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Dig deeper with these advanced verification tools

If you've been brushing up on the FRANCE 24 Observers' verification guide, then you now have the know-how to verify images with a reverse image search or check for edits with some forensic tools. You should also have the basic instincts needed to be wary when scrolling through social media. This guide will show you some more advanced verification techniques that can help you dig a bit deeper into the origins of a post or a page.

FACT CHECK: Kim Jong Un And Vladimir Putin Video Edited To Show The Two Refusing To Drink From Glasses After Toasting | Check Your Fact

The caption reads, "When Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong UN met and none of them was willing to drink first."

The claim is inaccurate. The video has been edited to remove the moment that they drink. The full video shows that they did drink. The video shows the two toasted each other and then the other people at the table and then were clearly seen drinking.

Russia did not invade Ukraine to stop a NATO genocide in eastern regions

The Verdict: False.
There is no evidence that the people of eastern Ukraine were subject to systematic extermination. [...]

The claim was spread widely after [Russian Foreign Affairs official] Maria Zakharova [...] stated in February 2022 that there was a "systematic extermination of the Donbas population." However, an OSCE monitoring mission active in Ukraine since 2014 has found no evidence of mass targeted killings of civilians in the Donbas region. The Russian Foreign Ministry has not provided any proof to back up Zakharova's claim.

Russian Nationalist Channels Fabricate YouTube Data to Claim Ukrainians Don’t Listen to Ukrainian Musicians

"It's just that YouTube Music published the TOP artists … in Ukraine. Not a single performer in Ukrainian."

That is false.
Musicians singing in Ukrainian dominated all of YouTube's weekly charts of top artists in Ukraine in 2023 as shown in YouTube's own data.

War in Ukraine: In 2023, Russian disinformation continued to dominate

Out of the 197 fact-checking articles our team wrote in 2023, 52 of them concerned the war in Ukraine. And 50 of those highlighted pro-Russian disinformation aimed at discrediting Kyiv and the Ukrainian war effort.

FACT CHECK: Facebook Video Does Not Show CNN Ad Mentioning Ukraine | Check Your Fact

The Facebook video purports to show a CNN advertisement mentioning Ukraine on a billboard in Times Square. Kyiv is all over. Will the Russians stop there or go further? Discover this and more on Political Briefing, the text of the alleged advertisement reads. The video's caption claims 'few people believe Ukraine will win' its ongoing war with Russia.

The video is not authentic, however. CNN spokesperson Emily Kuhn denied the video's authenticity in an email to Reuters.

FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Putin, Schwab | Check Your Fact

A post shared on Facebook claims Russian President Vladimir Putin purportedly declared World Economic Forum (WEF) chairperson Klaus Schwab to be a 'legitimate military target'

The claim is false and stems from a Dec. 13 article published by The People's Voice, a website that is known for spreading 'fake news.'