Category Misconceptions

DISINFO: Ukrainian Army has de jure lost its supreme commander-in-chief Zelensky

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aimed to defame President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian leadership to absolve Russia from its responsibility for the fact that Ukraine cannot hold elections for the moment.

Since 2022, Russia has waged large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine and is also responsible for the outbreak of the conflict in 2014, after having illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula and engineered the creation of rebel militias in Donetsk, Luhansk and other places, with its army actively participating in military clashes.

Further, Zelenskyy's reported decision to postpone next year's presidential poll was made in accordance with current Ukrainian legislation. Article 19 of the 2015 Ukrainian law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" directly prohibits the holding of presidential and several other types of elections during wartime.

Read MoreDISINFO: Ukrainian Army has de jure lost its supreme commander-in-chief Zelensky

DISINFO: Zelenskyy is usurping power by cancelling elections

This is a deliberate distortion of facts aiming to undermine the legitimacy of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation.

This disinformation story claims that president Zelenskyy 'cancelled the election' to suggest a power-grabbing maneuver. However, this disingenuous formulation is not true, as a call for new elections actually never took place due to the ongoing war.

Ukraine's constitution is straightforward: no elections can be held during wartime and the President of Ukraine exercises his powers until the assumption of office by the newly-elected President. The continuity of government institutions is one of the key principles of the Constitution.

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DISINFO: The West behind the attempted murder of Slovak PM Robert Fico

Anti-Semitism and disinformation, accusing the West of the attempt on the life of Slovakian PM Robert Fico. This also pushes a conspiracy theory and disinformation narrative about global elites secretly ruling the world.

There is no evidence of the involvement of any Western country in the assassination attempt on Fico.

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Fake: Five Years Ago, Russian Language was Banned in Ukraine and Linguistic Genocide Has Began

The legislation in Ukraine regulating the use of the Ukrainian language does not apply to personal communication or religion, and does not provide for any criminal liability for violations of its norms, "language patrols" or "language inspectors", as propaganda claims. Ukrainians themselves do not see any harassment of Russian-speaking Ukrainians, as evidenced by the results of opinion polls.

Read MoreFake: Five Years Ago, Russian Language was Banned in Ukraine and Linguistic Genocide Has Began

DISINFO: Anglo-Saxons involved in Iran leader’s death and other recent attempts

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative and a conspiracy theory claiming that Western countries support terrorism all over the world and order assassinations of political leaders who carry out independent policies.

There is no evidence of the EU, the US or their allies being involved in the long list of events covered by the disinformation piece above.

Read MoreDISINFO: Anglo-Saxons involved in Iran leader’s death and other recent attempts

DISINFO: Zelenskyy is usurping power in Ukraine

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aimed at defaming president Zelenskyy and absolve Russia from its responsibility for suspending the democratic process in Ukraine.

Ukrainian law prohibits holding presidential elections while under martial law. This was stipulated by the Ukrainian martial law passed in 2015, long before President Zelenskyy became the president of Ukraine in May 2019.

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DISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

The claim that Ukraine and the US were behind the assassination attempt against Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is a baseless accusation with no supporting evidence. This is part of a broader pro-Kremlin campaign aiming to portray Ukraine as a terrorist state.

Shortly after the news that Prime Minister Fico was shot, a widespread disinformation campaign accused Ukraine of being responsible for the assassination attempt. Popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and bot accounts played a key role in spreading this disinformation narrative. The extremely rapid response combined with such serious accusation is an indicator that this is a coordinated disinformation campaign.

Read MoreDISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

DISINFO: Ukrainian government is planning to relocate to Lviv

The article contains baseless speculation devoid of any factual basis. It serves the pro-Kremlin aim of eroding morale and a narrative of a disintegrating Ukraine that is in retreat militarily.

The article references a Reuters article, which states that foreign investment and the increase in internally displaced people are most noticeable in the western regions (Lviv and Transcarpathia). However, this fact, which is a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, has no bearing on the claim that the Ukrainian government is planning a resettlement to western Ukraine, specifically Lviv.

Ukraine has no intention of abandoning Kyiv, the capital city. Even during the height of the war in spring 2022, the government and the president remained in Kyiv.

Read MoreDISINFO: Ukrainian government is planning to relocate to Lviv

No, French pilots did not ‘accidentally’ paint a Russian flag during Olympic flyover – Truth or Fake

Social media users are sharing a viral video that purports to show French pilots painting a Russian flag in the sky, instead of a French one, during Marseille's Olympic flyover event. We explain if this was an accident or rather an optical illusion, in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreNo, French pilots did not ‘accidentally’ paint a Russian flag during Olympic flyover – Truth or Fake

No, ‘hundreds’ of bodies of NATO soldiers were not repatriated from Ukraine

Recent months have seen a spike in disinformation about NATO and Ukraine's allies on social media, following French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on sending Western ground troops to fight in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreNo, ‘hundreds’ of bodies of NATO soldiers were not repatriated from Ukraine