Category Ukraine

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

The man in this video is an actor, but it does not mean the Ukraine war is being staged – Truth or Fake

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, repeated false claims have appeared on social media alleging that the entire conflict is being staged. FRANCE 24's fact-checking team debunk the latest example: two videos that show a man in Ukrainian army uniform being filmed, as he appears to act out a scene on the battlefield.

Read MoreThe man in this video is an actor, but it does not mean the Ukraine war is being staged – Truth or Fake

No, US actor Sean Penn didn’t film fake videos of the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 – no proof anyone has – Africa Check

We've seen plenty of outlandish claims about the war between Russia and Ukraine on social media. But one claiming actor Sean Penn was involved in faking the entire conflict may take the cake - and is certainly also false.

Read MoreNo, US actor Sean Penn didn’t film fake videos of the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 – no proof anyone has – Africa Check

Social media post critical of Zelenskyy came from Kid Rock fan account, not the artist

A screenshot of a Gettr post critical of U.S. foreign aid to Ukraine has been attributed to Kid Rock, but it originated on a fan account.

We couldn't find a Gettr account for Kid Rock, and it's not listed among the social media accounts on his website. Kid Rock's website links to his YouTube account and his verified Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

We've previously debunked claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida. We couldn't find any credible sources to corroborate the claim in this Gettr post, either.

As for the claim that Kid Rock authored it, we rate that False.

Read MoreSocial media post critical of Zelenskyy came from Kid Rock fan account, not the artist

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