Category USA

Fake: Ukrainians Selling Switchblade 300 Drones on Darknet

The alleged Switchblade 300 sale ads use photos of two different Switchblade drones, both of which were damaged and shot down in Syria in the past decade. These photographs first appeared on the web six and seven years ago, respectively.

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Manipulation: Europe Refuses to Recognize Russia’s War in Ukraine as Aggression, Declines ‘Special Tribunal”

Russian media manipulatively distorted the sense of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's statement about a possible special Russia tribunal to address war crimes and atrocities committed by the Russian military in their war against Ukraine. The European Union, the United States and many other countries support the establishment of such an international tribunal, and while all agree that it is a necessity, the format of the court is still under discussion.

Read MoreManipulation: Europe Refuses to Recognize Russia’s War in Ukraine as Aggression, Declines ‘Special Tribunal”

Fake: President Zelensky Orders Catherine II Odesa Statue be Replaced with Monument of US…

The Catherine II statue is the property of the Odesa City Council. The city of Odesa, and not the Ukrainian President will decide its fate. The Ukrainian President cannot single handedly order that the Odesa statue be demolished or replaced, he simply does not have the authority or the power to do so. This is the responsibility of the local city authorities. Russian media however chose to focus only on the petition which ironically proposes to replace a Russian empress with an American porno star, which gathered 26,468 signatures of support.

Read MoreFake: President Zelensky Orders Catherine II Odesa Statue be Replaced with Monument of US…

Fake: US Forces Kissinger to Renege on Idea for Ukraine to Cede Territory to…

Kissinger did not suggest that Ukraine cede territory to Russia. He argued that in order to start peace negotiations with Ukraine, Russia must return to the positions that existed before the war began on February 24, 2022.

Read MoreFake: US Forces Kissinger to Renege on Idea for Ukraine to Cede Territory to…

Unproven claims of US-funded Ukraine bioweapons labs spread online

Online articles and social media posts claim US-funded labs in Ukraine are developing biological warfare weapons, saying this is part of the justification for the Russian attack on its eastern European neighbor. But former US officials and non-proliferation experts say the labs are working to detect and prevent the spread of bioweapons, and have also helped in containing disease outbreaks.

Read MoreUnproven claims of US-funded Ukraine bioweapons labs spread online

The Pentagon didn’t ‘admit’ that there are 46 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine

The United States government didn't admit that there are 46 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine.

The document referenced by far-right and socialist websites repeats known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned and -operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S.

The government fact sheet specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

Our ruling
A Gateway Pundit article said, "US Department of Defense Finally Comes Clean - Admits in Public Document that There Are 46 US Military-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine."

There was no "coming clean" ' and the government made no such admission.

The document referenced in the stories repeated known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned-and-operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S. The document specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

We rate this claim False.

Read MoreThe Pentagon didn’t ‘admit’ that there are 46 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine

No, the Ukrainian colors were not added to an official pride flag

An image of a flag that incorporated the Ukrainian colors originated as satire. This particular image isn't affiliated with any official LGBTQ organizations.

Snopes reported that Dublin's LGBTQ Pride Festival designed a flyer that used a different image of a flag that incorporated Ukrainian colors as a signal of welcome displaced Ukrainian refugees.

Our ruling
Greene and others shared an image that showed the pride flag altered to incorporate the colors of the Ukrainian flag as if it were real.

This isn't a genuine flag used by the LGBTQ community. It originated as satire.

We rate this False

Read MoreNo, the Ukrainian colors were not added to an official pride flag

Health Agencies Deny US-Funded Biolabs | Africa Check

Four days after the Tass articles, on 31 May, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control director-general Ifedayo Adetifa released a statement debunking Russia's claims.

"Nigeria has no laboratories where monkeypox virus is generated," he says in the statement, adding that the claims are "not backed by any evidence". On 30 May the US consulate in Nigeria also issued a statement, dismissing Russia's claims as "pure fabrication". And in a press briefing on 2 June, the WHO said the organisation hadn't received any request from Russia to investigate "US biolabs" in Nigeria.

Read MoreHealth Agencies Deny US-Funded Biolabs | Africa Check