Category Fact checks / debunkings

Have U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

Have U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

False. Congress has only approved $113 billion for spending in Ukraine. Researchers tracking spending suggest that only around $77 billion has gone directly to Ukraine, a combination of financial, military and other forms of aid. It's not clear where the $200 billion figure has come from. A Fox News report in February 2023 attributed it to a Ukrainian government statement that Newsweek could not find. Another estimate broadcast on Tucker Carlson Tonight the same month was presented without evidence and upon inspection appears dubious.
Read MoreHave U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

FACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Blame Americans For Interfering With Their Own Democracy? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False The video was created by the non-partisan anti-corruption organization, RepresentUs. A spokesperson for the organization confirmed the footage of Putin included in the video was not real.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Blame Americans For Interfering With Their Own Democracy? | Check Your Fact

No, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

This claim is inaccurate. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a U.S. Defense Department arm that works to deter attacks and emerging threats, in November 2019 awarded a contract for non-COVID-19 training support in Ukraine, the agency said. An agency spokesperson said the contract's description was modified in 2020, months after the virus emerged, to focus on COVID-19 research. The Defense Department typically modifies contracts over time to address emerging needs. The Defense Department did not pay for COVID-19 research in Ukraine before the virus emerged. We rate this claim False.
Read MoreNo, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

Did Vladimir Putin really defy his arrest order to travel to South Africa? In short, nope

Did Vladimir Putin recently go to South Africa, defying the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court? That's the claim made by at least two videos that have been shared thousands of times on TikTok and Facebook since late March. This footage, however, is old and doesn't in any way prove that Putin has recently travelled to South Africa.
Read MoreDid Vladimir Putin really defy his arrest order to travel to South Africa? In short, nope

Digitized images are from a video game; they’re not from Ukraine war footage

A recent Facebook post suggests that the video featured in it shows footage of the war in Ukraine but the video in question is from a video game. Searching for the post's video description turns up a YouTube post from about a year earlier. It has the same description, but identifies the video as being from "Arma 3," a military simulation game. We rate claims that this clip shows real footage from the war in Ukraine False.
Read MoreDigitized images are from a video game; they’re not from Ukraine war footage

FACT CHECK: Did The Leaked Pentagon Documents Show Ukraine Suffered 71,000 Dead? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False The claim is based on an altered document. The original document shows that the United States allegedly estimated Ukraine has suffered around 15,500 to 17,000 deaths, not 71,000.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: Did The Leaked Pentagon Documents Show Ukraine Suffered 71,000 Dead? | Check Your Fact

No, this video doesn’t show Ukrainians setting fire to an Orthodox church

Did Ukrainians really set a Russian Orthodox church on fire? A video purporting to show just that has been circulating online since April 5, 2023. However, it turns out that this video was filmed in Russia more than ten years ago and shows an accidental fire.
Read MoreNo, this video doesn’t show Ukrainians setting fire to an Orthodox church

Is This Real Footage of Ukrainians Burning Russian-Affiliated Orthodox Church?

Miscaptioned. Context: The video being shared was posted on YouTube around 10 years ago and is reportedly of a church being burned in Russia.
Read MoreIs This Real Footage of Ukrainians Burning Russian-Affiliated Orthodox Church?