Category Media taken out of context

Fake: Zelensky Urges Americans to Fight for Ukraine

An out of context excerpt from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's
press conference is being circulated online by Russian and US social media
users, claiming that he is calling on Americans to fight for Ukraine.
Answering questions during a press conference dedicated to the first
anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky said that
if Ukraine fails to stop Russia, then NATO countries will have to do it,
because capturing Ukraine will not stop Russia's expansionist policies
regarding its neighboring countries, including NATO members.

Fake: US Consulate in Milan Publishes Post with Ukraine and Nazi Germany Flags

Employees of the US consulate in Milan never published a Twitter post with
the flags of Ukraine and Nazi Germany. The consulate's Twitter account was
hacked. After regaining control over the account, the hacked post was
deleted.

Fake: Wagner Group Destroys Leopard Tank and its Polish-German Crew

Fake Russian social media posts use 2018 photo of Turkish tank destroyed in
Syria.

Fake: Air Raid Siren During Joe Biden’s Visit to Kyiv Turned on Intentionally

According to Ukraine's Air Force, the air raid alert that sounded during
the US President Joe Biden's visit to Kyiv was due to the take-off of in
Belarus of MiG-31K aircraft carrying Russian Kinzhal missiles. The maximum
range of such missiles is more than 2,000 kilometers, which is why air
raids sirens are sounded throughout the country every time Russian planes
carrying those missiles take off.

Footage shows Volodymyr Zelensky’s bodyguard, not body double

Social media posts claim a man pictured trailing Volodymyr Zelensky during US President Joe Biden's surprise trip to Kyiv was the Ukrainian leader's secret body double or clone. This is false; other footage of the same moments shows the man is Maksym Donets, Zelensky's bodyguard since 2019.

March 1, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Ukraine USA

The war in Ukraine isn’t ‘fake,’ and these photos don’t prove that it is

Construction workers in Ukraine have been working to repair homes damaged by missiles during the country's war with Russia. Their efforts have been captured by amateur and professional photographers, as well as multiple news organizations.

A photo of a reconstructed building is not proof the war is fake. The war is real and has left thousands of civilians dead.

Images from professional and amateur photographers captured the repair progress. European Pressphoto Agency published multiple before-and-after images of the building. One montage of images shared on Twitter on Feb. 26, 2023, appears to show the building repairs at different phases.

We rate claims that these images prove the war in Ukraine is fake Pants on Fire!

February 27, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Narratives The war is a hoax Ukraine

How one year of disinformation has shaped the narrative of the Ukraine war online

On February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, triggering a war on the ground, but also an information war online. Since then, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has debunked 115 pieces of misinformation that have been shared in photos or videos online. But what are the main themes in these false narratives? And what techniques are used to misinform? Here's a look back at this year in fake news.

Video of Biden saying some U.S. aid could support Ukrainian pensions is from April 2022

President Biden did say some U.S. aid to Ukraine could go to social support, like helping with pensions. The viral video clip is from 2022.

Chinese social media users share edited Putin speech video with false subtitles about Ukraine

Chinese social media users have repeatedly shared a doctored clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech with false subtitles that claim he said he will not step down from power until "the problem in Ukraine is settled". However, the video contains clips taken from two different addresses and audio from one of the speeches. The Chinese and English language subtitles are false translations of the speech. As of February 17, 2023, AFP has found no official reports about Putin making such an announcement.

February 17, 2023
China Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions NATO Putin Russia Ukraine

Did Volodymyr Zelensky call for ‘preventive nuclear strikes’ against Russia? Not exactly

Social media users have been circulating a video of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming that the footage shows him calling on NATO to launch preventive nuclear strikes against Russia. It turns out, however, that this footage isn't new - Zelensky made these statements back in October 2022. Moreover, the translation of his statement, originally in Ukrainian, leaves out some nuance.