Category European Union

Video dates back to 2017 post about Estonian railway repairs, unrelated to EU sanctioning Russia

A video of a railway track being removed has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times after it circulated in posts that claim it shows Lithuania cutting off transit with a Russian exclave after the EU sanctioned certain goods in response to Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022. Although Lithuania did follow the EU sanctions in blocking certain goods to Kaliningrad, the video has been shared in a false context. It was uploaded in a 2017 post about railway repairs in Estonia, years before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Keyword searches found no official reports about Lithuania removing the railway track.

Manipulation: EU Afraid of Ukrainian Weapon and Drug Smuggling

To strengthen border security in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on July 11 the EU launched a Support Hub for internal security and border management in Moldova. Neither the program nor the announcement mention Ukraine reselling western weapons or being involved in drug trafficking.

Fake: Lithuania Dismantles Railway to Kaliningrad

The primary source of the claim that Lithuania dismantled the Kaliningrad railway is the Panorama satirical, fictional news site. The publication does alert its readers that all texts on the site are satire and not real news.

July 5, 2022
European Union Fact checks / debunkings International community Russia Russian propaganda

FACT CHECK: Did A Pentagon Spokesperson Demand Lithuania Be Expelled From NATO? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
There is no evidence to suggest the organization is planning to remove any members. Representatives for the Pentagon and NATO confirmed the claim is false.

June 29, 2022
Disinformation European Union Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions NATO Russia Russian propaganda USA

Fake: EU May Deport Ukrainians for Military Mobilization in Ukraine

Ukrainian citizens cannot be deported as they entered the European Union legally, forced into the move because of Russia's invasion.

FACT CHECK: Did Denmark Open Fire On Russian Warships? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: Misleading
While Russian warships did enter Denmarkâs territorial waters, no such exchange took place. A spokesperson for Denmarkâs Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the claim.

FACT CHECK: Did Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Say He Does Not Care About Ukraine? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
There is no record of Orban making such a statement. A spokesperson for the Hungarian government denied the claim.

June 20, 2022
Disinformation European Union Fact checks / debunkings Hungary International community Misconceptions Ukraine

FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Ukrainian Soldiers Mistakenly Burning A Dutch Flag? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: Misleading
The image is from a 2016 video that allegedly shows soldiers from the Ukrainian Azov Regiment threatening Dutch citizens over a referendum. The Azov Regiment denied the video was created by them.

No, the discovery of bodies in Ukraine’s Bucha was not ‘staged’ with ‘actors’

Ukraine authorities have said bodies discovered on April 2, 2022 in the small town of Bucha were civilians killed by retreating Russian forces, allegations which Moscow has denied. Several posts shared on social networks -- including from Russian authorities -- have claimed that the scene was staged by Ukrainian forces and some of the so-called bodies were filmed moving. But AFP journalists on the ground confirmed they saw dead bodies that had been left for several days; footage used to support the misleading claims does not show the bodies moving, AFP's investigation found.

Fictional video shared in posts falsely claiming ‘Eiffel Tower was bombed’

A video that appears to show explosions in the French capital of Paris has been viewed thousands of times in misleading social media posts that claim it shows a real attack on the Eiffel Tower. The posts suggest the attack was carried out by Russian forces in response to sanctions from foreign powers following its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. The footage, however, has been shared in a false context: it shows a fictional film created by a French director that was then shared online by Ukrainian officials in a bid to urge European authorities to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.