Category Media taken out of context

Video clip of military helicopter crash is from a video game, not the war in Ukraine

This isn't a real video showing the Ukrainian military shooting down Russian helicopters. It's a simulation from the Arma 3 video game.

Using keyword searches we found the same video on YouTube, which described the scene as a simulation from Arma 3, a military tactical shooter video game that's been used several times in false claims about the fighting in Ukraine.

The same Facebook account posted another video titled "Rus_sian Helicopter Convoy firing at U_kraine Military Base." It, too, is from the same game and doesn't depict real-life combat.

We rate these posts False.

UPDATE, June 7, 2022: We updated this fact-check to include another Facebook video misrepresenting video game footage.

June 6, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine

Fake: Ukraine to Stop All Payments in the Kherson Region

Despite the temporary Russian occupation, residents of Kherson and the surrounding region continue to receive all social benefits they are due. Possible delays in payments may be due to technical problems or additional processing required due to the occupation.

May 31, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Russia Ukraine

Photo of Putin wearing crinkled suit has circulated online since 2017

An image of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been shared thousands of times online alongside a claim he "has started to wear a bulletproof vest" after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Part of Putin's wrinkled suit jacket was circled in the posts as evidence for the claim. The photo has been shared in a false context: it has circulated in reports since mid-2017, almost five years before Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

May 31, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Images Media formats Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Putin Resources Russia

Fake: Mriya Transport Plane Wreckage Disposed of

The Antonov Company denies the disinformation disseminated by Russian media, claiming the wreckage of the world's largest aircraft, the Mriya Antonov An-225 cargo plane has been disposed of. The wreckage is being kept as evidence of Russian invaders' crimes.

No, a photo of burning books was not taken during current war in Ukraine

Photo claiming to show burning Ukrainian history books isn't from the current war with Russia. It actually dates back to March 2010.

FACT CHECK: Did CNN Report That A Man Named ‘Bernie Gores’ Was Killed In The Uvalde, Texas School Shooting? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
A CNN spokesperson denied the outlet published such an article. The man pictured has been falsely linked to similar tragedies in the past.

Picture does not show decorated officer among Russian prisoners

Social media users shared a photo claiming to show that a senior US military commander was among captives when Ukrainian soldiers defending the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol surrendered to Russian troops in May. But the claim is false; retired Admiral Eric Olson confirmed to AFP that he was not in Ukraine, and the photo appeared in Russian media a month before the surrender.

Photo shows Moscow’s first McDonald’s restaurant opening in 1990, not chain’s closure in Russia

A photo has been shared hundreds of times in social media posts that claim it shows Russians queuing to purchase their final meal at a McDonald's restaurant before the American fast-food giant closed all outlets in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Although local media reported that Russians flocked to McDonald's restaurants after the closure was announced, the photo has been shared in a false context. It was taken by an AFP photographer in January 1990 at the opening of the first McDonald's restaurant in the Soviet Union.

Did Russian soldiers really burn Ukrainian history books?

Politicians and experts shared a photo of burningÂ books on May 21, claiming that the Russian army had begun getting rid of Ukrainian books in occupied areas. While Ukrainian authorities have reported cases of Russian soldiers destroying books, the photo actually shows a book burning organised by pro-Russian protesters in Crimea in 2010.

May 24, 2022
Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine

This clip does not show Russian missiles in Ukraine — it was taken from a video game

A video has been viewed thousands of times in multiple Facebook and Weibo posts alongside a claim it shows Russian troops blowing up a military convoy carrying US-supplied weapons to Ukraine. However, the claim is false; the clip in fact shows computer-generated imagery from a war video game called ARMA 3.