Category Russian propaganda

Is Ukraine really developing a dirty bomb? Be careful of Russian claims

Ukraine is apparently in the process of developing a so-called dirty bomb - a bomb containing radioactive elements - or, at least, that's the narrative that Moscow has been peddling since October 23, 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defence posted these claims to Telegram and Twitter, along with illustrated documents meant to support these claims. But the images published in these documents are old and some of them were even taken in Russia.

Read MoreIs Ukraine really developing a dirty bomb? Be careful of Russian claims

Were these Ukrainians staging a fake battle scene? Nope, it’s a music video

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been widely circulating a video over the past few weeks that shows a man dressed as a Ukrainian soldier acting out a scene in front of a camera. These accounts have claimed this video is proof that people are staging scenes of the war in Ukraine. Turns out, however, the video was filmed during the shooting of a music video by a Ukrainian artist whose music represents the "pain of war".

Read MoreWere these Ukrainians staging a fake battle scene? Nope, it’s a music video

Photo of Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika was altered

This photo was altered. In the original, Zelenskyy is holding a jersey that has the number 95, not a swastika.

The original image was distributed by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service in June 2021. According to a caption on Agence France-Presse's website, it shows him "posing with a jersey of Ukraine's national football team."

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed the idea that the effort is one of "denazification," a narrative historians have decried as "false and destructive."

We rate claims Zelenskyy was holding a jersey with a swastika False.

Read MorePhoto of Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika was altered
Did Fuel Crisis Force Berliners to Chop Trees in Tiergarten?

Did Fuel Crisis Force Berliners to Chop Trees in Tiergarten?

Germans have not been chopping down trees in Tiergarten, Berlin, to meet energy needs. The claim is a misquote from a Bloomberg article about firewood demand.

While the article mentions that residents in the German capital did resort to felling parts of the park after the Second World War, the article clearly states that no such thing has happened today following Russia's shutdown of gas supplies to Europe.

The misquote, however, has been widely shared by pro-Russian accounts to support their narrative about the energy crisis in Europe.

Read MoreDid Fuel Crisis Force Berliners to Chop Trees in Tiergarten?

Debunking claims that Ukraine staged injuries following Russian missile strike on Kyiv – Truth or Fake

Pro-Russian accounts claim that Ukrainian "propaganda" and mainstream Western media are showing fake victims, following a Russian missile strike in Kyiv on October 10. AP and Reuters reporters on the scene were able to confirm that the civilians in the viral posts are real victims of the war in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreDebunking claims that Ukraine staged injuries following Russian missile strike on Kyiv – Truth or Fake

No, these photos don’t prove that Zelensky is filming his videos in front of a green screen

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been circulating photos and a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky standing in front of a green screen, claiming that this image offers proof that the videos that he publishes on social media are filmed in a studio and not on the ground as claimed. However, these pictures don"t prove anything of the sort - they were taken during a forum where the president appeared as a hologram.

Read MoreNo, these photos don’t prove that Zelensky is filming his videos in front of a green screen

We take a look at the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief ‘s ‘swastika’ bracelet – France 24

General Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's armed forces, recently posted a photo of himself on Twitter allegedly wearing a bracelet with a swastika. In fact, what appears to be a swastika in the photo, is actually a Viking symbol. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreWe take a look at the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief ‘s ‘swastika’ bracelet – France 24

The Ukrainian commander-in-chief ‘s ‘swastika’ bracelet – Truth or Fake

General Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, recently posted a photo of himself on Twitter allegedly wearing a bracelet with a swastika. In fact, what appears to be a swastika is actually a Viking symbol. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreThe Ukrainian commander-in-chief ‘s ‘swastika’ bracelet – Truth or Fake