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.
Category Disinformation
Read MorePhoto Fake: Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Disappear in the UK due to Rising Utility Costs
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.
Manipulation: UN Confirms No Injuries In Odesa “Ukrainian Military Target Strike”
The lack of victims from the Russian missile attack on the Odesa port on July 23 does not excuse Russia - it still carried out another act of aggression and violated the agreements made the day before. UN representatives did not say anything about the Russian attack on "military warehouses" in the Odesa port. On the contrary, the UN has once again condemned Russian attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Fake: Children are Taken Away from Ukrainian Refugees in Germany “for Having Emotion and…
StopFake found no evidence of Ukrainian refugees living in Europe having their children taken away from them. The German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) and the Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) are not aware of any such cases in the families of Ukrainian refugees.
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.
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.
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.
Russia fines Google $373 million for allegedly promoting fake news
Russia has fined Alphabet Inc.'s Google $373 million for allegedly promoting fake news on its platform. Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor said the content includes "fake news" about the conflict in Ukraine.
Odesa Missile Strike Fakes: “Ukrainians bomb themselves,”, “HIMARS hit Odesa” and “UN not condemning…
On July 24th Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that Odesa was shelled by Russian armed forces. The information that a warehouse was hit with Harpoon missiles is likely untrue. The Ukrainian Military's press office said that Russian Kalibr cruise missiles damaged a pumping station. The types of explosions that rocked the port of Odesa do not indicate that an ammunition depot was struck. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres explicitly condemned the strikes on the port. This attack took place less than 24 hours after Russia signed an agreement freeing up grain export from Ukrainian ports.
There’s no evidence that Ukraine’s president has a net worth of $596 million
There is no proof that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a net worth of $596 million or receives a monthly income of $11 million.
Leaked financial documents showed Zelenskyy had several assets like real estate property and cars, but not enough to corroborate the claim made on Facebook.
A report by Forbes found the Ukrainian president's net worth was closer to $20 million to $30 million.
Our ruling
A Facebook post shared a screenshot from a website claiming to show Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's net worth as being $596 million while receiving a monthly income of $11 million and a salary of $780,000.
The website featured in the Facebook post offered no corroborating evidence for the claim.
Leaked financial documents showed Zelenskyy did have some assets, but nowhere near what's being claimed on the website and Facebook post.
A report by Forbes found his net worth to be much smaller, around $20 million to $30 million.
We rate this False.