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.

This is an old NASA photo doctored to add a tractor

This is an old NASA photo doctored to add a tractor

Mar 22, 2022
Multiple social media posts purport to show a photo of a Ukrainian farmer stealing a Russian rocket. However, the image has been doctored. The original photo was taken by NASA in 2018 and shows a rocket towed by a train, not a tractor.
No, these videos do not show a Russian hypersonic strike in Ukraine

No, these videos do not show a Russian hypersonic strike in Ukraine

Mar 21, 2022
The Russian military claimed to have used a hypersonic missile on March 18 to strike an underground warehouse in western Ukraine. Two videos have emerged on social networks claiming to show this attack, but, in fact, they have nothing to do with this event.
Facebook post uses edited images of Ukrainian farmers towing Russian weaponry

Facebook post uses edited images of Ukrainian farmers towing Russian weaponry

Mar 21, 2022
These images of Ukrainian farmers seizing Russian military equipment with tractors have not been verified, and several of them were digitally altered using photos that predate the 2022 conflict.
Zelensky Remains in Ukraine, Despite False Claims on Social Media

Zelensky Remains in Ukraine, Despite False Claims on Social Media

Mar 21, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appeared in several recent videos that show he has remained in the country since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. But a post circulating on Facebook falsely claims he fled and recorded a video using a green screen to make it appear as though he’s still in Ukraine. There’s no evidence to support the claim. A digital forensics expert told us that nothing in the video indicates it was filmed using a green screen.
Posts misleadingly link pharmaceutical event in India with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Posts misleadingly link pharmaceutical event in India with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Mar 21, 2022
Several images have been shared repeatedly in social media posts that claim they show a minaret in India’s capital lit up with the colours of the Russian flag to show “support” for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The posts circulated online after a similar tweet was shared by the state-run Chinese tabloid Global Times. The claim is misleading: the Indian government said the building in New Delhi was illuminated as part of a week-long event to promote affordable medicines. Local media reports also said the minaret was illuminated for the pharmaceutical event, not Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Was a 16-year-old Russian beaten to death by Ukrainians?

Was a 16-year-old Russian beaten to death by Ukrainians?

Mar 21, 2022
The claim that a Russian youth was beaten to death by a “mob of Ukrainian refugees” in the German city of Euskirchen was published in a video addressing Russians in Germany. However, the incident never happened.
Fake: Ukraine Committed Genocide Against Donbas Inhabitants

Fake: Ukraine Committed Genocide Against Donbas Inhabitants

Mar 20, 2022
As it happens, official United Nations data suggests that the 14,000 casualty figure that Putin has used does not only refer to civilians. During Russia’s 2014-2021 military operations against Ukraine, 14,500 people died in the Donbas war. Of that 14,000, 3,404 were civilians, 4,400 were Ukrainian servicemen and 6,500 were Russian militants. The figure Putin operates with, is the total number of casualties incurred in the Donbas war by both sides.
No, this military choir in Russia was not arrested for singing anti-war songs

No, this military choir in Russia was not arrested for singing anti-war songs

Mar 18, 2022
Posts shared online claim to show members of a Russian military choir being arrested for singing anti-war songs. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has indeed cracked down on people spreading “false information” about the war in Ukraine, leading to many people’s arrests, this video is not an example of that. In fact, it shows an incident from 2015 when the choir performed a song from a James Bond film.
Facebook post rehashes false claim that Hillary Clinton was found guilty of spying on Trump

Facebook post rehashes false claim that Hillary Clinton was found guilty of spying on Trump

Mar 18, 2022
Clinton has not been indicted on any charges stemming from alleged spying on Trump. This claim is another dramatic oversimplification of a recent legal filing by Special Counsel John Durham.
There is no evidence that Putin invaded Ukraine to fight child trafficking

There is no evidence that Putin invaded Ukraine to fight child trafficking

Mar 18, 2022
This claim originated in an article published by a website known for sharing misinformation, including one previous false claim on Ukraine. • Russia’s president stated many reasons for the invasion. Ending child trafficking was not among them. • According to the U.S. State Department, Russia is failing to deal with human trafficking within its own borders. Our ruling A post on Facebook alleged that Russia started its invasion of Ukraine to fight child trafficking. The claim originates in an article published by a website known for fabricating stories and sources. There is no evidence that ending child trafficking is a goal of the war in Ukraine. Russia itself is failing to deal with human trafficking within its own borders, according to a report by the U.S. State Department. And while Putin has been very descriptive about his reasons for invading Ukraine, child trafficking has never been mentioned. We rate the post False.
Viral image of helicopter lifting tractor does not show NATO ‘resupplying Ukrainian farmers’

Viral image of helicopter lifting tractor does not show NATO ‘resupplying Ukrainian farmers’

Mar 18, 2022
A viral photo of a helicopter airlifting a tractor predates Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. An Indian tractor manufacturer posted it on Twitter in November 2020. The helicopter in the photo is labeled “Indian Air Force.” India is not a member of NATO.
Tulsi Gabbard falsely claims US ‘not so different’ from Russia on freedom of speech

