Holiday

A draft law under parliamentary consideration which has not yet been voted on does not cancel existing national holidays, but simply establishes new public holidays. The draft introduces a Peace Day holiday on September 21, in order to celebrate peaceful life after Ukraine's Victory over Russian military aggression. The May 9 Victory over Nazism day will remain a holiday, but will become a workday.

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9 Doctored Pics and Deepfakes of Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Snopes.com

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been the subject of numerous false rumors, particularly in the form of doctored or misleading photographs and video footage.

From a manipulated deepfake video of Zelenskyy supposedly telling Ukrainian soldiers to surrender to Russia to false claims he displayed Nazi logos on his clothes, there is no shortage of examples.

Read More9 Doctored Pics and Deepfakes of Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Snopes.com

No, Russia did not ‘capture and destroy’ Ukraine’s Leopard 2 tanks – Truth or Fake

According to social media images, Leopard 2 tanks - recently delivered to Ukraine after weeks of waiting - have been destroyed by Russia's Wagner mercenary group. But Wagner's head Yevgeny Prigozhin has denied the claims, and the images have in fact been around on the internet for a while. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl.

Read MoreNo, Russia did not ‘capture and destroy’ Ukraine’s Leopard 2 tanks – Truth or Fake

Fake: US Consulate in Milan Publishes Post with Ukraine and Nazi Germany Flags

Employees of the US consulate in Milan never published a Twitter post with
the flags of Ukraine and Nazi Germany. The consulate's Twitter account was
hacked. After regaining control over the account, the hacked post was
deleted.

Read MoreFake: US Consulate in Milan Publishes Post with Ukraine and Nazi Germany Flags

A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has been accompanied by a ferocious battle of disinformation, waged in particular by pro-Russian agitators seeking to distort and shift the blame for many atrocities on the ground. They have sought to depict the Ukrainian side as Nazis or suggest that Western support for Kyiv is evaporating. Here are some of the main narratives, false or misleading, that have been fact-checked over the past year by AFP's digital verification teams.

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Ukraine: One year of misinformation and how it has shaped the war narrative – Truth or Fake

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering a ground war, but also an information war online. Since then, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has debunked 115 pieces of fake news shared via online photos and videos. But what are the main themes in these false narratives? What techniques were used to misinform? In this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl, we take a look back at one year in fake news.

Read MoreUkraine: One year of misinformation and how it has shaped the war narrative – Truth or Fake

Claims that Vladimir Putin destroyed an ‘adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine’ lack evidence

A recent blog post builds on a fictitious narrative that Russian President Vladimir Putin is stymieing the production of adrenochrome in Ukraine.......We found no credible news reports or sources to corroborate the unfounded allegations, which were published on Real Raw News, a site that regularly posts fake news. The blog's stories are written by someone using a pseudonym and the site has a disclaimer saying it contains "humor, parody and satire," though the author has defended his stories as truth.

The same site wrote separately that Putin intercepted a shipment of adrenochrome bound for the United States. We rated that Pants on Fire!......We rate claims that Putin destroyed an adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine Pants on Fire!

Read MoreClaims that Vladimir Putin destroyed an ‘adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine’ lack evidence

How one year of disinformation has shaped the narrative of the Ukraine war online

On February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, triggering a war on the ground, but also an information war online. Since then, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has debunked 115 pieces of misinformation that have been shared in photos or videos online. But what are the main themes in these false narratives? And what techniques are used to misinform? Here's a look back at this year in fake news.

Read MoreHow one year of disinformation has shaped the narrative of the Ukraine war online

Yes some Ukrainians are destroying Russian books, but why? – Truth or Fake

A video showing hundreds of Russian books being shovelled out of trucks, onto the floor and then packed up has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media. The scene takes place in Ukraine and has sparked comparisons by pro-Russians to Nazi book-burning. Put into context though, it's an unfair comparison. We tell you why in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreYes some Ukrainians are destroying Russian books, but why? – Truth or Fake