Category USA

Russia’s UN ambassador did not say Trump was overthrown

Social media posts claim Russia's ambassador to the United Nations said during a General Assembly session that former US president Donald Trump was "overthrown." But diplomat Vassily Nebenzia's full remarks make clear he was referring to the revolution that toppled Ukraine's president in February 2014, not Trump's 2020 electoral defeat.

Read MoreRussia’s UN ambassador did not say Trump was overthrown

News video of shot up car was filmed in Ukraine, not West Virginia

A West Virginia State Police captain confirmed that the Uber's window decal was an expired inspection sticker from the state. But that doesn't mean that the car itself wasn't in Ukraine.

The video showing the car was recorded in Irpin, Ukraine, according to Reuters, which owns the video.

It's not uncommon for cars to be exported from the U.S. to other countries, including Ukraine.

Our ruling
A Facebook post claimed that "a West Virginia inspection sticker on an Uber" proves the car was not in Ukraine.

A West Virginia State Police Captain confirmed that the decal on the car was an expired sticker from the state. However, this doesn't mean that the car wasn't in Ukraine ' a spokesperson for Reuters, which owns the video, confirmed that the video was filmed there.

It's not uncommon for cars to be exported from the U.S. to other countries, including Ukraine.

We rate this claim False.

Read MoreNews video of shot up car was filmed in Ukraine, not West Virginia

Photo shows Ukrainian flag on French Statue of Liberty replica

Online posts claim the Statue of Liberty in New York City was adorned with a Ukrainian flag as a sign of solidarity following the Russian invasion. But a reverse image search found that the photo shows a replica Statue of Liberty located in Colmar, France, that was also photographed on March 2, 2022 by AFP.

Read MorePhoto shows Ukrainian flag on French Statue of Liberty replica

American megachurches are offering support to Ukraine, despite claims on social media

Multiple megachurches around the United States have been raising funds to help Ukrainians during Russia's invasion.

Gateway Church, another megachurch in Texas, has set up a crisis relief fund to support people in Ukraine and the surrounding region.

Saddleback Church, a megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, has an advance relief team connecting with local pastors in Ukraine and Poland who are caring for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees. The church's website features ways people can help and has provided multiple updates on its efforts in the region.

The Rock Church, a megachurch in San Diego, California, is directing people to its partner organization, Crisis Response International, and told PolitiFact that it's in the process of establishing a Ukraine relief fund.

Crossroads Church, an Ohio-based megachurch, partners with humanitarian and disaster relief organizations Convoy of Hope and World Vision, which both have operations on the ground in Ukraine.

Other church networks, like the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Catholic Relief Services, are collecting donations and deploying staff and resources.

We rate posts that say no megachurches are raising money for Ukraine relief False.

Read MoreAmerican megachurches are offering support to Ukraine, despite claims on social media

Video shows Putin’s dog barking at Japanese journalists in 2016, not 2022

A video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times in Facebook posts that claim it shows Russian President Vladimir Putin trying to embarrass a "Japanese delegation" by bringing his dog to an official meeting. The posts -- which circulated online after Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- refer to Japan's alignment with the United States and other countries, which have imposed sanctions on Moscow. But the video has been shared in a false context. It shows Putin bringing his dog to an interview with Japanese journalists at the Kremlin in 2016.

Read MoreVideo shows Putin’s dog barking at Japanese journalists in 2016, not 2022

Ukraine recognized downed pilot as ‘hero,’ but claims he was the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ are unsubstantiated

Col. Oleksandr "Grey Wolf" Oksanchenko, a decorated Ukrainian pilot, was killed in combat on Feb. 25.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded him posthumously with the title of Hero of Ukraine, along with 11 other military service members.

Unconfirmed reports hold that an unidentified pilot, who has come to be called the "Ghost of Kyiv," downed six Russian planes on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We do not find evidence that this was Oksanchenko.

It's uncertain how the Ghost of Kyiv tale originated, but we know that Ukraine's military reported on Feb. 24 that at least six Russian planes and two helicopters had been downed. Crediting Ukrainian military, CNN and NBC soon reported five Russian planes and one helicopter had been shot down. Russia's defense ministry denied the report, according to Reuters, and said that Ukraine's air force defenses had been "suppressed."

Ukraine's official Twitter account, meanwhile, promoted the Ghost of Kyiv narrative with a video that suggested the mystery pilot could have been responsible for as many as 10 downed Russian aircraft by Feb. 26. That video, too, included footage from a video game.

PolitiFact did not receive a response from Zelensky's administration about Oksanchenko and the Ghost of Kyiv claim.

Finding no conclusive information tying Oksanchenko to the Ghost of Kyiv, we rate this claim False.

Read MoreUkraine recognized downed pilot as ‘hero,’ but claims he was the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ are unsubstantiated

This photo of a tank has been doctored to add a Ukrainian flag

Facebook posts shared hundreds of times purport to show a photo of a Ukrainian tank in Iraq. They accuse Ukraine of hypocrisy for condemning Russia's invasion, despite apparently having played a role in the Iraq War. In fact, the tank photo has been doctored to add a Ukrainian flag and coat of arms. While Ukrainian troops did serve in Iraq, the photo resembles images of American troops at the Iraq-Kuwait border during the Gulf War.

Read MoreThis photo of a tank has been doctored to add a Ukrainian flag

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.

Read MoreChina repeats false claim that U.S has biolabs in Ukraine

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.

Read MoreMisleading claims on US border guards deploying to Europe spread online