Category Ukraine

False Quote Attributed to Olena Zelenska About Joining NATO Circulates

The quote attributed to Olena Zelenska is false. A similar phrase appeared in a 2022 BBC interview, but there she spoke not about enduring harsh conditions for 20-30 years or about joining NATO, but about 2-3 years and the prospect of joining the European Union

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Manipulation: Ukraine Lost a Billion Dollars by Signing a Contract With an “American Weapon Store” – FT

Claim by Viral social media post:
Ukraine Lost a Billion Dollars by Signing a Contract With an "American Weapon Store" - FT
StopFake rating:
The Financial Times did not write that Ukraine lost a billion dollars on this deal. The newspaper only reported on the arms supply contract that Ukraine signed with an Arizona company in the first months of the full-scale invasion. The company was never able to fulfill it due to the lack of experience in such large-scale deliveries. The irresponsible supplier received 17 million euros in advance, but Ukraine successfully sued for this money after the contract was canceled.

Read MoreManipulation: Ukraine Lost a Billion Dollars by Signing a Contract With an “American Weapon Store” – FT

Fake: Ukrainian Media Staged Olena Zelenska’s Meeting with Melania Trump

This photo is real. The first ladies met at the UN General Assembly in late September and discussed the protection of Ukrainian children. [...] However, this accusation against the Ukrainian media is completely unfounded. First, the photos are not identical: Melania Trump's facial expression and leg position are different in the photos. And secondly, the US First Lady took joint photos with Olena Zelenska and the Queen of Jordan on the same day, which is why she is wearing the same white suit. [...] There are no signs of editing on the photo with Zelenska.

Read MoreFake: Ukrainian Media Staged Olena Zelenska’s Meeting with Melania Trump

Fake: Ukrainian TV Doctored Zelensky’s UN Broadcast

A review of broadcast recordings and digital forensics shows the claim doesn't hold up. Ukrainian networks aired the official UN feed, while the version circulating online - showing a packed audience - was manipulated footage. [...] A review of the original United News broadcast - including the 1+1 TV segment - found no evidence of any 'added' audience. [...] The authentic broadcast carried unmistakable identifiers - the UN logo in the upper right corner and a Ukrainian-language audio track. By contrast, the fabricated version omitted these details, featured an English-language narration, and bore visible traces of AI manipulation.

Read MoreFake: Ukrainian TV Doctored Zelensky’s UN Broadcast

Fake: Ukraine’s International Legion Is Recruiting Germans for Revenge Against Russia

The International Legion firmly denied any role in the appearance of the leaflets. Their limited distribution - confined to a single district of Berlin - points to a staged provocation designed to discredit Ukraine and its armed forces. [...] Notably, the leaflets appeared only in a single Berlin district and carried an overtly propagandistic message - an appeal to a 'sense of revenge.' [...] The press service of the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine told StopFake it had no connection to the creation, distribution, or promotion of the leaflets.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine’s International Legion Is Recruiting Germans for Revenge Against Russia

Fact Check: F-15 And Su-27 Video Game Footage Presented As Real Interception Over Ukraine — Old Video | Lead Stories

Does a viral video really show a Russian Su-27 jet intercepting a NATO F-15 trying to get closer to a Tu22m3 bomber over Ukraine? No, that's not true: The footage which was widely copied to other social networks carried the watermark of a TikTok channel that publishes aviation videos. The caption under the video indicated it was created in the "War Thunder" video game.

Read MoreFact Check: F-15 And Su-27 Video Game Footage Presented As Real Interception Over Ukraine — Old Video | Lead Stories

Fake: Andriy Parubiy Behind Maidan Shootings, Odessa Trade Union Arson, and Ukraine Coup | StopFake

Kremlin outlets have amplified claims tying former parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy to the Maidan shootings, the May 2014 Odessa fire, and an alleged coup in Kyiv. In reality, there is no evidence linking Parubiy to either the killings of protesters or the Odessa tragedy. Nor was there a coup in 2014: Ukraine's government was formed through a legitimate process that Moscow itself formally recognized at the time.

Read MoreFake: Andriy Parubiy Behind Maidan Shootings, Odessa Trade Union Arson, and Ukraine Coup | StopFake

Fake: Ukraine Bans Hasidic Pilgrimage to Uman | StopFake

Ukrainian officials have made no move to block the annual Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman, despite claims circulating on social media and pro-Russian outlets. The allegation - attributed to unnamed sources - was swiftly dismissed by Israel's Foreign Ministry, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, and the foundations that coordinate the yearly gathering. Organizers confirmed that preparations for Rosh Hashanah 2025 remain on track.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine Bans Hasidic Pilgrimage to Uman | StopFake

Manipulation: Ukraine Wants to Change Regional Borders in Order to “Not Give Up Donbas” | StopFake

The bill concerns exclusively the internal optimization of administrative management and is related to the provision of social and financial guarantees for residents of the territories controlled by Ukraine; it does not provide for Ukraine to abandon the occupied areas or cede them to Russia. In addition, it is being considered by a special committee and may not be adopted

Read MoreManipulation: Ukraine Wants to Change Regional Borders in Order to “Not Give Up Donbas” | StopFake

Fact Check: No Proof For Zelenskyy $1.2B Real Estate Empire In ‘London Telegraph’ Story — New Website Using Stolen Profile Picture | Lead Stories

Is there any evidence for a story being spread online about "Olena K.", a Ukrainian anti-corruption official who supposedly defected to Europe and revealed real-estate corruption involving President Zelenskyy worth $1.2 billion ? No, that's not true: The story did not contain any verifiable details or documents and no media reported on the supposed events. The London Telegraph, the website where the story originated, was only registered in August 2025 and the profile picture of the journalist who supposedly wrote the story was stolen from the social media profile of a different journalist.

Read MoreFact Check: No Proof For Zelenskyy $1.2B Real Estate Empire In ‘London Telegraph’ Story — New Website Using Stolen Profile Picture | Lead Stories