Category Methods

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.

August 3, 2022

Disinformation Ukrainian culture Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings USA Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community

This clip shows a climate protest in Italy, not Ukrainian protesters in Spain

A video clip of motorists angrily dragging away demonstrators who were blocking a highway has been viewed tens of thousands of times in online posts that claim it shows Ukrainian anti-war protesters obstructing traffic in Spain. This is false: the clip was filmed in a highway in the Italian capital Rome. The group that staged the protest told AFP it showed a climate demonstration unrelated to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

August 1, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Ukraine International community Italy Spain

Fake: Ukrainian Commander Held Captive by Russia Accuses Ukrainian Military of Shelling Olenivka Prison…

Serhiy Volynsky, the commander of Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, who is in Russian captivity, has not said anything that could be interpreted as support for the Russian propaganda version of the deadly explosions at the prisoner of war camp in Olenivka.

August 1, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia War crimes

Photo Fake: Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Disappear in the UK due to Rising Utility Costs

The photo of empty shelves with supposedly sold-out energy-saving light bulbs was actually taken in a US supermarket at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 30, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings USA Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia UK International community

Fake: Russophobic Authorities in Barcelona Take Kids Away from Russian Woman

The story is certainly complicated, and the information currently accessible to the public is clearly not enough to draw any conclusions. But the topic of Western russophobia was clearly added to it by the correspondent of Channel One. The publications in Spanish and Swiss media do not mention that the problem is related to the war in Ukraine. They only cite Elena's words: "At school, the war in Ukraine is talked about a lot. They say that we, Russians, are all bad. And the girls would come home sad because of it" - without claims that it could have caused the children to be taken away. And the story that the girls are allegedly considered children of Ukrainians killed in the war is found only in Valentina Solovyova's story.

July 29, 2022

Disinformation Children Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Dehumanizing others Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia Protected groups & minorities Hatred and bigotry International community Spain

Fake: Ukrainian Refugees Destroy Spanish Forest While Attempting to Burn Russian Flag

The video circulating on social media has been edited - a running line claiming that a large fire in Spain was allegedly caused by Ukrainian refugees was deliberately added on the screen. In reality, the running line reported on the driver, arrested for assaulting a passenger and driving under the influence.

July 29, 2022

Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community Spain

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Dancers Performing At A NATO Event? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
The footage was taken during a 2017 event at the University of Ghent. The event was not affiliated with NATO.

July 28, 2022

Disinformation NATO Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions International community

FACT CHECK: No, Lego Did Not Create Figurines Of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
The photos show a set of custom-built Lego figures. A Lego spokesperson confirmed the images do not depict an official product.

July 26, 2022

Disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Azov Battalion Context Ukraine

Fake: Temporarily Occupied Part of Zaporizhzhia Region “Establishes International Contacts”

The international community does not recognize occupied Crimea or other Ukrainian occupied territories as independent republics, or the territory of Russia. Vladimir Rogov, quoted by Russian propaganda about alleged international contacts, is under European sanctions for threatening the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and has no authority to "establish contacts" with anyone, because he does not represent any official authorities.

July 25, 2022

Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Methods European Union Ukraine Russia International community

Video from 2018 used in misleading post claiming Russian president recently arrived in South Africa

With Eastern Europe in turmoil following the invasion of Ukraine, a Facebook post shared hundreds of times claims Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'in South Africa'. The post includes a video broadcast showing Putin arriving in the country for alliance talks. However, this is misleading: the video was filmed in July 2018 ahead of the 10th summit of the BRICS group, which was hosted by South Africa.

July 20, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Putin Methods Misconceptions South Africa Russia International community