Category Narratives

Manipulation: IAEA Denies Russian Troops Mined Zaporizhzhia NPP

In fact, the IAEA did not deny, but confirmed the fact that the Zaporizhzhia NPP was mined by Russian troops. A press release on the organization's website said that Zaporizhzhia NPP was mined around the perimeter and in some places inside the plant, which does not meet safety standards. The organization could not confirm the fact that the cooling pond on the territory of the plant was mined as of June 15, when IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi was visiting the plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency called the situation with nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant extremely unstable.

Read MoreManipulation: IAEA Denies Russian Troops Mined Zaporizhzhia NPP

Fake: Cholera in Lower Reaches of Dnipro Caused by US Biolabs

Ukrainian Ministry of Health assesses water quality in the reservoirs of Kherson, Odesa, and Mykolaiv regions on a daily basis, and the epidemic situation is currently under control, with no outbreaks of infectious diseases in the affected areas. The narrative about the US biolabs is not confirmed either by specialized experts from different countries or by international organizations working to reduce the threat of proliferation of mass destruction weapons.

Read MoreFake: Cholera in Lower Reaches of Dnipro Caused by US Biolabs

The war in Ukraine is real and ongoing, despite nonsense social media posts

That's because it trafficks in misinformation about the war that we've encountered before. Previous posts have falsely claimed that various photos are evidence the war is fake, that video clips prove it's staged, that it's scripted. None of that was accurate, and neither is the claim that there's no war in Ukraine.

It defies more than a year of news coverage from reporters with media outlets from around the world giving dispatches from Ukraine, describing the front lines, the lives of civilians and more.

We rate this post Pants on Fire!

Read MoreThe war in Ukraine is real and ongoing, despite nonsense social media posts
This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

The lesson of the 20th century is that putting “America First” requires us to project strength and deter our enemies from launching wars of aggression — so that U.S. troops to don’t have to fight and die in another global conflagration. The invasion in Ukraine was a failure of deterrence. Only by helping Ukraine win can we prevent further deterrence failures.

If we help Ukraine prevail, we can rewrite the narrative of U.S. weakness; restore deterrence with China; strike a blow against the Sino-Russian alliance; decimate the Russian threat to Europe; increase burden-sharing with our allies; improve our military preparedness for other adversaries; stop a global nuclear arms race; dissuade other nuclear states from launching wars of aggression; and make World War III less likely.

The “America First” conclusion: Helping Ukraine is a supreme national interest.

Read MoreThis is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

Debunking Zelensky’s ‘luxury real estate’ assets – Truth or Fake

On the sidelines of President Volodymyr Zelensky's European tour, online claims went viral that the Ukrainian president has purchased luxury villas in Crimea, Italy and England with Western military aid money. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreDebunking Zelensky’s ‘luxury real estate’ assets – Truth or Fake

Fake: Ukraine Will Blow Up Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant During Counteroffensive, US Confirms

The US delivered to Ukraine sensors that detect a surge of radiation. This is solely caused by Russia's nuclear blackmail, not the Ukrainian army's actions or plans.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine Will Blow Up Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant During Counteroffensive, US Confirms

Fake: Kyiv Announces Attacks on Russian Nuclear Power Plants

In an interview with the Ukrainian Channel Five television network, former Ukrainian Special Forces Deputy commander Serhiy Kryvonos said that Ukrainians knew how to penetrate into and seize a nuclear power plant in peacetime and therefore, hypothetically, are capable of trying to seize a Russian nuclear plant in response to Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia atomic plant. Kryvonos was not speaking in any official capacity, he was speaking hypothetically, and his words do not convey any real intent on the part of Ukraine to seize or attack Russian nuclear power stations.

Read MoreFake: Kyiv Announces Attacks on Russian Nuclear Power Plants

Video edited to show ‘white substance’ on Zelensky’s desk

An edited video apparently showing cocaine on the desk of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has circulated on social media around the world. It is the latest in a string of disinformation targeting the leader since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The suspicious, powder-like pile did not appear in the original video posted on Zelensky's Instagram account.

Read MoreVideo edited to show ‘white substance’ on Zelensky’s desk

No, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

This claim is inaccurate. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a U.S. Defense Department arm that works to deter attacks and emerging threats, in November 2019 awarded a contract for non-COVID-19 training support in Ukraine, the agency said.

An agency spokesperson said the contract's description was modified in 2020, months after the virus emerged, to focus on COVID-19 research. The Defense Department typically modifies contracts over time to address emerging needs.

The Defense Department did not pay for COVID-19 research in Ukraine before the virus emerged. We rate this claim False.

Read MoreNo, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

No, there is no poster of Volodymyr Zelensky ‘snorting’ donations in Milan – Truth or Fake

A video circulating on social media shows a poster of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky apparently "snorting" cash donations from passers-by in Milan. But visual clues in the clip, and the complete lack of eye-witnesses, indicate that it is a fake.

Read MoreNo, there is no poster of Volodymyr Zelensky ‘snorting’ donations in Milan – Truth or Fake