Tulsi Gabbard falsely claims US ‘not so different’ from Russia on freedom of speech

Mar 18, 2022
Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has restricted dissenting voices, independent news reporting and public discourse on social media platforms. A new law in Russia threatens up to 15 years of prison time for spreading information about the war that authorities consider to be “false.” There are no parallels in the U.S., where freedom of speech, expression and the press are safeguarded by the Constitution. Gabbard alleged censorship by social media companies, but experts say those claims are not supported by evidence. Our ruling Gabbard said, “What is happening here is not so different from what we’re seeing happening in Russia, where you have got state TV and controlled messaging across the board.” Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia ‘ a country with a long history of suppressing free speech and access to information ‘ has restricted dissenting voices, independent news reporting and public discourse on social media platforms, including with a new law threatening prison time for spreading “false” information about the war. Those measures are without parallel in the U.S., where freedom of speech, expression and the press are enshrined in the Constitution. We rate Gabbard’s claim Pants on Fire!
Montreal avenue not renamed after Ukrainian president

Montreal avenue not renamed after Ukrainian president

Mar 18, 2022
Social media posts claim that the avenue outside the Russian consulate in Montreal was renamed for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of support for the country after it was invaded by Russia. This is false; the Avenue Zelensky sign pictured in the posts was installed during the filming of a satirical television program, and the city told AFP that the name of the street remains unchanged.
Russia’s UN ambassador did not say Trump was overthrown

Russia’s UN ambassador did not say Trump was overthrown

Mar 18, 2022
Social media posts claim Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations said during a General Assembly session that former US president Donald Trump was “overthrown.” But diplomat Vassily Nebenzia’s full remarks make clear he was referring to the revolution that toppled Ukraine’s president in February 2014, not Trump’s 2020 electoral defeat.
No, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Did Not Wear a Nazi Symbol

No, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Did Not Wear a Nazi Symbol

Mar 17, 2022
Conspiracy theorists and Russian apologists reached new lows in attacking the Ukrainian president in March 2022.
News and other programs are broadcast live on Russian television, despite claims otherwise

News and other programs are broadcast live on Russian television, despite claims otherwise

Mar 17, 2022
An employee at state-owned Channel One in Russia recently interrupted a live news broadcast to protest the war in Ukraine. Multiple experts say there are live news broadcasts and other live events on Russian TV. A former employee of the station said that all Channel One news is live. An expert we spoke with said that’s because of the country’s many time zones. Our ruling A Facebook post said that a Russian journalist’s protest during a state TV broadcast couldn’t be real because “there are no live on air television broadcasts in Russia. None. Ever.” But experts we spoke with, including journalists who have worked in Russia, said that is not true. There are many live broadcasts, including the news show that was interrupted by an employee’s protest. There has been no evidence presented that shows her actions were staged as part of a Russian propaganda effort. We rate this claim False.
News video of shot up car was filmed in Ukraine, not West Virginia

News video of shot up car was filmed in Ukraine, not West Virginia

Mar 17, 2022
A West Virginia State Police captain confirmed that the Uber’s window decal was an expired inspection sticker from the state. But that doesn’t mean that the car itself wasn’t in Ukraine. The video showing the car was recorded in Irpin, Ukraine, according to Reuters, which owns the video. It’s not uncommon for cars to be exported from the U.S. to other countries, including Ukraine. Our ruling A Facebook post claimed that “a West Virginia inspection sticker on an Uber” proves the car was not in Ukraine. A West Virginia State Police Captain confirmed that the decal on the car was an expired sticker from the state. However, this doesn’t mean that the car wasn’t in Ukraine ‘ a spokesperson for Reuters, which owns the video, confirmed that the video was filmed there. It’s not uncommon for cars to be exported from the U.S. to other countries, including Ukraine. We rate this claim False.
FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Russian KA-52 Helicopter Being Shot Down? | Check Your Fact

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Russian KA-52 Helicopter Being Shot Down? | Check Your Fact

Mar 17, 2022
Verdict: False The video shows footage from an open-world military simulator video game. It does not depict an actual Russian helicopter being shot down.
Photo shows Ukrainian flag on French Statue of Liberty replica

Photo shows Ukrainian flag on French Statue of Liberty replica

Mar 17, 2022
Online posts claim the Statue of Liberty in New York City was adorned with a Ukrainian flag as a sign of solidarity following the Russian invasion. But a reverse image search found that the photo shows a replica Statue of Liberty located in Colmar, France, that was also photographed on March 2, 2022 by AFP.
Altered photo shows Ukrainian president holding jersey with swastika

Altered photo shows Ukrainian president holding jersey with swastika

Mar 17, 2022
Social media posts feature a picture of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holding a soccer jersey that has a swastika in place of a number. But AFP found that the posts used a digitally manipulated image superimposing the Nazi symbol on a photo taken from the leader’s Instagram account.