Category Russia

Donated Canadian equipment sparks inaccurate claims on Ukraine fire coverage

A screenshot of CNN footage has been shared on social media alongside the claim that the channel falsified coverage of a fire in Ukraine, with the name "Edmonton" on a firefighter's jacket cited as evidence. But the footage shows the aftermath of strikes in the city of Lviv, and the jacket was donated by a Canadian non-profit, the organization and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services say.

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Claim that the UN told staff not to use ‘war,’ ‘invasion’ to describe Ukraine conflict needs context

An email was sent on March 7 instructing some U.N. staff members not to use the words "war" or "invasion" when discussing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The message came from a regional office without clearance and is not considered official U.N. policy, organization officials told PolitiFact. U.N. leaders including Secretary General António Guterres and Rosemary DiCarlo, the organization's under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, used the words in tweets before and after the email was sent.

Our ruling
A Facebook post claims that the U.N. sent an email instructing staff not to use the words "invasion" or "war" when referring to Ukraine.

The email is real and instructed some U.N. staff members not to use the terms. But it came from a regional U.N. office and officials say that it did not reflect the organization's official policy. Top U.N. leaders have used the words on social media before and around the time the email was sent.

For a statement that's partially accurate but leaves out important details, we rate this Half True.

Read MoreClaim that the UN told staff not to use ‘war,’ ‘invasion’ to describe Ukraine conflict needs context

Fake: Biden Quote Criticizing Ukraine’s Government

Some social media accounts circulated this text, claiming it was a real quote from a speech that President Biden gave in Warsaw on Saturday, March 26.

President Biden however, did not say these words, not during his Warsaw speech, nor during any of his other public appearances. StopFake analyzed his public speeches as well as transcripts of meetings with media for the period of Februarty 24 through March 26, 2022. We did not find this criticism or any similar criticisms to have been uttered by the American President regarding the Ukrainian government.

On the contrary, an analysis of Biden's speeches shows that the statements circulated on the Internet contradict the position of the White House and what the US President has actually said.

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James Bond promo footage of choir in Russia falsely linked to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine

A video circulating online after Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine has racked up tens of thousands of views alongside a claim it shows members of the "Russian army choir" being arrested for singing about peace in Russian President Vladimir Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg. In reality, the video corresponds to old footage published in reports since 2015 about a stunt staged to promote the James Bond film "Spectre".

Read MoreJames Bond promo footage of choir in Russia falsely linked to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine

Fake: Odesa Levee Wired with Explosives

Russian media and pro-Russian Telegram channels are claiming that Maksym Marchenko, the head of Odesa's Regional Military Administration, whom they refer to as the "Nazi governor" ordered the Khadzibey levee north-west from Odesa be wired with explosives. Ukraina.ru, Zavtra.ru and other pro-Kremlin publications also featured similar reports. According to the Russian media "the Nazis will blow up the levee in the event of a Russian attack and put the blame Russian saboteurs"

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Fake: Injured Child Not from Mariupol

The young girl pictured in the photograph taken at the Zaporizhzhia Children's Hospital is 13-year-old Milena, who was evacuated from Mariupol. This photograph was published in the French newspaper Liberation. After being wounded in the jaw, Milena was placed in an induced coma. As of March 26, some 65,000 people were able to escape the besieged port of Mariupol through Ukrainian organized humanitarian corridors.

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Viral Photo of Russian Bomber Shows Incident from 2020

Viral Photo of Russian Bomber Shows Incident from 2020

Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, a misleading photo posted March 22 on Facebook shows an American fighter jet intercepting a Russian bomber near Alaskan airspace. But the incident was not related to the current situation in Ukraine; the photo appeared in an article published in Aero Magazine in June 2020.

Read MoreViral Photo of Russian Bomber Shows Incident from 2020

Old video of Russian paratroopers jumping from plane shared with false claim about ‘invasion of Ukraine’

A video viewed more than a million times has been shared alongside a claim it shows Russian troops parachuting into Ukraine following Moscow's invasion of its pro-Western neighbour in February 2022. While there have been reports of Russian paratroopers being deployed as part of the invasion, this video has circulated since 2014 in a social media post about a military exercise conducted in Russia.

Read MoreOld video of Russian paratroopers jumping from plane shared with false claim about ‘invasion of Ukraine’