Poland

Manipulation: Poland Says “West is Preparing Coup in Belarus”

Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak did not talk about the West supposedly preparing a coup in Belarus. Skrzypczak emphasized that events similar to those that recently took place in the Belgorod region are quite likely to occur in Belarus in the event of a successful advancement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Polish military officer, it is the citizens of Belarus who may potentially rise against the self-proclaimed regime of President Lukashenko in the future. He stated that Poland should be prepared for this and support a democratic uprising in the neighboring country.

Read MoreManipulation: Poland Says “West is Preparing Coup in Belarus”

Why fake anti-Zelensky graffiti is showing up all over the world – The Observers

Did graffiti depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a black hole "sucking up European money" really appear on the streets of a Paris suburb? What about graffiti showing the president as an insect or as excrement? According to images circulating online, graffiti like this has been popping up on the streets of several European cities. But in fact, none of them ever existed. We took a closer look to prove that they are fake.

Read MoreWhy fake anti-Zelensky graffiti is showing up all over the world – The Observers

Fake: US Intelligence Officer Says Poland Contributes to Ukraine’s Armed Forces Destruction

Poland providing Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets does not in any way contribute to the "destruction of Ukraine's Armed Forces". On the contrary, Poland and Slovakia's decision to transfer several dozen fighter jets to the Ukrainian military will only strengthen Ukraine's combat readiness for the expected counteroffensive. Poland is one of Ukraine's main partners in providing military assistance and training Ukrainian soldiers. Warsaw was one of the first countries to announce it would send German Leopard 2 tanks, as well as MiG-29 jets to Ukraine.

Read MoreFake: US Intelligence Officer Says Poland Contributes to Ukraine’s Armed Forces Destruction

Debunking claims that Polish Leopard 2 tanks got stuck in mud in Ukraine – Truth or Fake

Social media users are sharing a video that falsely claims Polish Leopard 2 tanks were captured while stuck in deep mud somewhere in Ukraine. But the misleading video has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreDebunking claims that Polish Leopard 2 tanks got stuck in mud in Ukraine – Truth or Fake

Fake: Ukrainian Soldiers’ Bodies Found in Polish Coal Mine Shafts

Russian news sites and Russian social media accounts are disseminating
fakes claiming that the bodies of more than 500 Ukrainian soldiers were
found in a mine shaft at the Bogdanka coal mine in Poland. Bogdanka's press
office told StopFake such claims are completely fake, and there are no
bodies anywhere on the coal mine's territory. StopFake factcheckers have
ascertained that these fake claims were originally published on an
anonymous Telegram channel, which according to Ukraine's Security Service,
is used by Russian secret services to foment and incite anti-government
sentiments in Ukraine.

Read MoreFake: Ukrainian Soldiers’ Bodies Found in Polish Coal Mine Shafts

Here’s how we debunked these fake anti-Ukraine advertisements – The Observers

Since the end of 2022, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has seen several similar examples of fake anti-Ukraine advertisements, reportedly on billboards in the United States and Poland. But when we took a closer look, we found some clues that convinced us these ads were fake and that the videos were edited.

Read MoreHere’s how we debunked these fake anti-Ukraine advertisements – The Observers

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.

Read MoreA year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

Photo from Biden Warsaw speech altered to add vulgar gesture

An image shared widely on social media purports to show a pair of middle fingers directed at Joe Biden after the US president's speech in Warsaw, Poland. But the picture has been digitally manipulated; the original photo shared by Biden and the White House depicts a thumbs-up gesture in the crowd.

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A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check

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.

Read MoreA year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check