Category Russian propaganda

Manipulation: Pentagon Studying Captured Russian Equipment in Hope of Getting ‘Advanced Technology’

Pentagon researchers have arrived in Ukraine to investigate Western technologies being used by the Russian military-industrial complex. American experts have found that nearly all advanced technology used in Russian weapons includes parts made in the United States and the European Union. Presently several countries are investigating how their production components got into Russian weapons systems and bypassed global restrictions on sending advanced technology to Russia.

June 5, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings USA Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community

Fake: Uber Refuses to Transport Ukrainian Refugees

The Uber transportation and mobility company has made no announcements about refusing to transport Ukrainian refugees anywhere in the world.

June 4, 2022

Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Germany Methods Ukraine Russia International community

Fake: Zelensky to Legalize “Polish Seizure of Ukraine”

According to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the law on the special status of Polish citizens in Ukraine will mirror the law adopted by the Polish parliament, the Sejm concerning assistance to Ukrainian citizens forced from their country by Russia's war. Under this law, citizens of Ukraine have the same rights as Polish citizens, except for the right to vote. This includes the right to legally reside in Poland, travel, work and open a business without a special work permit, access to education, the public health service and social assistance, including unemployment insurance.

June 4, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Volodymyr Zelensky Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

Fake: Red Cross Collected Data on Children’s Healthy Organs in Mariupol

Russian media and social media users allege that the Red Cross is involved in children's organ trafficking. There is absolutely no evidence to support these allegations in the videos used to make these charges

June 3, 2022

Russian propaganda Aid oversight Fact checks / debunkings Ukraine Russia Aid to Ukraine

Fake: Mriya Transport Plane Wreckage Disposed of

The Antonov Company denies the disinformation disseminated by Russian media, claiming the wreckage of the world's largest aircraft, the Mriya Antonov An-225 cargo plane has been disposed of. The wreckage is being kept as evidence of Russian invaders' crimes.

May 28, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

Fake: Zaporizhzhia Rules Out Returning to Kyiv Control

Vladimir Rogov is not an official in any Zaporizhzhia administration, his statements are pure propaganda and carry no political weight. In March 2022 Ukrainian police opened a criminal case into Rogov's collaborationist activities. Part of Zaporizhzhia province is under Russian occupation, hostilities are continuing there, and Russian invaders systematically violate the rights of local residents, they impede free movement and are creating a humanitarian crisis.

May 25, 2022

Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings Ukraine Russia

Does JD Vance profit from Russia propaganda?

J.D. Vance personally invested as much as $300,000 in the video sharing platform Rumble, although the precise details remain private.

RT, a Russia state-sponsored service that amplifies Kremlin messaging, posts its videos and livestreams on Rumble.

RT generates millions of views on Rumble, which increases the platform's value to advertisers.

Our ruling
Ryan said, "Vance profits off Russia propaganda."

Ryan's claim is based on Vance's investment in Rumble, the platform where RT posts its videos.

RT amplifies Kremlin messaging, and in the past two and a half months, RT has produced nearly 2 million views on Rumble. More views mean more advertising revenues for Rumble, and RT's presence adds value to Vance's investment.

But other programs on Rumble attract many more viewers, and the details on Vance's investment in the company are not public. Rumble's CEO earlier this year said the company has yet to turn a profit.

With that caveat in mind, we rate this claim Half True.

May 24, 2022

Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings USA Misconceptions Russia International community

Fake: Trying to Burn Russian Flag, Ukrainian Refugees Burn Down German House

A story making the rounds online about Ukrainian refugees is false and is intentionally stylized as a Bild news story. In fact, the video is a collage of several videos from previous years.

May 20, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Germany Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community

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.

May 19, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Fact checks / debunkings USA Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community

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.

May 18, 2022

Russian propaganda Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Ukraine Russia UK International community