Category Russia

No, this photo doesn’t show an American admiral captured by Russians in Mariupol

On May 14, pro-Russia social media accounts started circulating a photo of a group of soldiers taken prisoner by the Russian army. These accounts claimed that one of the prisoners in the photo is a retired American admiral by the name of Eric Olson. That claim is false: this photo actually shows Ukrainians taken prisoner by the Russians in April 2022, well before the soldiers in the steelworks surrendered.

Read MoreNo, this photo doesn’t show an American admiral captured by Russians in Mariupol

Fake: Kadyrov Foundation Repairs Abandoned Hospital in Rubizhne

The Rubizhne Central City Hospital Infectious Diseases Department was restored back in 2017 with funds from the United Nations Development Program and the Government of Japan. According to Serhiy Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, before the war, the infectious diseases department of the city hospital in Rubizhne had state of the art modern equipment and was considered one of the best in Ukraine.

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Fake: Kyiv Lying that Russia Has Lost a Third of Its Army in Ukraine…

Ukraine is not the only country saying that Russia has incurred significant losses in its war against Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defense has also said the same thing. Russian allegations that Ukraine is "producing propaganda that even the West does not believe" are simply lies. The heavy losses of the Russian army are becoming increasingly obvious not only to Ukrainians, but also to foreign analysts.

Read MoreFake: Kyiv Lying that Russia Has Lost a Third of Its Army in Ukraine…

Fake: Ukraine Distributed Counterfeit Money Infected with Tuberculosis in Occupied Donbas

This fake was debunked back in 2020. Then, Ukrainian volunteers dropped leaflets in the form of rubles over Russian occupied Luhansk territories. The leaflets were not infected. However, the situation with tuberculosis in the occupied territories is dire and made even worse by the current Russian war against Ukraine.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine Distributed Counterfeit Money Infected with Tuberculosis in Occupied Donbas

Fake: Ukrainian Nationalists Shelling Kherson

The Ukrainian army is not shelling temporarily occupied Kherson. Information about powerful explosions in the city center on May 12 were not confirmed by local media nor was any evidence of such explosions provided by Russian journalists or authorities. The Russian invading army continues to shell the Kherson region with phosphorous shells and it continues shooting at convoys of civilians trying to leave the occupied territories.

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How to Terminate Russian Disinformation

By Zviad Adzinbaia, for CEPA

Russia's failed invasion of Ukraine can pave the way to ending the Kremlin's weaponized disinformation against the West.
Twitter limited more than 300 Russian government accounts last month, including that of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The move followed the European Union's (EU) 27 February ban on Russia's two state-run propaganda outlets, RT and Sputnik, three days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Meta followed by "restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU."

These measures set a precedent to clear Russia's disinformation networks from Western media and social media space.

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No, Finland is not sending tanks to its border with Russia – Truth or Fake

Despite jitters over the Ukraine war in many countries and Finland's decision to seek NATO membership, tanks have not been sent to the Finnish border with Russia, despite a viral video suggesting just that. We also look at false claims surrounding a recent protest in Paris.

Read MoreNo, Finland is not sending tanks to its border with Russia – Truth or Fake

Fake: Germany Begins Ukrainian Refugee Selection

Germany is not conducting any kind of selection of Ukrainian refugees. Germany continues to receive all refugees from Ukraine. Ukrainians do not have to apply for asylum, they are granted temporary protection status which includes all social benefits provided for in Germany's Residence Law Article 24. Once registered with the authorities, these protections are valid for one year and may be extended for up to three years.

Read MoreFake: Germany Begins Ukrainian Refugee Selection