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.
No, Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t buy a villa in Florida
Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky buy a house in Florida? And did he get American citizenship? Those are the rumors circulating on social media along with a couple of photos. However, the villa that appears in the photos is still up for sale and the certificate of nationality is fake, making this the latest example of fake news stories implying that Ukrainian officials are using international aid money for personal purposes.
No, Ukraine’s Zelensky did not buy a lavish mansion in Florida – Truth or Fake
A few days after Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington, social media accounts are claiming that the Ukrainian president recently bought a mansion in Florida. The posts show pictures of a lavish mansion and a document that looks like a US naturalisation certificate under his name. But both photos are fake: Zelensky did not buy a house in the US, nor did he become a US citizen.
Fake: Elon Musk Wants to Receive Russian Passport and Thinks Putin Is “Not a…
An excerpt from a broadcast on X (formerly Twitter), in which Elon Musk praises Putin and Russia, was generated by a neural network and shared initially by Russian sources. The original recording of the broadcast with Musk, where he says no such thing, is available online.
Manipulation: Former NATO Commander Praises Russian Army and Give Up on Ukrainian Forces
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis did not say that the Russian army is significantly superior to the Ukrainian army, and certainly did not “give up on the Ukrainian army.” He only noted that the Russian army currently has a significant advantage in aviation. In his column on the Bloomberg website, Stavridis emphasizes the importance of further military support for Ukraine from its Western partners. The ex-military officer also notes that, with sufficient means, Ukraine “will at a minimum be able to hold off further significant Russian land gains.”
Fake: Ukrainian Resort Bukovel Saves Guests from Mobilization for Money
In a comment to StopFake, the resort’s press service denied the existence of such a service and noted that representatives of Territorial drafting centers have full access to the territory of Bukovel.
Fact Check: Did Zelensky Buy $20 Million Mansion in Florida?
Although Zelensky and his business partners had several offshore companies and properties, according to financial documents leaked in 2021, none of those assets are in Florida.
And the Florida home that purportedly belongs to him actually belongs to a couple who bought the property more than four years ago.
Manipulation: Polish and British Special Forces Have Been Fighting in Ukraine Since The Very…
We are talking about training and counseling of the Ukrainian military, which took place long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As for the participation of the Poles, the book “Poland at War,” cited by the propaganda, confirms that they were withdrawn from the territory of Ukraine after the start of the [full-scale] war at the insistence of the Polish authorities.
FACT CHECK: No, AP Did Not Run A Headline Calling Biden ‘Corrupt’ And Zelenskyy A ‘Dictator’ | Check Your Fact
There is no evidence that the AP ran such a headline. An AP spokesperson denied the claim.
Did Zelenskyy Urge Western Countries, ‘Don’t Build Roads, Spend All of Your Money on Weapons’?
In the interview, Zelenskyy did say the words, “Do this: Not build roads for today. Don’t do it. Spend all your money to the weapon, to the drones, to the society, to the pensions, and et cetera. […] We have only one enemy, this is Putin, and that’s it.”
However, Zelenskyy was addressing Ukrainian leaders, not Western leaders. Moreover, he did not beg Western leaders to send all their money to Ukraine, as claimed.
FAKE: Leaked conversation of Zelenskyi with his wife, in which he criticizes Western partners
During the conversation, actors impersonating Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Olena Zelenska speak Ukrainian words in a Russian manner and with a Russian accent
Tucker Carlson Misrepresents Defense Secretary’s Remarks on U.S. Troops, Ukraine Aid
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III reportedly told House members that failure to provide more aid for Ukraine could lead to Russia’s invasion of a NATO ally and a direct U.S. military response in accordance with the NATO treaty. A viral post by Tucker Carlson misleadingly omits Austin’s explanation of why U.S. troops might be required.
Fake: Ukraine Recognizes a Person With One Leg As Fit for Military Service
A person with an amputated leg was never considered fit for military service. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a person with a diagnosis of “unilateral amputated stump of the lower limb above the level of the upper third of the lower leg” is unfit for military service. In a comment to StopFake, a territorial center of recruitment and social support representative said that the document looks like a fake.
US celebrities tricked into recording videos urging Zelensky to go to rehab – Truth or Fake
In a new Russian disinformation campaign uncovered by Microsoft, celebrities such as Elijah Wood, Priscilla Presley and Mike Tyson have been tricked into recording a video via the Cameo app that was later doctored and used for anti-Zelensky propaganda. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
FACT CHECK: Have 13,000 Russian Troops Died In Russia’s Offensive On The Avdiivka-Novopavlivka Axis? | Check Your Fact
13,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded, according to U.S. intel. Politico later corrected its story.
Fake: Ukraine Arrests and Tortures American Blogger Gonzalo Lira “For Criticizing Zelenskyi”
Blogger Gonzalo Lira is in custody not for criticizing Volodymyr Zelenskyi, but for violating Article 436-2 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code – justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine. In particular, Lira publicly justified Russia’s attack on Ukraine, denied Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and mass killings of civilians in Bucha and other cities, revealed the location and identities of Western journalists and the Ukrainian military. Additionally, there is no evidence that any torture was used against Gonzalo Lira.
Fake: Ukrainian Government Tried to Sell Scythian Gold at Sotheby’s – Bloomberg
This news is fake, and the story of the attempted sale of Scythian gold is made up. Bloomberg did not publish such stories either on its website or in its social media. Currently, the archaeological objects known as Scythian gold from Crimea, returned to Ukraine from the Netherlands, are under close guard at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.
Video Fake: Ukrainian Military Leaving Their Positions in Bilohorivka
The video was most likely edited. There is a discrepancy between the facial expressions of the man and the words he is saying. In addition, the landscape and weather conditions depicted in the video suggest that the original video was filmed before winter began. Additionally, the press service of the 119th separate brigade of the Military Police in the Chernihiv region stated that the person in the video does not serve in their unit.
Fake: German Defense Minister Refuses to Consider Ukraine an Ally
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did not say that Ukraine is not an ally of Germany. In an interview with the German TV channel ZDF, he only emphasized that Ukraine is not a NATO partner of Germany and therefore the format of providing it with military aid is different than if the “united West” were directly at war with Russia.
FACT CHECK: Video Claims To Show Russian Train Bombing | Check Your Fact
The video likely shows a gas pipeline explosion in March 2023, not the Russian train bombing.
FACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Execute The ‘White Lung’ Doctor? | Check Your Fact
A post shared on Facebook purports Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly had Mikhail Abramovich, a physician working on a vaccine for White Lung Pneumonia, executed.
The claim is false and stems from a Dec. 1 article published by the satire site, Real Raw News.