Volodymyr Zelenskyy

DISINFORMATION ABOUT ZELENSKYY BUYING A £150 MILLION VILLA IN CYPRUS

The information about the purchase of a hotel is disinformation. The President of Cyprus, the Ukrainian Embassy in Cyprus, and the company that owns the hotel have denied the allegation about the purchase of the hotel by Zelenskyy or a related company. Moreover, the website on which the allegation about Zelenskyy's connection to the hotel appeared turned out to be a clone of the hotel's website and a fake website that was created three days before the information was spread.

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War in Ukraine: In 2023, Russian disinformation continued to dominate

Out of the 197 fact-checking articles our team wrote in 2023, 52 of them concerned the war in Ukraine. And 50 of those highlighted pro-Russian disinformation aimed at discrediting Kyiv and the Ukrainian war effort.

Read MoreWar in Ukraine: In 2023, Russian disinformation continued to dominate

Why was ‘Glory to Urine’ a top trending topic on X? – Truth or Fake

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was allegedly greeted by a Times Square billboard proclaiming "Glory to Urine", rather than "Glory to Ukraine", upon his visit to New York for a UN summit last week. While the users sharing this information claim that this was a typo by the billboard company, we prove that this is actually a fabricated video in this edition of Truth or Fake.

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Fake Times Square billboard circulates as Zelensky visits US

A video shared across social media appears to show a New York City digital billboard displaying Volodymyr Zelensky's face and text that says, "Glory to Urine" as the Ukrainian president visited the United States in September 2023. But the clip is doctored; the company that owns the sign told AFP it has run no such message.

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Fake Video of ‘Glory to Urine’ New York Billboard Fools Internet

On Sept. 21, 2023, the phrase "Glory to Urine" became one of the top trending U.S. topics on X (formerly Twitter). The phrase was trending thanks to a fake video that allegedly showed a billboard in New York City's Manhattan with the same three words, supposedly as an accidentally misspelled welcome message for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He had been in town for the United Nations General Assembly.

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Video shows Argentine dancer, not Volodymyr Zelensky | Fact Check

Social media users are claiming a video shows the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shaking his body in a tight, sparkly one-piece outfit. This is false; the footage is of a performance given by an Argentine belly dancer and instructor and it appears to have been doctored to superimpose Zelensky's face.

Read MoreVideo shows Argentine dancer, not Volodymyr Zelensky | Fact Check

Is This an Authentic Ad in Japan Reading, ‘Stop Zelenskyy, Stop War’?

Claim: A video that went viral in July 2023 authentically depicted an ad in Japan that read "Stop Zelenskyy, Stop War."
Rating: Fake

Context: The video was posted in October 2020, before the Russian attack on Ukraine, and was digitally edited.

Read MoreIs This an Authentic Ad in Japan Reading, ‘Stop Zelenskyy, Stop War’?
Did Elijah Wood Tell Zelensky via Instagram to Go to Rehab?

Did Elijah Wood Tell Zelensky via Instagram to Go to Rehab?

Apart from the fact that the video has been bizarrely edited, it does not mention Zelensky, only someone named Vladimir, and is attributed to an Instagram account with no web presence.

Elijah Wood does not have a public Instagram account and the video being shared of him online, allegedly asking Zelensky to seek treatment, is the only recording available. The video appears to have been spread as a Russian propaganda effort and to promote a dubious documentary that falsely credits Tom Cruise as its star.

Although Newsweek is yet to hear from Wood's representatives for comment, we are confident that the video and claims surrounding it are, respectively, inauthentic and false.

Read MoreDid Elijah Wood Tell Zelensky via Instagram to Go to Rehab?

Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Performing Belly Dance In 2006 — It’s A Dancer From Argentina | Lead Stories

Did a viral video show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy performing a belly dance on camera? No, that's not true: The footage portrays a different person, a professional belly dance instructor from Argentina, and Zelenskyy's face seems to have been superimposed on that person's body.

Read MoreFact Check: Video Does NOT Show Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Performing Belly Dance In 2006 — It’s A Dancer From Argentina | Lead Stories

This viral anti-Zelensky billboard on New York’s Fifth Avenue is fake – Truth or Fake

There's been much anti-Ukraine and anti-Zelensky propaganda circulating online since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But a new billboard has just appeared name-dropping Ukraine's leader on New York's Fifth Avenue above a busy flagship store. Many factors point to the video being manipulated. Vedika Bahl explains in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreThis viral anti-Zelensky billboard on New York’s Fifth Avenue is fake – Truth or Fake