Category Fact checks / debunkings

Joe Rogan Claims U.S. Accidentally Sent $6.2 Billion to Ukraine

The U.S. did not accidentally send $6.2 billion to Ukraine. An overestimation of the cost of some military hardware meant that $6.2 billion was not spent in the transfer of U.S. stocks to Ukraine. While the DOD has said that this can now be used toward future stock drawdowns authorized by the president, that does not mean $6.2 billion has been sent accidentally, and all that implies, to Ukraine.

July 20, 2023
Aid oversight Aid to Ukraine Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine USA

Does Zelensky Live in $5.5M Mansion With Infinity Pool?

The tweet by Churchill offers no evidence that the image of a luxury property she shared belonged to Zelensky. Social media users were quick to point out that the image was taken from a real estate website for a property that was on sale for $5.5 million. It appears to be the latest unfounded accusation that Zelensky has faced that he has amassed properties around the world.

July 19, 2023
Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine

Is This a Real Video of a Traffic Jam of People Fleeing Crimea in July 2023?

According to social media users, tourists were leaving Crimea in the aftermath of an attack on a significant bridge.

July 18, 2023
Fact checks / debunkings Russia Ukraine

Does NATO’s Website Offer Ukrainian as a Language Option?

NATO's official languages are French and English.

July 11, 2023
Fact checks / debunkings International community NATO Ukraine

Deadly Kramatorsk missile was Russian – not Ukrainian

On June 28, 2023, a Russian missile hit a crowded restaurant in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. 13 people died in this attack, including at least 3 children and a leading Ukrainian poet and author (as of July 3). As with pretty much every major strike on civilians, to add insult to injury, false stories immediately began being circulated by pro-Russian influencers online.

July 10, 2023
Attacks on civilians Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Russian propaganda Ukraine War crimes

The word "Fake" appears in red letters on top of a screenshot of a social media post, which describes so-called baby factories supposedly discovered in Ukraine.

Fake news: No evidence of ‘baby factories’ in Ukraine

Sick: BBC's fact-checking team have traced false claims of "baby factories" in Ukraine back to a notorious online hoax factory. "Who would possibly lie about something like that?" you might reasonably ask yourself. Depressingly, we have the answer to that question.

July 9, 2023
Blood libel Children Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Russian propaganda

No, weapons for Ukraine were not used in French riots

A false rumor on Twitter has been traced by the BBC back to pro-Kremlin propaganda channels. The deliberately misleading Twitter post falsely claims that weapons possibly among those sent to Ukraine were used against police in the recent riots in France (summer 2023). The attached image shows a fabricated “screenshot” of a non-existent news article.

July 9, 2023
Aid to Ukraine Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda

Were Dead Russian Soldiers Packed Into Grisly ‘Meat Cubes’?

So far Newsweek has been unable to find any evidence to support the "meat cube" claims. According to local reports, the images of slabs of meat packed in between wooden craters show leftovers of expired animal feed in Russia's Belgorod region, not the bodies of Russian soldiers.

July 7, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia

Was Russian Soldier Blown Up Bashing Tank With Artillery Shell?

The video shared on Twitter has been edited. The explosion seen in the film is a video effect, available on TikTok. The original video, which has been shared on other social media for at least seven months, shows the soldier using the shell to hammer a component into the tank before turning and smiling at a group behind him.

July 4, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia

Is RFK Jr. Right That U.S. Has Sent $113 Billion to Ukraine?

While Congress has allocated $113 billion worth of spending toward Ukraine, analysis of that spending shows that a significant proportion will not go directly to Kyiv. Analysis by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks U.S. spending in Ukraine, has suggested the total direct spend to be around $77 billion.

June 30, 2023
Aid to Ukraine Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Ukraine USA