Category Russia

Video shows Putin’s face superimposed on exiled tycoon’s body for anti-Kremlin film promo

Footage that appears to show Russian President Vladimir Putin behind bars has surfaced in social media posts claiming he was arrested on terrorism charges. However, the clip has been doctored to superimpose Putin's face onto that of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon who spent a decade in jail. The altered video was originally published to promote a documentary that accused Russian authorities of orchestrating a series of apartment block bombings in 1999.

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No, a Ukrainian publisher did not issue maps omitting Russian-occupied territories

In a video posted on Russian Telegram accounts, a man claims to have found a geography book for Ukrainian high school students in which the map of Ukraine has been cut in half, missing the areas occupied by Russian troops. But several clues in the video indicate that it is a fake, as confirmed to us by the book's publisher.

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Social media posts share false claim about ‘NATO-supplied fighter jets arriving in Ukraine’

A claim that NATO has sent fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country fight invading Russian forces was shared by multiple social media posts in August 2022. The claim, however, is false. While there was a proposal in March to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era jets through a US air base, Washington rejected the idea over fears it could escalate the conflict. Separately, NATO's press office told AFP that the claim was "not accurate".

Read MoreSocial media posts share false claim about ‘NATO-supplied fighter jets arriving in Ukraine’

Despite Putin’s claim, Russia has lost plenty in Ukraine invasion

Russia has lost as many as 25,000 soldiers in its invasion of Ukraine, with tens of thousands more injured, according to estimates from U.K. and U.S. officials.

Russia's economy will contract as much as 6% this year mostly because of international sanctions, the country's central bank predicted.

Thousands of educated professionals have fled the nation after the war began, according to news reports.

Our ruling
Putin stated that Russia has lost nothing since the country invaded neighboring Ukraine in February.

Russia has suffered many losses. As many as 25,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have died. Indicators from within Russia show the Russian economy has been damaged by international sanctions resulting from the war. And experts say thousands of Russians from many professional backgrounds, including tech and academia, have fled the nation.

We rate Putin's claim False.

Read MoreDespite Putin’s claim, Russia has lost plenty in Ukraine invasion

Debunking claims that Ukraine is staging Russian war crimes – Truth or Fake

A video from a film production in Ukraine has been widely shared on social media. Pro-Kremlin users falsely claim the video is evidence that Ukraine is staging Russian atrocities. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

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Your guide to geolocating photos and videos posted online

Determining whether a scene actually took place where a social media user said it did - also known as geolocation - has become a major part of verifying social media posts. In this article, we take a look at some essential geolocation tools and walk you through a few case studies from the FRANCE 24 Observers team.

Read MoreYour guide to geolocating photos and videos posted online

How to investigate a Twitter account or suspicious tweets

There are about 200 million people who use Twitter on a daily basis, making it an important site for news and information. But this social network is also a prime source of disinformation, from fake accounts to tweets taken out of context. The FRANCE 24 Observers team takes a look at some good habits to avoid falling into these Twitter traps.

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Photo shows tourists at Russian amusement park, not ‘Chinese soldiers going to Ukraine’

A photo of several people wearing military uniforms with Chinese and Russian flags has been shared hundreds of times in social media posts that claim it shows Chinese soldiers joining the Russian army to fight in Ukraine. This is false. AFP traced the photo to the website of a military-themed amusement park in Russia. The photographer who took pictures of the event said the people in the photo were "tourists".

Read MorePhoto shows tourists at Russian amusement park, not ‘Chinese soldiers going to Ukraine’