Category Fact checks / debunkings

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

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.

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Fake: Zelenskyy’s office is discussing splitting up Ukraine

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly emphasized that it is not going to cede its territory to Russia for peace. For Ukraine, there is only one acceptable way to end the Russian war: the undisputed victory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the de-occupation of all Ukrainian lands.

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Joe Rogan Claims U.S. Accidentally Sent $6.2 Billion to Ukraine

Joe Rogan Claims U.S. Accidentally Sent $6.2 Billion to Ukraine

The U.S. did not accidentally send $6.2 billion to Ukraine. An overestimation of the cost of some military hardware meant that $6.2 billion was not spent in the transfer of U.S. stocks to Ukraine.

While the DOD has said that this can now be used toward future stock drawdowns authorized by the president, that does not mean $6.2 billion has been sent accidentally, and all that implies, to Ukraine.

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Fake: Sumy Region Residents are Compelled to Pay for “Forced Evacuation”

These reports are a complete fabrication. Evacuation from the border areas of Sumy region has not yet begun. The local authorities are still compiling lists of those willing to move to safer regions, after which free transfers and accommodation will be organized for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Sumy Regional Military Administration emphasizes that there will be no emergency or forced evacuation. If someone decides to refuse to be evacuated, it is enough to write a request.

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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.

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Does Zelensky Live in $5.5M Mansion With Infinity Pool?

Does Zelensky Live in $5.5M Mansion With Infinity Pool?

The tweet by Churchill offers no evidence that the image of a luxury property she shared belonged to Zelensky. Social media users were quick to point out that the image was taken from a real estate website for a property that was on sale for $5.5 million. It appears to be the latest unfounded accusation that Zelensky has faced that he has amassed properties around the world.

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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.

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Fake: Pope Francis Calls on Ukraine to Dismiss Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Abbot

Russian media and Telegram channels' claims that the Pope has allegedly called on Ukrainian authorities to dismiss the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra abbot is baseless. As of today, none of the Vatican's official resources have published anything about this.

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