Category Disinformation

FACT CHECK: No, BBC News Did Not Publish This Video About Bellingcat Reporting On A Former Ukrainian Official | Check Your Fact

A post shared on X, formerly Twitter, claims BBC News published a video about Bellingcat researchers reporting that former Ukrainian official Alexey Arestovich spent $500,000 on private flights.

Verdict: False
There is no evidence for this claim. BBC News and Bellingcat both denied they made any such report'

Read MoreFACT CHECK: No, BBC News Did Not Publish This Video About Bellingcat Reporting On A Former Ukrainian Official | Check Your Fact

Fact Check: Did Ukraine’s Zelensky Buy a $48 Million Yacht?

The Ruling: False.
Volodymyr Zelensky has not bought a $48.9 million yacht, as confirmed by the broker handling its sale.

There is no evidence a similar purchase has been made elsewhere. Funding to Ukraine is heavily audited and itemized, making it very difficult, if not impossible, for Zelensky to make such a purchase using U.S. contributions.

Read MoreFact Check: Did Ukraine’s Zelensky Buy a $48 Million Yacht?

Facebook shuts thousands of fake Chinese accounts masquerading as Americans

Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the U.S. ahead of next year's elections, Meta said Thursday.

Read MoreFacebook shuts thousands of fake Chinese accounts masquerading as Americans

UNFOUNDED: A pregnant medic from Odesa received a summons

This is not true. Opinion polls conducted in September-October 2023 show that the majority of citizens are against holding elections during wartime. Zelenskyi also stated that partners are not currently insisting on negotiations with Russia, but there are a few voices that consistently call for it.

Read MoreUNFOUNDED: A pregnant medic from Odesa received a summons

Bucha massacre: Satellite evidence and timeline

The timeline of events in Bucha is critical to understanding events around the 2022 massacre. Many narratives about Bucha hinge entirely on the order of events, and on the dates of certain pieces of evidence. In this article, we lay out several viral claims about the Bucha massacre, and show how each is either debunked or strengthened by the timeline of documented events.

Read MoreBucha massacre: Satellite evidence and timeline

Fake: Ukrainian Armed Forces Mine Border With Hungary in Zakarpattia

There is no information about who the man in the video is, neither what unit he is from nor his rank, which makes it impossible to verify what he is saying. The press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine denied this information, saying that the fake was designed to "negatively affect the situation."

Read MoreFake: Ukrainian Armed Forces Mine Border With Hungary in Zakarpattia

Fake: New Maidan in Zhytomyr – Video

A video shared online shows a protest action that took place on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv on October 1, 2019. The protesters were opposed to the then current policy of resolving the war in eastern Ukraine, namely, the implementation of the Minsk agreements under the Steinmeier formula.

Read MoreFake: New Maidan in Zhytomyr – Video

Billboard in New York City shows “Stand with Israel” ad replacing “Stand with Ukraine” ad.

New York City billboard ad showing 'Stand with Israel' replacing Ukraine is fake
A video claiming to show a pro-Israel ad replaced a pro-Ukraine ad on a New York City digital billboard is fabricated and didn't appear there, the company that owns the billboard said.

Read MoreBillboard in New York City shows “Stand with Israel” ad replacing “Stand with Ukraine” ad.