Category Methods

Footage shows Polish flag at German band’s rock concert, not Indonesian flag

Two videos have been viewed over a million times in social media posts that claim they show an Indonesian flag flown during a concert by German rock band Scorpions after Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Ukraine and Russia to urge peace talks in late June 2022. The claim is false; the videos were taken during a Scorpions concert in Poland on May 28, 2022. News reports say the Polish and Ukrainian flags had been flown at the concert, not the Indonesian flag.

Read MoreFootage shows Polish flag at German band’s rock concert, not Indonesian flag

Footage of blaze on oil drilling platform filmed years before Ukraine attack

After Ukraine struck an oil drilling platform in the Black Sea that it said was being used by Russian troops, footage was viewed thousands of times in Chinese-language social media posts that claimed it showed the attack. However, the footage has circulated online since at least 2004, although AFP was unable to confirm where it was filmed.

Read MoreFootage of blaze on oil drilling platform filmed years before Ukraine attack

No, Moscow was not targeted in a missile attack

The video does not show a missile attack against the city of Moscow.
Footage used in a social media video claiming to be from the attack was taken from unrelated incidents.

Our ruling
A Facebook video shared images claiming to be from a missile strike on Moscow, implying Ukraine launched the attack against the Russian capital.

There appears to be no basis to the claim as there has been no reporting or corroborating evidence that missiles were launched at the city.

The video misrepresented footage from a separate incident several years ago as being from the attack and falsely claimed a fire at a Russian facility was part of a Ukrainian military strike.

We rate this claim Pants on Fire!

Read MoreNo, Moscow was not targeted in a missile attack

Fake: Ukraine’s Defense Minister Declares WWIII, Calls on West Not to Be Afraid to…

Russian propagandist media distorted the meaning of Ukrainian Defense Minister's point. He did not declare WWIII, he said that it had already begun on February 24, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. [...]

Minister Reznikov, of course, did not declare WWIII. In a tried-and-true fashion, Russian media took a phrase out of context, and distorted its meaning to make a mendacious claim.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine’s Defense Minister Declares WWIII, Calls on West Not to Be Afraid to…

Did Video Show Russian Missile ‘Boomerang’ in Ukraine, Striking Troops Who Launched It?

Several videos did appear to show a Russian missile landing short of where other missiles had been launched in the minutes prior, likely due to a malfunction of some sort. However, there's no evidence that it flew back directly into the area from which it was launched, nor was there any data that showed it injured or killed Russian troops. An alternate angle of what appeared to be the same missile being fired showed that it did not land on its own launch site.

Read MoreDid Video Show Russian Missile ‘Boomerang’ in Ukraine, Striking Troops Who Launched It?

A viral image appearing to show Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a pro-Ukraine shirt that says “I’ll be back” is fake.

A viral image appearing to show Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a pro-Ukraine shirt that says "I'll be back" is fake.

Read MoreA viral image appearing to show Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a pro-Ukraine shirt that says “I’ll be back” is fake.

Did Polish police open fire on African refugees fleeing Ukraine? – Fact or Fake

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 7 million people have fled the country. Multiple reports have outlined the specific difficulties that African refugees faced as they attempted to cross the Polish border and enter the European Union. Georgina Robertson and Sophie Samaille take a look at a Facebook post falsely claiming that refugees from Africa were shot at by Polish police.

Read MoreDid Polish police open fire on African refugees fleeing Ukraine? – Fact or Fake

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