Latest fact checks & sources

Founded in 2014, StopFake.org’s initial goal was “to verify and refute disinformation and propaganda about events in Ukraine being circulated in the media. Eventually the project grew into an information hub where we examine and analyze all aspects of Kremlin propaganda. We not only look at how propaganda influences Ukraine, we also try to investigate how propaganda impacts on other countries and regions, from the European Union to countries which once made up the Soviet Union.”

Social media posts claim a video of two camouflaged individuals dragging a man shows an attempt to stage footage of Ukrainian troops in combat. This is false; the clip was filmed by a center that offers military skills training for civilians.

The fakenews.pl portal is a website dedicated to a subject of fake news. You will find here a collection of the latest and archival fake news verifications, interesting publications and articles.

Russia is deceptively accusing Ukraine of Nazism and exploiting Romani-related subjects to do so. Natali Tomenko, a Romani activist from Ukraine, gave that assessment at a meeting on 30 March held under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Social media users are claiming a video shows Ukrainians in Kyiv cooling off under a water spray system set up during the war. This is false; the city’s use of sprinklers predates Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

On this day 9 years ago, Russia shot down Malaysia Airlines MH17 over Eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people. This picture shows the bodies of 193 Dutch citizens being returned to the Netherlands.

Russia often claims that it protects traditional values and Orthodox Christianity, while destroying, damaging, or looting hundreds of churches in Ukraine.

Social media posts claim Ukraine has asked the Canadian government to send residents of Ukrainian descent to fight in the war against Russia. This is false; both countries told AFP there is no such recruitment campaign.

Social media posts claim photos show a multimillion-dollar property recently purchased by the daughter of Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov. This is false; the luxury villa in Cannes, France has been on the market since October 2021, according to a real estate firm and the owners of the house.

A video has been shared hundreds of times on social media alongside the false claim it shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcoming a “robot warrior” that arrived in the country in July 2023. The clip has in fact been digitally manipulated to add the robot and the original footage shows Zelensky with British leader Rishi Sunak at an army camp in south England.

Two photos have been shared in social media posts alongside false claims that they show the aftermath of British cargo ships bombed by the Russian air force in a port in Odesa in southern Ukraine on July 16, 2023. However, the photos were in fact taken in Libya and Indonesia respectively and predate Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Two photos have been shared in social media posts alongside false claims that they show the aftermath of British cargo ships bombed by the Russian air force in a port in Odesa in southern Ukraine on July 16, 2023. However, the photos were in fact taken in Libya and Indonesia respectively and predate Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Debunk.org, VsI, is an independent technology think tank and non-governmental organization that researches disinformation and runs educational media literacy campaigns. Debunk.org carries out disinformation analyses in the Baltic countries, Poland, Georgia and Montenegro, as well as in the United States and North Macedonia together with our partners.”

The Washington Post reports: “In a painstakingly slow process that has come to define the speed of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, small groups of sappers on the front lines are crawling across minefields — sometimes literally on their stomachs — to detonate Russia’s defenses and clear a path for troops to advance. The long buildup to the counteroffensive, which began about a month ago across multiple segments of the battlefield in the country’s east and south, gave the Russians time to prepare, soldiers said. Areas between 3 and 10 miles deep in front of the Russians’ main strongholds have been densely mined with antitank and antipersonnel mines and trip wires. These defenses have been successful in stalling the Ukrainian advance, they said.”

Claim: “The Wagnerians are entering Poland as migrants – claims Polsat News,” users posted on X (previously known as Twitter). They are referring to the Polish media outlet Polsat News as the alleged source of that information. “People are sure that illegal immigrants from Belarus are entering the country, who are in fact fighters of the PMC Wagner,” one of the users adds. DW fact check: Unproven

A video circulating online appears to show a prominent digital billboard in Japan saying, “Stop war” and “Stop Zelenskyy.” But the clip has been doctored; the sign featured people — not the anti-Ukraine message — in otherwise matching footage posted to YouTube in 2020, prior to Russia’s invasion.

Uncover the truth behind Kremlin’s claims of NATO’s threat to Russia with Debunk.org’s analysis on NATO’s defensive stance and Russia’s disinformation narrative.

Social media posts claim footage of people easily removing debris from a Ukrainian cathedral after a Russian air strike proves the attack was faked. This is false; AFP and other news outlets covered the destruction, and the original video appears to show a woman carrying pieces of lightweight insulation.

TIME.com article from June 2023, surveying the state of Ukraine’s summer counter-offensive against Russia.

Social media posts claim a video depicts Ukrainian soldiers surrendering to the Russian army. This is false; the clip shows a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Wagner mercenaries in late May 2023 near the city of Bakhmut.