Latest fact checks & sources

Verdict: False. There is no evidence that this outlet reported this. There is no evidence that 70,000 Ukrainian troops died in the Kursk offensive.

As discussions continue surrounding a potential ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has come under fire for allegedly purchasing a lavish mansion in Florida. But as FRANCE 24’s Charlotte Hughes explains, this claim is false.

A video featuring people in military uniforms walking on a landscape with their hands in the air was recently shared on social media. Those sharing the video claimed that the Ukrainian army surrendered in the Kursk region of Russia. However, the PTI Fact Check investigated and found that the viral video dates back to 2022 when the Ukrainian marines surrendered in Mariupol and is unrelated to the ongoing conflict in the Kursk region.

The Verdict: Fake. The headline is fabricated. The Hull Daily Mail published a different front page on March 13.

A viral video shared by some internet users claims to show Ukrainian troops surrendering to Russia’s forces in the Kursk region. However, as FRANCE 24’s Charlotte Hughes explains, the video has been taken out of context and was not, in fact, filmed in Kursk.

Verdict: Misleading. While the video does show Putin discussing a ceasefire in relation to the Russia-Ukraine War, it is not recent but from June 2024.

The video is fake. To create it, the propagandists used artificial intelligence. […] In a comment to StopFake, RSF noted that propagandists regularly use the organization’s logo and branding to spread disinformation. “Six false videos in just over six months: the relentless nature of this Russian propaganda reflects how effective RSF is. This false and misleading content – which uses the credible reputation of RSF to spread untrue information – illustrates not only the dangers of Russian disinformation but the consequences of the inaction of platforms like X, how ineffective the current fight against informational interference is, and how dangerous the news media’s passivity in the face of these attacks can be. These videos are not mere anecdotes but part of a massive strategy to influence and manipulate public opinion and legitimise the Kremlin’s discourse, particularly on Ukraine. Who benefits from this crime? The Kremlin and its allies,” stated RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin.

Does a viral image authentically show European leaders taking off their suit coats in support of Ukraine during a group picture? No, that’s not true: The image is likely a screenshot from a video that was digitally edited, possibly using AI. Actual footage of the moment the group picture was taken did not show anyone taking off their suit and no news outlets reported about it happening at the time.

Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading. Misbar’s team found that the video shows Ukrainian marines surrendering in Mariupol in 2022 and is not related to the ongoing events in the Kursk region.

This is not a real video. A watermark in the bottom right corner suggests it was made by OpenAI’s text-to-video artificial intelligence model, Sora.

VERDICT: False. CNN did not publish a video of Marco Rubio saying he would convince Elon Musk to end Ukraine’s access to Starlink. Rubio has said there was no such threat.

After InfoWars reporter Jamie White was fatally shot March 10 in Austin, Texas, police said they believe the suspects were burglarizing White’s car when White interrupted them. White is not on a Ukrainian enemies list. In June 2024, Texty.org.ua, an independent Ukrainian media outlet, shared online a list of research subjects as part of its analysis of rhetoric opposing Ukrainian aid. White was among the people whose statements were analyzed. Texty did not refer to White as an “enemy” of Ukraine, nor did the outlet call for him to be harmed or killed.

“I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared,” Trump wrote. But there aren’t thousands of Ukrainian troops in Kursk any longer. They left days ago, despite what Putin may claim. “It’s wise to rely on intelligence,” Tatarigami advised, “not Putin’s word.”

What was claimed: A video shows Ukrainian troops surrendering in the Kursk region on 11 March 2025. Our verdict: The clip predates this and has been shared online since at least April 2022.

What was claimed: A photo shows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently wearing a suit to meet WEF founder Klaus Schwab because he is his “actual boss”, amid criticism Mr Zelenskyy received for not wearing one to meet President Trump. Our verdict: This photo shows the two men in suits in 2020, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after which President Zelenskyy stopped wearing suits publicly.

What was claimed: A video shows the Ukrainian flag being flown from the top of the Statue of Liberty. Our verdict: This is not a real video. A watermark in the bottom right corner suggests it was made by OpenAI’s text-to-video artificial intelligence model, Sora.

The journalist was not on Ukraine’s so-called kill list or in the Myrotvorets database. His sister and local police believe that his death was unrelated to his journalistic activities. […] Ultra-right-wing and conspiracy-minded InfoWars journalist Jamie White was indeed murdered in Austin on the evening of March 9, on his way home from work. And in June 2024, he claimed on his X account that he had been added to a “list of enemies of Ukraine” but he provided no links or evidence that this list existed. Russian propagandists assumed he was referring to Myrotvorets, but White’s name does not appear in that database. Moreover, Myrotvorets is not funded by the U.S. State Department or USAID and is not a “kill list.” It catalogs individuals deemed a threat to Ukraine’s national security and operates through crowdfunding. Moreover, the screenshot White posted of the alleged “list” does not match the actual appearance of the Myrotvorets website. There is no evidence that Jamie White was on any “list of enemies of Ukraine” – and it is doubtful that such a list even exists.

A video went viral on X claiming to show Jews in Amsterdam celebrating the establishment of a new Jewish state in Ukraine. Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading; the video is unrelated to Ukraine and was recorded in 2016 in Alkmaar, not Amsterdam. Through reverse image search, Misbar’s team found that the video shows Maccabi supporters celebrating in Alkmaar, Netherlands. The full video could be found on a YouTube channel called “Maccabi Fanatics.”

Did a video circulating on social media show Russian President Vladimir Putin making a public statement about Russia’s terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine in March 2025? No, that’s not true: The clip had been online for nine months. It showed Putin’s remarks from June 2024.

Claim: As of February 2025, the United States had given $350 billion in military aid to Ukraine for its war with Russia. Rating: False. Context It’s possible to arrive at varying totals depending on how military aid is defined or by considering how much money was allocated – as opposed to actually paid out – by the U.S. government, but none of these totals amounts to $350 billion