Fact checks: from across the internet
Ukraine Fact Check presents fact checks on Ukraine in two different ways. Our team works to:
1. index and tag existing fact-check articles from reputable sources from across the internet;
2. compile and publish original fact check articles, based our team’s own research into a subject.
Below, you can find the fact-check articles published by other websites across the internet.
Disclaimer: Ukraine Fact Check was not involved in producing the articles listed below. The information presented in them may be incorrect, incomplete, or misleading. As with any other type of article, read with a critical eye, check sources, and seek other opinions before making up your mind on important topics.
Fact Check: Viral Clip Of Ukrainian Soldier Applying Make-up Is From A Music Video, Not Fake War Scene
A video, claiming to show an Ukrainian female soldier applying make-up in a war zone with allegations that Ukraine is staging fake combat scenarios to gain financial aid from the United States, is widely circulating on social media.
NewsMobile fact-checked the above claim, and found it to be FABRICATED.
Altered clip falsely claims BBC reporter swore on air about Trump-Zelenskyy meet
AI-generated audio has been added to the clip, falsely making it seem like the BBC correspondent swore about the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting on air.
Downing Street video doesn’t show Volodymyr Zelenskyy using expletive to refer to Donald Trump
What was claimed
A video shows the moment President Zelenskyy said “f*** him” when asked about President Donald Trump’s latest comments on Ukraine before entering Number 10 Downing Street.
Our verdict
The clip is misleading, and this isn’t what President Zelenskyy said. He responded to a journalist by saying: “I’m OK, thank you so much”, and did not utter an expletive.
Video appearing to show BBC reporter caught on hot mic after Zelenskyy-Trump meeting has been edited
What was claimed
BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse was caught on a hot mic after the meeting of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump in the White House, saying: “This is the second time ever that a US president ****s someone in the Oval Office.”
Our verdict
This audio clip has been faked. Mr Waterhouse says it is AI-generated, and a full clip of the report shows no such comments were broadcast.
AI-generated Video of Ukraine’s Flag on the Statue of Liberty Circulates Online
Recently, a video claiming that Ukraine’s flag was raised on the Statue of Liberty went viral online.
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be fake; the clip was originally published on TikTok and labeled “AI-generated.”
Zelenskyy did not say the US will have to send their sons and daughters to fight in Ukraine
What was claimed
A video shows Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the US will have to send their sons and daughters to fight in Ukraine.
Our verdict
This clip is from 2023 and has been taken out of context. In the full video, Mr Zelenskyy discusses how Ukraine losing the war would risk Russia invading Baltic NATO member states, potentially leading to US involvement on the ground.
No, this video doesn’t show Volodymyr Zelensky insulting Donald Trump
A TikTok user posted a video claiming to show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insulting United States President Donald Trump during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 1. It turns out, however, that Zelensky didn’t insult Trump – the video has been manipulated.
There is no evidence this video shows Zelenskyy boarding a luxury private jet
A video has surfaced on TikTok of luxury cars pulling up to a private jet with a caption suggesting that it shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy using billions to fund such a lifestyle.
The Verdict False
The video comes from the Instagram account of a private jet provider company and nothing in the original post links the jet and cars to Zelenskyy.
Fake: Ukraine Launched a Massive Bot Attack on YouTube
Wired has never published such claims, and the video itself was probably created using AI. The fake is noticeably different from the outlet’s official style: it lacks the characteristic title, and the footage used is of poor quality. StopFake’s journalists found no evidence of such a bot campaign; instead, they discovered that after Zelensky’s meeting with Trump, Russian propaganda stepped up the spread of deepfakes, doctored screenshots, and fake videos bearing the logos of well-known media outlets to sow dissension among Ukraine’s allies and demoralise Ukrainian society.
Fake: Pro-Ukrainian Rallies in the US Organized by Criminal Gangs
There is no proof of this. Neither Donald Trump nor anyone from his administration made such statements.
Don’t fall for doctored clip of BBC reporter making crude on-air comment about Zelenskyy WH meeting
Waterhouse did not make the off-the-cuff remark in the original footage of the broadcast, which BBC News posted to its official YouTube channel on March 1, the day it originally aired. In other words, versions of the video that included Waterhouse allegedly saying “this is the second time ever that a U.S. president f***ed someone in the Oval Office” were doctored to misrepresent reality. As a result, we’ve rated the claim fake.
Zelenskyy didn’t exactly say ‘raising volume of your voice’ but not ‘your logic’ in Trump meeting
Claim:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during their contentious February 2025 Oval Office meeting, “You’re raising the volume of your voice, but not the logic of your argument.”
Context
Zelenskyy said, “You think that if you will speak very loudly about the war [between Ukraine and Russia], you can …” before Trump cut him off. We do not know what Zelenskyy was planning to say in the rest of his sentence before he was interrupted.
Fact Check: Zelenskyy Did NOT Buy French Bank Milleis Via Maltex In February 2025
Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy buy the French bank Milleis in February 2025 using the offshore company Maltex? No, that’s not true: No credible media organization reported this story, as of March 6, 2025. A viral video purporting to be a TV news report about it displayed a non-existent TV channel logo. And the video contained inauthentic, AI-generated audio, according to two AI detectors.
Macron didn’t call Putin a ‘butcher’ in news conference with Trump
What was claimed: A video shows the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, calling Vladimir Putin a “butcher” and commenting on his “war crimes” during a press conference with US president Donald Trump.
Our verdict: This isn’t quite right. Mr Macron referred to killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and mentioned war crimes, but did not describe President Putin as a “butcher”.
Fact Check: AI Video Shows Ukrainian Flag Hoisted On Statue Of Liberty Torch
Does a video authentically show climbers hoisting a Ukrainian flag on the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York? No, that’s not true: The video was created using AI, according to the caption added by the account that originally posted it. The torch held by the statue in the video looks markedly different from the one held by the actual Statue of Liberty in New York.
Fact Check: INAUTHENTIC Audio Suggests BBC Reporter Joked On Open Mic That Trump F***ed Zelenskyy In Oval Office Meeting
Did a video clip shared to X authentically show a BBC reporter joking the February 28, 2025 Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump was ” … the second time that a U.S. president f***ed someone in the Oval Office.” ? No, that’s not true: The audio was generated using artificial intelligence. The original newscast did not include any such remark and the reporter has publicly dismissed its authenticity.
Fact Check: UK PM Starmer’s support for Ukraine triggers massive rally in London? Find the truth here
Claim: The video shows the current situation in London after UK PM Keir Starmer announces his support for Ukraine
Fact: The claim is false. The video is from 2021 and is unrelated to Ukraine.
This Image Does Not Show Zelenskyy Signing Bombs for Gaza
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading; the image shows Zelenskyy signing bombs intended for use against Russia, not Gaza.
Zelenskyy saying US will have to send ‘sons and daughters to war’ in Ukraine is from old video
Zelenskyy did say, “The U.S. will have to send their sons and daughters exactly the same way as we are sending [our] sons and daughters to war.” However, he was talking about a hypothetical situation in which Ukraine losing the war against Russia would lead to a broader conflict resulting in Americans being pulled into fighting. He made this statement in February 2023, two years before the exchange with Trump took place.
“Europe also has no weapons – the warehouses are empty.”
Conclusion: European military outmatches Russian in key areas, with 1.47 million personnel, 367,760 armored vehicles and over 2,000 warships, including six aircraft carriers. France, Germany and Britain are increasing defense spending, while Russia struggles with losses, outdated stockpiles, and sanctions-limited weapons production.