Category Nazism

Senior US military officer was not captured by Russian forces in Ukraine

As Russian strikes pounded the besieged port city of Mariupol in Ukraine, Facebook posts shared in various languages claimed US General Roger L. Cloutier was captured by Russian forces there. However, NATO said the rumour was "completely false" and that Cloutier, who leads NATO's Allied Land Command, had not been to Ukraine since July 2021. Cloutier was in Turkey when the false claims about his whereabouts circulated online.

The Facts on ‘De-Nazifying’ Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia’s talk of “de-Nazifying” Ukraine is a non-starter in peace negotiations. We’ll explain what these claims are all about and why experts say they are misleading.

FACT CHECK: Is This Alleged Neo-Nazi The Deputy Commander Of The Kyiv Police? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
There is no evidence Bonov is the deputy commander of the Kyiv police.

March 28, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Hatred and bigotry Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Nazism Ukraine

Zelenskyy’s shirt bears emblem of Ukraine armed forces, not Nazi cross

An Iron Cross visible on some of Zelenskyy's military green T-shirts is not a Nazi symbol. It represents the official emblem of Ukraine's armed forces and includes the country's coat of arms in the center.

The Iron Cross is a commonly used, famous German military medal. It's not a hate symbol on its own. It was turned into a Nazi symbol when the regime superimposed a swastika in the center.

Our ruling
Social media posts claim that a Nazi symbol can be seen on Zelenskyy's T-shirts.

This is wrong. The symbol visible on Zelenskyy's shirt is the official emblem of Ukraine's military and doesn't represent a Nazi Iron Cross.

We rate the claim False.

March 25, 2022
AI-generated images Disinformation Hatred and bigotry International community Methods Misconceptions Nazism Ukraine USA

Zelensky hit by false claim about ‘Nazi T-shirt’ after US Congress meeting

Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's virtual meeting with US Congress, social media posts shared hundreds of times claimed he was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a "Nazi symbol". In fact, the symbol represents the Ukrainian military, according to an image comparison. A representative for the Ukrainian embassy in Thailand said it did not relate to Nazism.

March 23, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Fascism Hatred and bigotry Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Nazism Ukraine

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

SeveralÂ 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.Â We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Altered photo shows Ukrainian president holding jersey with swastika

Social media posts feature a picture of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holding a soccer jersey that has a swastika in place of a number. But AFP found that the posts used a digitally manipulated image superimposing the Nazi symbol on a photo taken from the leader's Instagram account.

March 17, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Fascism Hatred and bigotry Misconceptions Nazism Ukraine

Vladimir Putin’s false war claims

Putin claims:
“Does Ukraine need to be denazified” - false,
“Is Russia’s attack a defense case under the UN Charter?” - false,
“Was there a ‘genocide” in Ukraine?” - false.
Russia has so far failed to provide any evidence in their claims.

February 25, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Genocide Misconceptions NATO Nazism Putin Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine United Nations

Fake: Flag with Nazi Swastika in Ukraine

On September 20, the official Twitter account of the Permanent Mission of Russia in Geneva published a photo entitled "Modern Ukraine. Human Rights on the Upgrade", showing a building with Ukrainian and Nazi flags.

However, this photo has been "wandering" around the Network under different titles for a long time. Let us recall that it was taken during the shooting of a movie in Kharkiv in 2011.

September 22, 2014
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Hatred and bigotry Misconceptions Nazism Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine