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 video of the Kakhovka dam explosion is old
Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine. A viral video that purports to show the explosion of the dam is, in fact, of a 2022 blast.
Did Lindsey Graham Say, ‘The Russians Are Dying – It’s the Best Money We’ve Ever Spent’?
A video supposedly showed the senator from South Carolina making the statement to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
What’s behind this fake advert calling on North Africans to fight in Ukraine to get EU citizenship
Since May 21, a number of posts online have been claiming that an advertisement posted on the British jobs website Adzuna offers proof that Western countries are recruiting mercenaries in Africa and the Middle East to go and fight in Ukraine. However, we investigated and determined that this post isn’t real.
False claim uses video game footage to illustrate ‘possibilities of Russian aviation’ – Truth or Fake
A viral video claims to show the impressive maneuvers of a Russian pilot. The video is actually an extract from a highly realistic combat simulator video game that has been continuously used in fake claims. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Claim of 1 million Ukrainian soldiers dead has no official backing
Reuters reported in April that leaked documents allegedly from U.S. intelligence agencies estimated as many as 354,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have died or been injured in the war. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the documents, and U.S. officials said some files appeared to be altered.
The Facebook video’s claim that 1 million Ukrainian soldiers have been “wiped out” is much higher than any official reported estimates. So we rate this claim False.
Ukraine: fake NYC subway ad calls homeless Americans to “join” the war – Truth or Fake
Viral photos on social media showed a fake advertisement in the New York City subway system calling for the city’s homeless to join the fight in Ukraine. Vedika Bahl explains this misinformation, in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Fact check: False claims about plans for coup in Belarus
Various Russian media outlets are spreading claims that a Polish general confirmed the West was preparing to launch a coup in Belarus. But did he? DW finds out more.
Fake: Document Says that Ukrainian General Requests Additional Burial Plots at the Zaporizhia Cemetery…
This “letter” has been forged, as evidenced by numerous gross errors in the text and vocabulary not typical of official documents. Specifically, the “letter” incorrectly states the addressee’s official position and the location of the cemetery for victims of World War II, and the surname of the secretary of the Zaporizhia city council is misspelled.
Manipulation: Poland Says “West is Preparing Coup in Belarus”
Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak did not talk about the West supposedly preparing a coup in Belarus. Skrzypczak emphasized that events similar to those that recently took place in the Belgorod region are quite likely to occur in Belarus in the event of a successful advancement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Polish military officer, it is the citizens of Belarus who may potentially rise against the self-proclaimed regime of President Lukashenko in the future. He stated that Poland should be prepared for this and support a democratic uprising in the neighboring country.
Fake: Odesa School Children Recruited to the Front
Russian propaganda is spreading another fake in the form of a “questionnaire” filled with numerous errors and listing military activities which simply do not exist in the Ukrainian military. Children and minors are not involved in Ukraine’s military service in any way. Mobilization is mandatory for individuals aged 18 to 60.
Fake: One Third of Annual Patriot Missile Production Destroyed in Ukraine
Without providing any evidence, anonymous sources are claiming that one third of the Patriot missiles produced annually are being destroyed in Ukraine. There are over 240 Patriot systems in 18 different countries in total (with Ukraine being the 19th), and thousands of missiles with different characteristics are produced for them. This sprint American defense companies have also signed additional contracts with the US Army for the production of Patriot missile systems components.
Fake: ICEYE Satellite Purchased by Ukrainians is Used for News Broadcasting
Ukrainian journalists have not published any investigations regarding the ICEYE satellite purchased by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation through donations from Ukrainians. Satellites for television signal transmission and the ICEYE operate in different orbits and serve different purposes.
Fake: West Needs to Plan for Ukraine’s Future As If Its Counteroffensive Already Failed…
The Foreign Affairs article does not address a need to plan Ukraine’s future after a failed counteroffensive. This conclusion was fabricated by Russian propagandists. The authors of the article discuss the need for the West to plan long-term support for Ukraine, as there is currently no clear plan for what will happen after the counteroffensive. However, the United States and other European countries have repeatedly stated they will support Ukraine for as long as necessary.
When Russian propaganda mimics French news to spread disinformation – Truth or Fake
For several months, at least six fake anti-Ukraine covers of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo have been circulating online, especially on Russian Telegram channels. Now a fake news report, attributed to French media outlet 20 Minutes, falsely accuses Russian independent journalist Ilya Ber of being behind these Charlie Hebdo covers. We debunk this false news report in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Watch out, this isn’t a real American ad campaign calling for homeless people to fight in Ukraine
A call for homeless Americans to join the Ukrainian front? That”s what these advertisements shared on Twitter since April 2023 claim to show. Publications in several languages claim that a poster in the New York subway is offering financial benefits to those who are down on their luck – by fighting in Ukraine. However, there are several visual inconsistencies in the poster that point to it being fake. Plus, Ukrainian authorities have denied the existence of any such campaign.
Fake: Ukraine’s Population Falls to 20 Million
As of January 2023, Ukraine’s population ranged from 28 to 34 million people, according to Ukraine’s Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies. Temporarily occupied territories are not included in the calculations. The United Nations Population Fund meanwhile cited a figure of 36.7 million people, taking into account the temporarily occupied territories.
Does This Video Show NATO Troops in Ukraine? | Snopes.com
Because the video predates Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and because it was filmed in Afghanistan, we rate the version claiming that it shows a build-up of NATO forces in Ukraine “Miscaptioned.”
Debunking Zelensky’s ‘luxury real estate’ assets – Truth or Fake
On the sidelines of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s European tour, online claims went viral that the Ukrainian president has purchased luxury villas in Crimea, Italy and England with Western military aid money. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Old video of Russian tank toppling over at military parade resurfaces in Ukraine war posts
An old video of a Russian tank toppling over at a military parade has been viewed tens of thousands of times in posts that misleadingly claim the driver who overturned the vehicle subsequently avoided being sent to the front line in the war against Ukraine. The clip — which recirculated shortly after a military parade in Moscow in May 2023 — corresponds with media reports from 2018 about an accident at another event in the western Russian city of Kursk.
FACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Collapse After Suffering A Heart Attack? | Check Your Fact
Verdict: False
The screenshot appears to be digitally fabricated, as the headline neither appears on the outletâs website nor its social media accounts. A reverse image search reveals the photos were created using artificial intelligence (AI).