Category Narratives

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.

Read MoreThere’s no evidence that Ukraine’s president has a net worth of $596 million

Land documents claiming Ukrainian officials bought fancy properties in Switzerland are forged

A Swiss land registry official said that documents claiming to show purchases of luxury properties by Ukrainian officials are forged.

The documents contain errors, such as the wrong digit count in numbers identifying the property.

A Swiss newspaper said the false claims were the work of a blogger loyal to the Kremlin.

Our ruling
A website claimed that three high-ranking Ukrainian officials had purchased luxury property in the resort town of Gstaad, Switzerland.

A Swiss land registry official said the documents cited as evidence were forged; errors in them prove that they did not come from the registry, the official said.

We rate this claim False.

Read MoreLand documents claiming Ukrainian officials bought fancy properties in Switzerland are forged

Altered magazine cover featuring Ukrainian president spreads online

Social media posts share an image that purportedly shows Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky riding a horse made of banknotes on the cover of Money, a US magazine. But no such cover was published; the image was altered from a 2016 issue, according to the magazine, which is now only available online.

Read MoreAltered magazine cover featuring Ukrainian president spreads online

Fake: Politico: West Wants Urgent Peace Treaty with Russia Because Ukraine Is In for…

The Politico newspaper, which Russian media claims published a story about an imminent peace treaty between the West and the Russian Federation, does not have a single article on this topic. Quite the contrary, the publication quotes many Western politicians who say that the United States and the European Union are committed to long-term support for Ukraine and do not see a possible to end the war in the near future.

Read MoreFake: Politico: West Wants Urgent Peace Treaty with Russia Because Ukraine Is In for…

This visual effects video does not show ‘Russia’s vacuum bomb attack in Ukraine’

A video has been viewed tens of thousands of times in multiple social media posts that claim it shows Russia attacking Ukraine with a vacuum bomb in 2022. The claim, however, is false. Although Russia has been accused of using such weapons in Ukraine, the video in fact is a digital creation of a visual effects artist.

Read MoreThis visual effects video does not show ‘Russia’s vacuum bomb attack in Ukraine’

Did Ukrainians really place anti-Russian stickers around Auschwitz? Nope.

Several pro-Russian accounts have been circulating photos that they say show how Ukrainians put anti-Russian stickers in different places in Auschwitz, the former death camp run by the Nazis. The stickers say: "Russia & Russians - The only gas you and your country deserve is Zyklon B", a reference to the toxic gas used by Nazis to kill prisoners in the on-site gas chambers.

Read MoreDid Ukrainians really place anti-Russian stickers around Auschwitz? Nope.

The Pentagon didn’t ‘admit’ that there are 46 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine

The United States government didn't admit that there are 46 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine.

The document referenced by far-right and socialist websites repeats known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned and -operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S.

The government fact sheet specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

Our ruling
A Gateway Pundit article said, "US Department of Defense Finally Comes Clean - Admits in Public Document that There Are 46 US Military-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine."

There was no "coming clean" ' and the government made no such admission.

The document referenced in the stories repeated known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned-and-operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S. The document specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

We rate this claim False.

Read MoreThe Pentagon didn’t ‘admit’ that there are 46 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine

Russian has not been banned in Ukraine, despite repeated claims

Ukraine has not banned the use of the Russian language in the country.

A 2019 law established Ukrainian as the official language of Ukraine and strengthened its use in businesses, schools and the media.

Our ruling
Lavrov referenced the banning and prohibition of Russian in Ukraine, particularly in "education, the media, everyday contacts," during a press conference.

Despite a language law that establishes Ukrainian as the country's official language and prioritizes its use in civil society, Russian has not been banned.

We rate Lavrov's statement False.

Read MoreRussian has not been banned in Ukraine, despite repeated claims

Picture does not show decorated officer among Russian prisoners

Social media users shared a photo claiming to show that a senior US military commander was among captives when Ukrainian soldiers defending the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol surrendered to Russian troops in May. But the claim is false; retired Admiral Eric Olson confirmed to AFP that he was not in Ukraine, and the photo appeared in Russian media a month before the surrender.

Read MorePicture does not show decorated officer among Russian prisoners