Putin’s Fake: War in Ukraine Conforms with UN Charter
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation which began on February 24, 2022, is a flagrant violation of international law and a naked act of aggression.
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Fake: Austria Agrees To Pay for Russian Gas In Rubles
Austria continues to pay for Russian gas only in Euros and strictly adheres to agreed EU sanctons, said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The politician called the news that Austria paid its Russian gas bill in rubles "another Russian propaganda fake".
Three claims accuse Volodymyr Zelensky of being addicted to cocaine
In recent weeks, people have been sharing at least three videos purporting to show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky either using cocaine or making incoherent remarks after allegedly consuming drugs. But these videos have been cut misleadingly and sometimes even digitally manipulated.
Doctored CNN tweet circulates in posts about ‘child soldiers training in Ukraine’
An image shared in multiple social media posts in different countries purports to show a genuine tweet from CNN about child soldiers in Ukraine. The claim is false; AFP found no evidence that the tweet was ever published by CNN, and the US broadcaster said it was fabricated. The photo in the posts has circulated online since at least 2018 in reports about Ukrainian children learning battlefield skills at a summer camp, and the photographer told AFP it was "never used" by CNN.
Social media posts overplay North Korea’s support for Russian invasion of Ukraine, analysts say
Social media posts claim North Korea has decided to send troops to Ukraine to support Russia, citing a report by Russian state media. However, the report makes no mention of North Korea sending troops to Ukraine. There have been no official reports or statements to support the claim, as of April 26. North Korean experts told AFP it was "highly unlikely" that Pyongyang would deploy troops to Ukraine.
Viral videos falsely claiming Ukraine’s Zelenskyy uses cocaine are altered
Two viral videos purported to show that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy uses cocaine. One video appeared to show cocaine on Zelenskyy's desk as he spoke, while the other appeared to show him saying that he uses the drug routinely.
The first video was doctored; in the original, there is no white substance on Zelenskyy's desk. The second video was deceptively edited; in the original, he denied using drugs.
Our ruling
Two videos claimed to show Zelenskyy either using or admitting to using cocaine.
The first video purports to show a white powder on Zelenskyy's desk as he placed a video call to Musk. But the video was doctored to include the substance, which is not in the original.
The second video appears to show Zelenskyy talking about using cocaine regularly, but the video was deceptively edited to reorder Zelenskyy's words. In reality, Zelenskyy denied using drugs.
We rate these videos Pants on Fire!
This video does not show the Moskva warship exploding — it’s a 2013 Norwegian military exercise
A video has been viewed millions of times on social media, alongside the claim that it shows the Russian warship Moskva exploding. The claim is false: the video is a clipped and edited version of one that has been circulating online since at least 2013, which shows the Norwegian armed forces using a decommissioned frigate for target practice.
Fake: Ukrainian Soldiers Looting
One photo shows Ukrainian police and Territorial Defense servicemen moving goods from a bombed Kharkiv shop to a safe location. Video footage shows an ATB supermarket in Kyiv province looted by Russian troops.
Fake: Ukrainian UJ-22 Airborne Drone Shot Down Over Kursk Province
Photos of the same drone as in the one featured in this fake story were already published a month earlier, including by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels. At that time Russian propagandists claimed the drone was shot down in the city of Klintsy, in the Bryansk region.
Fake: National Guard Order – Surrendering Soldiers to Be Executed
An "order" being circulated online is a fake. Several errors in the document's wording and style point to the fact that it is not genuine. Desertion as well as voluntary surrender are punishable offense as set forth in Ukraine's Criminal code. According to Criminal Code Article 430, voluntary surrender due to cowardice is punishable by imprisonment up to seven-ten years.