Category International community

Is Red Cross Funding Families of Mobilized Russians?

As stated on its website the Russian Red Cross, an organization making up the international network of Red Cross societies, has been fundraising and providing support for Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and their families.

However, this does not mean that other Red Cross societies or its international organizing bodies have any part in its fundraising. The International Federation of Red Cross says it is guided by "impartiality", among its guiding principles.

October 26, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community NGOs Russia

Finland did not advise citizens to ‘urgently buy iodine tablets after escalation of war in Ukraine’

Several Thai posts have shared a misleading claim that the Finnish government advised its citizens to urgently buy iodine tablets after an escalation of the war in Ukraine. It circulated in October 2022 after the Nordic country updated its guidelines on the use of iodine in case of a radiation hazard. A government official told AFP that events in Ukraine would not compromise radiation safety in Finland. They added that their guidelines aim to ensure there is protection for the most vulnerable in case of an emergency resulting from a nuclear reactor accident, as they are heavily dependent on nuclear power.

CNN didn’t report that Uganda’s president said it would be ‘disgusting’ to support Ukraine

Uganda's president came out as an early supporter of russia but this is not a real CNN headline.

The post appears to be an altered screenshot of a 2014 story on CNN's website. The story features a paused video of Museveni in which he appears wearing the same outfit and in front of the same background as the image of him in the Instagram post.

We found no credible news reports or other sources documenting Museveni as saying it would be disgusting to support Ukraine.

We rate that claim False.

October 24, 2022
Aid to Ukraine Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Ukraine USA

Video game clip falsely shared as NATO military convoy being destroyed in Ukraine – Truth or Fake

A viral post on Facebook claims to show a convoy of NATO military advisers being destroyed by Russian missiles. While many users believe that the images represent actual fighting, they were actually taken from a war video game series called Arma 3. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

October 24, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions NATO Russia Ukraine

The man in this video is an actor, but it does not mean the Ukraine war is being staged – Truth or Fake

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, repeated false claims have appeared on social media alleging that the entire conflict is being staged. FRANCE 24's fact-checking team debunk the latest example: two videos that show a man in Ukrainian army uniform being filmed, as he appears to act out a scene on the battlefield.

October 21, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Narratives NATO Russia The war is a hoax Ukraine

No, US actor Sean Penn didn’t film fake videos of the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 – no proof anyone has – Africa Check

We've seen plenty of outlandish claims about the war between Russia and Ukraine on social media. But one claiming actor Sean Penn was involved in faking the entire conflict may take the cake - and is certainly also false.

October 21, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Russia Ukraine

Did Fuel Crisis Force Berliners to Chop Trees in Tiergarten?

Germans have not been chopping down trees in Tiergarten, Berlin, to meet energy needs. The claim is a misquote from a Bloomberg article about firewood demand.

While the article mentions that residents in the German capital did resort to felling parts of the park after the Second World War, the article clearly states that no such thing has happened today following Russia's shutdown of gas supplies to Europe.

The misquote, however, has been widely shared by pro-Russian accounts to support their narrative about the energy crisis in Europe.

October 17, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Germany Misconceptions Russian propaganda

Image shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting Russia in 2019, not 2022

An image of Kim Jong Un has been shared repeatedly in posts that claim the North Korean leader visited Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech in September 2022. Some posts written in Korean also claim South Korean media ignored Kim's visit. But the claim -- which circulated as Russia pushed on with its war in neighbouring Ukraine -- is false. The posts show Kim's visit to the Russian port city of Vladivostok in April 2019 for a summit with Putin.

October 12, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions North Korea Putin Russia

No, BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen did not ‘stage’ a Ukraine report – Truth or Fake

A screenshot from a BBC report is circulating heavily on social media, with claims that the reporter is pretending to be on the frontlines whilst a woman stands casually in the background with a shopping bag. What's true and what's fake? We explain the details in this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl.

October 7, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Russia UK Ukraine

Despite claims, Jackson, Mississippi, did get funding for its infrastructure. But it’s not a fix-all

When the Instagram post was shared, Congress was considering legislation that included $20 million in funding for Jackson, Mississippi's water infrastructure. The legislation passed Sept. 30.

Much more funding will be needed to completely address the problems in Jackson.

Our ruling
An Instagram post says Ukraine got $12 billion more in funding but Jackson, Mississippi, has not received any.

At the time the Instagram post was shared, Congress was considering legislation to provide money to both Ukraine and Jackson. The legislation passed Sept. 30 and was signed into law the same day, allocating $20 million to Jackson for its infrastructure.

Much more funding will be needed to fully address the city's problems. But though the city might not have the money in hand yet because the funding was just approved, it's misleading to say the city was completely ignored.

The claim contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.

October 6, 2022
Aid oversight Aid to Ukraine Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Military aid Misconceptions USA