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.
Fake: Ukrainians Calling Russian Children in Gas Hoax
An audio recording is being circulated online as “evidence” of Ukrainian
“sabotage”, however the recording first surfaced online at least in 2018
when it was widely circulated in Kazakhstan.
Fake: Draft Notices Handed Out to Minors in Ukraine
The document being circulated online purported to be a Ukrainian draft notice is a fake. This document does not bear any similarity to an official Ukrainian draft notice, it contains the wrong category names and does not contain pertinent information that is part of a genuine draft notice. The term military commissariat is repeatedly used in the fake document. However, as of 2021 Ukrainian enlistment centers are called Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers. An analysis of the seal used in the document in question also shows that it was doctored and is not the seal of the Bila Tserkva Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center.
Fake: Ukrainian Authorities Draining Dnipro River to Deploy Armed Forces to Left Bank
Russian media are claiming that water levels in Ukraine’s main river, the
Dnipro, have fallen because Ukraine is draining the river in order to
deploy troops to the left bank. In fact, the drop in the Dnipro water level
is not connected to any Ukrainian activities, but is the result of Russian
shelling which damaged the shut-off valves at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric
Power Station.
Fake weather forecast accuses Poland of swallowing Ukrainian territory – Truth or Fake
Purported images of Polish state television have circulated on Twitter showing a national map of Poland’s borders, but overpowering much of Ukraine’s territory. The channel itself and the country’s secretary of state have slammed this as the “Russian propaganda machine” trying to destroy Ukraine’s positive relationship with Warsaw. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake, with Vedika Bahl.
Debunking an alleged anti-Ukraine poster in Paris metro station – Truth or Fake
Russian media and Telegram accounts have been sharing an edited anti-Ukraine poster, allegedly located in the middle of a Parisian metro station. Pro-Russian channels claims the poster shows French people telling Ukrainian refugees that they’ve overstayed their welcome. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.
These two viral videos don’t show the fatal helicopter crash in Ukraine
Two viral videos claim to show the Jan. 18 helicopter crash that killed Ukraine’s interior minister and about a dozen others. These videos weren’t from the crash.
Fake: Polish TV Uses Poland Map that Includes Neighboring Ukrainian Regions
The Polish television channel TVP, whose logo was used on a Russian fake
showing a map of Poland that includes neighboring Ukrainian territories,
denied they had ever used such a map during any of their programming. The
screenshot used by Russian media was taken from a TVP weather forecast, a
map was photoshopped with a new map and a presenter from another Polish
television channel.
Fake: Humanitarian Agencies Killed Civilians and Looted in Soledar
Russian media claims that humanitarian agencies killed civilians and looted in Soledar are based on one “interview” with an alleged Soledar resident, an interview which is not supported by any other evidence. The Donetsk Region police have not documented any criminal actions against residents involving international or Ukrainian volunteers.
The War in Ukraine: A Collection of Fact Checks About Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Snopes.com
As the war in Ukraine raged on in early 2023, rumors about the country’s president rage with it. From claims about his career, to rumors about illicit drug use, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a magnet for doctored images, misinformation, and more.
Continue below for a collection of stories about the Ukraine president’s history before and after the war began.
Fake: US Running Out of Ammunition for Ukraine says CSIS
A study by the US think tank CSIS states that the United States may face shortages of certain types of weapons and ammunition. However, this will not be a problem for the American Armed Forces. The United States possesses more than enough interchangeable types of weapons.
Does this video really show children on the front lines of the war in Ukraine?
Is Ukraine sending children to fight on the front lines of the war? That’s what some people on social media are claiming. As proof, they cite a video showing three very young-looking soldiers, which has been circulating online since November 8. It turns out, however, that we could identify two of the three people pictured in the footage and they are young adults – 23 and 25 years old. Furthermore, our team spoke to the NGO Amnesty International, which said that it had no knowledge of documented cases of child soldiers in the Ukrainian Army.
Fake: Ukrainian Tattoo Studio Offers 50% Swastika Removal Discount
StopFake checked the photo using Google and Bing image searches, and found that the photo used to create this latest fake is of a tattoo studio in Russia. The original photo shows a tattoo parlor called “Tattooirograf,” which is located in Biysk, in the Altai Republic of southern Russia. In addition to this low-quality photoshop, Russian media also made a mistake with their special offer, writing the word “акция” (“discount offer”) in Russian instead of “акція”, as it would be spelled in Ukrainian.
Debunking claims that Ukraine is using child soldiers – Truth or Fake
The latest pro-Russian narrative in the war in Ukraine is that the Ukrainian army is sending children and teenagers to the frontline. To illustrate this claim, users are posting a video on Twitter that shows three young soldiers, claiming they are children. Our team were able to identify two of the three soldiers in the video. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
FACT CHECK: Did Ukraine Kill 12 Generals In A Single Day With HIMARS? | Check Your Fact
Verdict: Misleading
Ukraine did not kill 12 generals in a single day, though they claimed the deaths of several Russian officers in December 2022.
Is this blonde woman with Putin a ‘paid extra’ for photo-ops? Nope
Social media users have noted that the same blonde woman has appeared behind Russian President Vladimir Putin on three different occasions – proof, they say, that he used “paid extras” during his address marking the start of 2023. However, it turns out that these images do feature different women. One is a soldier who was given a prize by Putin on December 31, 2022 while the two other images show a regional deputy (local politician) from Novgorod, and a supporter of the Russian president. This politician has been previously accused of being an extra.
Did Vladimir Putin use paid actors in his New Year’s speech? – Truth or Fake
Internet sleuths are setting social media alight with claims that the Russian president used “paid extras” in his New Year’s Eve address, after they found previous official photographs featuring a blonde woman with a striking resemblance to one pictured during the speech. These claims have made media headlines across the globe. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl.
FACT CHECK: Did This Satirical Magazine Feature An Image Of Zelenskyy Stealing From Jesus? | Check Your Fact
Verdict: False
The image is digitally fabricated. There is no evidence that Charlie Hebdo published this cover.
Five fact-checks about the war in Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this year kept our fact-checkers very busy. We wrote 92 articles debunking false claims about information related to the war. These ranged from claims the Bucha massacre was staged to false TV reports and accusations of Nazism among Ukrainians. To mark the end of the year, we made a list of some of our top fact-checks about Ukraine.
Manipulated photo of Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky spreads online
On the heels of Volodymyr Zelensky’s December 21, 2022 trip to Washington, social media users are claiming an image shows US President Joe Biden placing his hand on the Ukrainian leader’s buttocks. But the picture has been digitally manipulated; the original photo and other shots from the visit show Biden’s hand on Zelensky’s back, and a White House spokesperson confirmed the version circulating online is “doctored.”
Did Biden Grab Zelensky’s Butt in Viral White House Photo?
False. No, Biden did not place his hand on Zelensky’s buttocks. The viral image is a digitally manipulated version of an official photo shared by the White House press team.