Category Fact checks / debunkings

Is Ukraine’s counteroffensive “stuck”, or just a slow starter? It’s way too soon to tell.

As of the time of writing (August 1, 2023), it far too soon to judge the ultimate success of Ukraine's current counteroffensive. Anyone making confident predictions at this point in time is just guessing. As unsatisfying as it might be, we will just have to wait and see.

August 1, 2023
Counteroffensive 2023 Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Ukraine

Is Ukraine Photo of Organ Harvesting Victims’ ‘Mass Grave’?

The photo in the tweet is not of an organ harvesting site in Kharkiv, but an exhumation in Lyman, Ukraine, from October 2022. The photo depicts the uncovering of a mass grave in Lyman about a week after Ukrainian troops reclaimed the formerly Russian-occupied city. It has nothing to do with the material the tweet describes.

July 31, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine

Did Tokyo Billboard Show ‘Stop War, Stop Zelensky’?

False. The video of the anti-Zelensky billboard in Shibuya, Japan, is fake. It was edited from a popular clip that's been on YouTube for more than two years and viewed more than eight million times. There is no evidence that any such billboard has been displayed in Shibuya, one of the busiest and most popular neighborhoods in Tokyo, Japan.

July 31, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine

No, this video doesn’t show Ukrainian soldiers ‘giving up without a fight’

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been widely sharing a video that they claim shows Ukrainian soldiers surrendering to the Russian army en masse. The video, however, actually shows a prisoner swap between the Russian state-funded paramilitary group, the Wagner Group, and the Ukrainian army in May 2023.

RFK Jr. Claims U.S. Pushed Ukraine to War With Russia

No evidence was provided to support the claim Johnson blocked a peace agreement, and the claim that Russia withdrew its forces from Kyiv due to an agreement with Zelensky is widely disputed by political and military experts. Newsweek has put each of the claims it investigated to RFK Jr.'s spokespeople via email. There has been no response as of the time of publication. Unless RFK Jr. can provide substantive proof to support some of his arguments, the claims the Democratic hopeful made on Fox News simply do not match the facts.

July 28, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

No, this video does not prove that an attack on Odesa was staged by Ukraine

A video has gone viral on social media, with users claiming it showsÂ proof that the destruction ofÂ a historic cathedral in OdesaÂ on the night of July 22 to 23 was staged byÂ Ukrainian authorities. They argue that a woman in the video picks up the debris with too much ease for it to be real. However, the woman is actually picking up a light material,Â most likely polystyrene, so this does not prove that the attack was staged.

July 28, 2023
Attacks on religion Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Ukraine War crimes

Does Video Show ‘Mass Surrender’ of Ukrainian Troops?

While footage and claims from Wagner should be treated cautiously, it stands to reason that had the video depicted a mass surrender, then Prigozhin or his representatives would have heralded that fact and not a prisoner exchange. In short, based on footage from the Wagner Group and other news sources, Newsweek can confirm the aerial footage is not of a Ukrainian mass surrender.

July 27, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

No, Elijah Wood did not urge Volodymyr Zelensky to seek treatment for alleged addictions

A video has been circulating online that allegedly shows "Lord of the Rings" actor Elijah Wood giving the Ukrainian president advice on how to tackle his alleged drug and alcohol addictions. He can be seen recording himself and talking to a so-called "Vladimir". However, the video has been heavily edited and his agent has confirmed it was not published by the actor.

Illustration of a hand putting a ballot into a ballot box.

No, Zelensky hasn’t “canceled” Ukrainian elections

Accusations have circulated on social media that President Zelensky of Ukraine has cancelled elections in Ukraine, and extended martial law in order to remain in power. In fact, holding elections now, under wartime conditions, would almost guarantee another Zelensky victory. It would also be illegal under Ukrainian laws that predate Zelensky's time in power.

July 23, 2023
Democracy Disinformation Elections Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine

Did Elijah Wood Tell Zelensky via Instagram to Go to Rehab?

Apart from the fact that the video has been bizarrely edited, it does not mention Zelensky, only someone named Vladimir, and is attributed to an Instagram account with no web presence. Elijah Wood does not have a public Instagram account and the video being shared of him online, allegedly asking Zelensky to seek treatment, is the only recording available. The video appears to have been spread as a Russian propaganda effort and to promote a dubious documentary that falsely credits Tom Cruise as its star. Although Newsweek is yet to hear from Wood's representatives for comment, we are confident that the video and claims surrounding it are, respectively, inauthentic and false.