Category Russia

Fake: Ukrainian Soldier Admits that Ukrainian Forces ‘Killed Children in Sudzha’

The claim circulating on Russian platforms that a Ukrainian soldier allegedly confessed to killing a child near Sudzha is either fake or at least unverified. The message was posted on a Facebook account that, according to available data, previously belonged to Ukrainian soldier Artur Yakovitskyi. His family has reported him missing - according to open sources, he disappeared near the settlement of Sudzha on 28 February 2025. On 28 March, a suspicious post appeared on his Facebook page, allegedly containing a confession to the murder. On 1 April, a screenshot of this post began actively circulating on pro-Russian Telegram channels. The image of the "murdered teenager" attached to the post was likely generated by artificial intelligence - this is supported by the analysis results of several AI detection tools.

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Manipulation: Ukraine ‘Violated Obligation to Maintain Energy Ceasefire’

Russia itself has not stopped attacking Ukraine's energy and civilian infrastructure for a single day - neither after Zelenskyy's promise to stop such attacks, nor after Putin's conversation with Donald Trump, during which the Russian leader supposedly ordered a halt to attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. After the alleged 'agreement to stop strikes', Russia continues to launch more than a hundred attack drones into Ukraine every day, targeting energy facilities, among other targets. The most massive attacks after the agreement between Putin and Trump were Russian strikes on the regions of Kropyvnytskyi, Odesa, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk, Sumy and Kyiv regions.

Read MoreManipulation: Ukraine ‘Violated Obligation to Maintain Energy Ceasefire’

US President Trump’s claims about Zelenskyy and Ukraine fact-checked

Claim: Zelenskyy started the war with Russia
Claim: Zelenskyy is a dictator
Claim: Zelenskyy has a 4 percent approval rating
Claim: The US has spent $350bn to help Ukraine
Claim: Zelenskyy said he doesn't know where half of the money the US has given Ukraine went
Claim: Zelenskyy was 'sleeping and unavailable' to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week in Kyiv

Read MoreUS President Trump’s claims about Zelenskyy and Ukraine fact-checked

Fake: Russia Shot Down Its Own Drones Over Ukraine After Trump’s Conversation with Putin

Despite the unsubstantiated statements of the Russian Defen?e Ministry, Russia continued shelling Ukraine even after the US President talked on the phone with the Kremlin leader. Energy infrastructure in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions was shelled. In total on the night of March 18-19, 2025, 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles, as well as 145 Shahed strike UAVs were launched over Ukraine.

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Fake: 71% of French Dream of Putin Leading Their Country – Le Figaro

This video is fake. Propagandists used the French newspaper's branding to fabricate a story about a non-existent poll. According to recent polls, Putin is widely disliked in France - only 10% of respondents view him positively.

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No, this video does not show Ukrainian troops surrendering in Kursk

A viral video shared by some internet users claims to show Ukrainian troops surrendering to Russia's forces in the Kursk region. However, as FRANCE 24's Charlotte Hughes explains, the video has been taken out of context and was not, in fact, filmed in Kursk.

Read MoreNo, this video does not show Ukrainian troops surrendering in Kursk