Category Media taken out of context

Did Elijah Wood Tell Zelensky via Instagram to Go to Rehab?

Apart from the fact that the video has been bizarrely edited, it does not mention Zelensky, only someone named Vladimir, and is attributed to an Instagram account with no web presence.

Elijah Wood does not have a public Instagram account and the video being shared of him online, allegedly asking Zelensky to seek treatment, is the only recording available. The video appears to have been spread as a Russian propaganda effort and to promote a dubious documentary that falsely credits Tom Cruise as its star.

Although Newsweek is yet to hear from Wood's representatives for comment, we are confident that the video and claims surrounding it are, respectively, inauthentic and false.

July 21, 2023

Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Misconceptions Russian propaganda Substance abuse Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Famous football chant misrepresented as Ukrainians celebrating Crimea bridge blast

A video circulating online purports to show Ukrainians in a packed pub celebrating the country's recent attack on the Kerch bridge linking Russia to annexed Crimea. But the footage is being misrepresented; it shows Wigan Athletic football fans chanting: "Will Grigg's on fire!" in 2016 about the English club's then-striker.

July 20, 2023

Fact checks / debunkings Hungary International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Ukraine

Fake: Ukraine Asks Interpol to Return those Who Flee Mobilization

Ukraine has not asked Interpol to help track down Ukrainians who are evading mobilization. There is a more compelling reason for Ukraine to work with Interpol: to bring suspected collaborators who fled Ukraine to justice.

July 19, 2023

Coordinated disinformation Disinformation European Union Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: Zelensky Admits that the US Started the War in Ukraine

Ukraine's President did not make any statements about the war in Ukraine
being started by the United States. Volodymyr Zelensky once again
emphasised that Ukraine decides on operations to de-occupy its territories
from Russian invaders.

July 18, 2023

Coordinated disinformation Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine USA

Fake: 47% of Odesa Residents Oppose Ukraine Joining NATO

Opinion polls show that 53% of Odesa residents support Ukraine joining
NATO, and only 18% oppose it. A recent poll conducted by the International
Republican Institute does not show that 47% are against Ukraine joining the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization,

July 17, 2023

Coordinated disinformation Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions NATO Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake translation added to French president’s UN speech about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

A TikTok video shared thousands of times claims to show President Emmanuel Macron apologising to France's former African colonies and pledging reparations during a UN speech in New York in April 2023. But the claim is false: AFP Fact Check traced the footage of the address to a speech from last September and found that the original English translation was replaced with a fake voiceover. Macron did not discuss Africa but talked about the Russian-Ukrainian invasion.

July 10, 2023

Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings France International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Ukraine

Manipulation: Ukraine Will Join the EU Only in 20 to 30 Years

In an interview with five European publications, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she cannot say exactly when Ukraine will join the EU, as the time frame depends on two factors, internal EU processes and the progress of reforms in Ukraine. At the same time, von der Leyen emphasized that in the long run, Ukraine and the Balkans "cannot but integrate into the EU."

July 5, 2023

Coordinated disinformation Disinformation European Union Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: Zaluzhny Calls Ukraine’s Counteroffensive a Clown show

The Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny did not say
that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had turned into a clown show. He only
emphasized that despite the lack of crucial weapons and equipment, the
Ukrainian military are gaining ground every day.

July 3, 2023

Coordinated disinformation Counteroffensive 2023 Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Concert video predates Russian mercenary uprising

Tweets claim a video shows a crowd joyfully reacting to the Wagner Group's short-lived mutiny in Russia. But the clip is old; it first circulated on Telegram in February 2023 and shows a private concert that a Russian online retailer organized for its staff.

June 28, 2023

Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Wagner Group

These videos do not show clashes between the Wagner Group and Russian forces

In the aftermath of the armed rebellion attempt by Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group against the Russian army command on Saturday June 24, people began sharing images online purporting to show the two sides fighting. But at least two of these videos were taken from the video game Arma 3 - and it's not the first time this military video game has been used to spread misinformation.

June 27, 2023

Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Wagner Group