Category Media taken out of context

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

Crimea bridge: The fake videos circulating online – Truth or Fake

The explosion on the Kerch bridge to Crimea triggered many theories online regarding who or what caused the explosion. Was it a boat, a missile or a truck? We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

October 10, 2022
Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Video shows bombing in Syria in 2021, not Russian suicide bomber opposed to military call-up

After Moscow announced in September 2022 that it would call up some 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine, a video was viewed tens of thousands of times in social media posts that claim it shows a suicide bombing in Russia that targeted a recruitment officer. The claim, however, is false. While there were protests against the "partial" mobilisation in Russia, this video has circulated since at least 2021 in reports about a bombing in Syria.

October 6, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Syria

FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Russian Conscripts With Mosin-Nagant Rifles? | Check Your Fact

An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows Russian conscripts with 19th-century era Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifles.

Verdict: Misleading
While the image does feature the rifle, the photo is from a 2020 parade. It has nothing to do with the current conflict in Ukraine.

September 29, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia

No, this photo doesn’t show the destruction of a Ukrainian military base in Odesa – Truth or Fake

Some pro-Russian web users in West Africa have been sharing a photo that allegedly illustrates the destruction of a Ukrainian military base in Odesa on September 25. However, the photo has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

September 28, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings France Hatred and bigotry International community Iran Media taken out of context Methods Nazism Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Is Gazprom threatening to keep Europe cold this winter? Why this video is likely fake

Global media outlets widely shared a video they attributed to Russian state energy company Gazprom in articles published on September 6, 2022. The video, which was circulated online by pro-Russian users, showed the company halting its flow of natural gas to Europe. However, our journalists investigated the origins of the video and discovered that it likely wasn't made by Gazprom.

September 20, 2022
Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda

Ukrainian naval ship’ destroyed by Russia is actually just an old bridge – Truth or Fake

The Russian ministry of defence has released a video claiming its forces have struck an "amphibious" Ukrainian vehicle near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. However, by geolocating the alleged target from the footage, we discovered it is in fact the remnants of a bridge built during World War II. We explain the details in this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl.

September 20, 2022
Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Video shows Putin’s face superimposed on exiled tycoon’s body for anti-Kremlin film promo

Footage that appears to show Russian President Vladimir Putin behind bars has surfaced in social media posts claiming he was arrested on terrorism charges. However, the clip has been doctored to superimpose Putin's face onto that of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon who spent a decade in jail. The altered video was originally published to promote a documentary that accused Russian authorities of orchestrating a series of apartment block bombings in 1999.

September 16, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Putin Russia War crimes

Social media posts share false claim about ‘NATO-supplied fighter jets arriving in Ukraine’

A claim that NATO has sent fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country fight invading Russian forces was shared by multiple social media posts in August 2022. The claim, however, is false. While there was a proposal in March to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era jets through a US air base, Washington rejected the idea over fears it could escalate the conflict. Separately, NATO's press office told AFP that the claim was "not accurate".

September 13, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions NATO Poland Russia Ukraine USA

Debunking claims that Ukraine is staging Russian war crimes – Truth or Fake

A video from a film production in Ukraine has been widely shared on social media. Pro-Kremlin users falsely claim the video is evidence that Ukraine is staging Russian atrocities. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.