Category Russia

A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has been accompanied by a ferocious battle of disinformation, waged in particular by pro-Russian agitators seeking to distort and shift the blame for many atrocities on the ground. They have sought to depict the Ukrainian side as Nazis or suggest that Western support for Kyiv is evaporating. Here are some of the main narratives, false or misleading, that have been fact-checked over the past year by AFP's digital verification teams.

February 24, 2023

Disinformation Antisemitism Faked publications: billboards ads magazines etc Russian propaganda Bucha Coordinated disinformation Attacks on civilians Nazism Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Germany Volodymyr Zelenskyy Methods European Union Narratives Misconceptions Poland Substance abuse Context Ukraine Russia The war is a hoax War crimes Hatred and bigotry International community

Claims that Vladimir Putin destroyed an ‘adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine’ lack evidence

A recent blog post builds on a fictitious narrative that Russian President Vladimir Putin is stymieing the production of adrenochrome in Ukraine.......We found no credible news reports or sources to corroborate the unfounded allegations, which were published on Real Raw News, a site that regularly posts fake news. The blog's stories are written by someone using a pseudonym and the site has a disclaimer saying it contains "humor, parody and satire," though the author has defended his stories as truth.

The same site wrote separately that Putin intercepted a shipment of adrenochrome bound for the United States. We rated that Pants on Fire!......We rate claims that Putin destroyed an adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine Pants on Fire!

February 23, 2023

Antisemitism Blood libel Children Faked publications: billboards ads magazines etc Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Putin Methods Narratives Misconceptions Satire taken seriously Ukraine Organ farming Russia Protected groups & minorities Hatred and bigotry

How one year of disinformation has shaped the narrative of the Ukraine war online

On February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, triggering a war on the ground, but also an information war online. Since then, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has debunked 115 pieces of misinformation that have been shared in photos or videos online. But what are the main themes in these false narratives? And what techniques are used to misinform? Here's a look back at this year in fake news.

February 23, 2023

Disinformation Antisemitism Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Media taken out of context Genocide vs Ukraine (2022-)Nazism Fact checks / debunkings Genocide Putin Disinfo threat outlook Dehumanizing others Methods Narratives Misconceptions Ukraine Russia The war is a hoax War crimes Hatred and bigotry

Yes some Ukrainians are destroying Russian books, but why? – Truth or Fake

A video showing hundreds of Russian books being shovelled out of trucks, onto the floor and then packed up has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media. The scene takes place in Ukraine and has sparked comparisons by pro-Russians to Nazi book-burning. Put into context though, it's an unfair comparison. We tell you why in this edition of Truth or Fake.

February 23, 2023

Disinformation Russian propaganda Nazism Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Ukraine Russia Hatred and bigotry

What do we know about the Ukrainian soldier accused of wearing an ‘Islamic State badge’?

Since Thursday, February 16, numerous posts online have featured screenshots of a Danish television report showing a Ukrainian soldier with a patch on his uniform that some are saying means he belongs to the Islamic State organisation. However, there is no clear proof of what this patch represents. The Ukrainian soldier in question has given his own version of events.

February 22, 2023

Disinformation Antisemitism Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Nazism Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Ukraine Russia Hatred and bigotry International community Denmark

A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check

February 22, 2023

Disinformation Antisemitism Russian propaganda Bucha Coordinated disinformation Nazism Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Germany Methods European Union Misconceptions Poland Context Ukraine Russia Hatred and bigotry International community

Fact check: How propaganda denigrates Ukrainian refugees

Ukrainian refugees are portrayed in some media and social media channels as ungrateful, dangerous and parasitic. DW explains why such propagandist tactics often work - and how to recognize them for what they are.

February 19, 2023

Disinformation Faked publications: billboards ads magazines etc Fact-checking tools Fact checks / debunkings "How to" instructions Resources Misconceptions Poland Ukraine Russia International community

Is Putin Ally’s Son Dodging Ukraine Draft as Model in London?

Unverified. At least one of the photos shared regularly online about Vladimir Solovyov's son is misleading and of somebody else; the Irish model Tommy Solovyov.

But there is also no definitive evidence to show that his actual son is currently based in London modeling or elsewhere. Another photo frequently shared online indicates that he has modeled or is modeling; however, that agency is based in Russia.

February 17, 2023

Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia

Chinese social media users share edited Putin speech video with false subtitles about Ukraine

Chinese social media users have repeatedly shared a doctored clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech with false subtitles that claim he said he will not step down from power until "the problem in Ukraine is settled". However, the video contains clips taken from two different addresses and audio from one of the speeches. The Chinese and English language subtitles are false translations of the speech. As of February 17, 2023, AFP has found no official reports about Putin making such an announcement.

February 17, 2023

Disinformation NATO Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Putin China Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community

Vladimir Putin didn’t intercept shipment of chemical compound adrenochrome

Adrenochrome features heavily in QAnon conspiracy theories, which purport the baseless idea that a global cabal of pedophiles is harvesting the chemical from the blood of children to stay young and healthy.
That's false, and so is the claim that Putin foiled a shipment of it.

We found no credible news reports or other sources to corroborate the claims in this post.

Real Raw News has a disclaimer saying it contains "humor, parody and satire," though the author has defended his stories as truth. The website also regularly publishes false, fantastical stories authored by someone using a pseudonym.

We rate this baseless post Pants on Fire!

February 16, 2023

Disinformation Antisemitism Blood libel Children Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings USA Putin Narratives Misconceptions Satire taken seriously Organ farming Russia Protected groups & minorities Hatred and bigotry International community