The American outlet Wired has not reported that a so-called 'Ukrainian branch' of the Anonymous hacker collective attacked the U.S. Department of Defense website over a Russian flag image used in a Flag Day greeting. Russian propaganda appropriated Wired's branding to fabricate yet another disinformation narrative aimed at discrediting Ukraine.
WHAT WAS CLAIMED: The BBC reported on a foiled attempt by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's wife Olena to flee Ukraine.
OUR VERDICT: False. The news report is fake and is believed to be part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
On 4 April 2025, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih. The missile, equipped with a cluster warhead, landed near a children's playground, causing heavy civilian casualties. Twenty people were killed, nine of them children. Video footage from the restaurant, which was also damaged in the strike, clearly shows that no military personnel were present at the time of the attack.
Telegram channels that spread this fake about Musk actually used a fragment of an interview he and Trump did in February. [...] During the program, Ukraine was mentioned once - by the host of the show. The discussion was actually dedicated to criticisms of DOGE's activities and a "constitutional crisis" in America. Elon Musk didn't mention Ukraine even once.
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.
What was claimed: A video shows Ukrainian troops surrendering in the Kursk region on 11 March 2025.
Our verdict: The clip predates this and has been shared online since at least April 2022.
"I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared," Trump wrote.
But there aren't thousands of Ukrainian troops in Kursk any longer. They left days ago, despite what Putin may claim. "It's wise to rely on intelligence," Tatarigami advised, "not Putin's word."
Did a video circulating on social media show Russian President Vladimir Putin making a public statement about Russia's terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine in March 2025? No, that's not true: The clip had been online for nine months. It showed Putin's remarks from June 2024.
The Verdict: Misleading.
According to reports, the video actually shows Ukrainian servicemen surrendering in Mariupol in 2022.
The claim was based on a fake, unverified article that was later deleted, with the publishing website issuing a public apology. Maksym Savrasov and other Ukrainian officials denied the claim.