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Internet hoaxers falsely identify US comic Sam Hyde as ‘Ghost of Kyiv’

Social media users are sharing an image of what appears to be US comic Sam Hyde in a fighter jet cockpit as proof that he is the mythical 'Ghost of Kyiv' responsible for shooting down numerous Russian jets amid the country's invasion of Ukraine. This is false: while the existence of the viral 'Ghost of Kyiv' is unsubstantiated, AFP Fact Check found that an image of a US pilot has been edited to add Hyde's face. This claim has nevertheless been taken seriously by some social media users who are not familiar with the US comic. It is part of a long-running hoax linking the comedian to tragic events worldwide.

March 8, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings USA Methods Ukraine International community

This photo of Zelensky meeting troops was taken before Russia invaded Ukraine

A photo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is circulating in Facebook posts that claim it shows him sharing a meal with soldiers resisting Russia's invasion. The posts are misleading; the photo was taken when Zelensky visited eastern Ukraine on February 17, 2022, days before Russia launched a military operation in the country.

March 7, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Volodymyr Zelensky Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Clouds In The Shape Of An Angel Over Kyiv? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
The image dates back to at least 2016. There is no evidence it was taken in Ukraine.

March 5, 2022

Religion Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Ukraine

Old image shows Ukrainians praying to mark 2014 separatist attacks, unrelated to current conflict

Facebook posts are circulating in Africa claiming to feature an image of Ukrainians kneeling and praying in the snow days before Russian troops invaded their country on February 24, 2022. In reality, the picture dates back to 2019 and shows residents of Kharkiv who had been praying every day in the city square since March 2014 when Russian separatists attacked Ukraine.

March 4, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings 2014 Maidan revolution Methods Misconceptions Context Ukraine Russia

Two old photos show Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, not Russia attacking Ukraine

Two images of huge explosions among residential buildings have been shared hundreds of times on social media alongside a claim that they show Russia's attack on Ukraine. But the claim is false: the photos show Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip in 2018 and 2021.

March 4, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Israel Ukraine Russia International community

The 2012 photo shows a Palestinian girl confronting an Israeli soldier, unrelated to Ukraine conflict

Three photos have been shared thousands of times on Facebook in Tanzania and Kenya alongside a claim that they show a young Ukrainian girl confronting a Russian soldier. But this is false: the images are screenshots from a YouTube video of Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi challenging an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank in 2012.

March 4, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Israel Ukraine Russia International community

Old photo shared in posts claiming ‘Russian flag was raised in Kharkiv’

As Russia pressed on with its invasion of Ukraine, a photo of a Russian flag being raised at a building in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, circulated in social media posts that claimed it had "fallen". However, the photo was shared in a misleading context; the original photo -- taken by Reuters news agency -- is from a pro-Russian protest in 2014. As of March 2, 2022, fighting was ongoing in Kharkiv after heavy shelling.

March 4, 2022

Disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

The photos show scenes from a youth paramilitary camp near Kyiv in 2015 and 2017

A series of photos of children wearing military fatigues and brandishing weapons is circulating in multiple posts online which claim they are Ukrainian children training to fight after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In fact, the pictures were taken in 2015 and 2017 at a youth paramilitary camp on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

March 4, 2022

Disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

Old photos circulate in misleading posts claiming Ukrainian president led troops on the battlefield amid Russian invasion

Several images of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wearing camouflage, a bulletproof vest and a helmet have been shared on social media with claims that he was leading his soldiers on the battlefield as Russia invaded its eastern neighbour. However, the claim has been shared out of context: the photos were taken last year when Zelensky visited troops several times in the pro-Russian separatist region of Donbass in Ukraine.

March 4, 2022

Disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Volodymyr Zelensky Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

Posts use 2014 riot image to falsely compare Ukraine’s capital days before and after Russian invasion

Facebook posts with contrasting aerial images showing Ukraine's capital Kyiv both untouched by war and in ruins have been shared hundreds of times with the claim that the pictures show the city before and after Russia's invasion. The claim is misleading; while the first image of the city intact is fresh, the second showing devastation in the capital was taken about eight years ago during deadly protests that ushered in a change of government.

March 4, 2022

Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings 2014 Maidan revolution Methods Misconceptions Context Ukraine Russia