Source type Fact check / debunking

US military drill misrepresented as Russian evacuation from Venezuela after Maduro capture

Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January 2026, a video of military aircraft flying in formation surfaced in social media posts falsely claiming it shows Russia evacuating its diplomats' families from its South American ally. The footage in fact first circulated in October 2025 and corresponds to photos and videos of a US military drill in California marking the founding of the Marine Corps.

Read MoreUS military drill misrepresented as Russian evacuation from Venezuela after Maduro capture

Did former Trump adviser once speak of ‘strange swap arrangement’ involving Venezuela and Ukraine?

The quote that circulated online was correctly attributed to Hill. At the time of this writing, Snopes could not independently verify whether the U.S. had carried out the swap Hill said Russia wanted in 2019 or whether such a deal made the Trump administration's January 2026 capture of Maduro possible.

Read MoreDid former Trump adviser once speak of ‘strange swap arrangement’ involving Venezuela and Ukraine?

Fact Check: Image Does NOT Prove Zelenskyy Received Israeli Passport In 2016

Does a viral picture of what looks like an Israeli passport confirm that Volodymyr Zelenskyy became an Israeli citizen before he became president of Ukraine? No, that's not true: The image got the spelling of his last name wrong. The machine-readable text on the bottom of the first page didn't fit the internationally standardized form, either.

Read MoreFact Check: Image Does NOT Prove Zelenskyy Received Israeli Passport In 2016

Images of Russian president at Indian religious sites are AI-generated

After Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a trip to India in December 2025, AI-generated images were shared in posts claiming they showed him at religious sites with the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and firebrand Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath. There were no official reports of Putin travelling to the sites, nor were they listed on an itinerary shared by India's Ministry of External Affairs.

Read MoreImages of Russian president at Indian religious sites are AI-generated

Fake: Zelensky Visit Near Kupyansk Was Green-Screen Staging

The video showing Volodymyr Zelensky near Kupyansk was not staged. The president's visit to the frontline city on December 12, 2025, was documented by official announcements, footage from the scene, and coverage by independent media, while OSINT analysts independently confirmed the location through geolocation. The clip promoted by propagandists as evidence of a "hologram" or green-screen effect is unrelated archival material from 2022, originally produced for a technology demonstration, and has no connection to Zelensky's address from the field.

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Fake Letter Shared To Claim Indian Govt Asked Russia To Replace S-400 Systems

Claim: A viral notification claims India asked Russia to replace S-400 systems destroyed in a conflict with Pakistan in May 2025.
Fact: There is no credible evidence supporting this claim and the notification had clear discrepancies and has been debunked by PIB

Read MoreFake Letter Shared To Claim Indian Govt Asked Russia To Replace S-400 Systems

Old clip falsely portrayed as India providing air escort to Russian …

As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India for defence and trade talks on December 4, an old video surfaced in social media posts falsely claiming it showed New Delhi sending fighter jets to escort the leader's plane. The footage was published by Russian state news agency Sputnik in December 2017 and shows Putin's plane being escorted by Russian jets en route to Egyptian capital Cairo after a visit to Syria.

Read MoreOld clip falsely portrayed as India providing air escort to Russian …

Fact Check: Vladimir Putin reads Bhagavad Gita gifted by Modi on aircraft? No, image is AI-generated

Claim: Russian President Vladimir Putin has started reading the Bhagavad Gita after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted him a copy during his visit to India.
Fact: The claim is false. While PM Modi did gift Putin a Russian-language Bhagavad Gita, the viral photo of him reading it on a plane is AI-generated.

Read MoreFact Check: Vladimir Putin reads Bhagavad Gita gifted by Modi on aircraft? No, image is AI-generated