Category Fact checks / debunkings

The Space Foundation didn’t revoke honors from Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin

The Space Foundation removed Yuri Gagarin's name from an upcoming fundraising event after it received derogatory and anti-Russia comments on its social media accounts. The organization did not revoke any formal honors from the cosmonaut. Exhibits related to Gagarin are still on display at the foundation's gallery in Colorado, and his accomplishments will still be celebrated at the annual event, the group said. Our ruling A Facebook post claims, "the Space Foundation has erased the honors previously bestowed on Yuri Gagarin, the first man to ever be in space. His name was stripped 'in light of current events.'" This is misleading. The Space Foundation removed Gagarin's name from an event after it received derogatory and anti-Russian comments on its social media accounts due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the organization did not revoke any formal honors from the cosmonaut. Gagarin's exhibits are still on display at the foundation and his accomplishments will still be celebrated at the event. The post contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.
Read MoreThe Space Foundation didn’t revoke honors from Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin

No, this Edmonton jacket isn’t proof CNN staged a fire as part of its Ukraine coverage

A Canadian charity has for years donated firefighter gear to Ukrainians. A jacket bearing the name of the city Edmonton that appeared in live CNN coverage in Ukraine came from the group, the charity said. An April 2019 Instagram post from the group shows piles of jackets bound for Ukraine. A 2018 post says: "Sharing more gear outside Lviv." The second photo in this post shows someone holding up a jacket that says "Edmonton" that resembles the one that appears in the CNN broadcast. We rate claims that this jacket is evidence that CNN staged the scene, or that Lemon isn't in Ukraine, False.
Read MoreNo, this Edmonton jacket isn’t proof CNN staged a fire as part of its Ukraine coverage

No, the infamous Canadian sniper Wali has not been killed in Ukraine

A number of viral posts on social media have claimed that a Canadian sniper, dubbed "the world's deadliest sniper", was killed within hours of arriving in Mariupol, Ukraine, where he had gone to fight. However the man, nicknamed Wali, is still alive and well. He told the FRANCE 24 Observers team that he thinks the disinformation around his death serves to dissuade foreign fighters from going to Ukraine.
Read MoreNo, the infamous Canadian sniper Wali has not been killed in Ukraine

Video appears to show Kenyan soldiers, not Russians

The soldiers seen in the video don't appear to be wearing Russian uniforms, an expert on land warfare said. The uniforms appear to match those worn by soldiers in the Kenya Defence Forces. A longer version of the video says the soldiers are members of the Kenyan military. Our ruling A video claimed to show Russian soldiers fleeing for safety after failing to fire a rocket-propelled grenade. One expert told us the soldiers in the video don't appear to be Russian, based on their uniforms and lack of armbands. The uniforms do not seem to match ones in photos we found of Russian soldiers. The uniforms appear to match those worn by the military in Kenya, based on images and a longer version of the video found on YouTube. We rate this claim False.
Read MoreVideo appears to show Kenyan soldiers, not Russians
Marjorie Taylor Greene Parrots Russian Talking Point on Ukraine

Marjorie Taylor Greene Parrots Russian Talking Point on Ukraine

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene parroted a Russian talking point with her claim that Ukraine is a country whose “government only exists because the Obama State Department helped to overthrow the previous regime.” FactCheck.org presents the history of this Russian propaganda talking point, and explains why it is false.
Read MoreMarjorie Taylor Greene Parrots Russian Talking Point on Ukraine
Video Shows Climate Protest in Austria, Not ‘Crisis Actors’ in Ukraine

Video Shows Climate Protest in Austria, Not ‘Crisis Actors’ in Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered a barrage of false claims on social media, including posts that purport to show a video of “crisis actors” portraying dead victims of the fighting. The video used in the posts is from a climate protest held in Vienna, Austria, weeks before the war in Ukraine began.
Read MoreVideo Shows Climate Protest in Austria, Not ‘Crisis Actors’ in Ukraine

Photos of Nazi symbols in Ukraine are shared out of context – Truth or Fake

Several videos and photos are circulating online, lending credibility to Russian claims of a serious neo-Nazi problem in Ukraine. The problem here though is that the images and videos are a distortion of reality and, in some cases, completely fictional. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Read MorePhotos of Nazi symbols in Ukraine are shared out of context – Truth or Fake

No evidence to support claims that Ukraine is killing people for speaking Russian

Russia has leaned on claims that Ukraine has killed Russian speakers in the country and that Russians are the targets of genocide there, but there's no evidence to support that. Ukraine appealed to the U.N.'s International Court of Justice in the Hague to rule on the Russian government's claims of genocide "in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine," calling them false. The court ruled 13-2 on March 16 that the Kremlin's justification for the war was unjustified and ordered Russia to stop its invasion. Judges from Russia and China were the two dissenting votes. We rate this post False.
Read MoreNo evidence to support claims that Ukraine is killing people for speaking Russian