Category Media taken out of context

No, Russia didn’t capture a US Patriot missile launcher to give to China

Did Russia really capture a bunch of US missiles in Ukraine and give them to China? No, but posts featuring that bit of fake news have been garnering thousands of views on social media since May 13. Many of these posts feature a photo said to show these missiles in China. While the photo was indeed taken in China, it actually shows a non-operational replica of these missiles, according to military experts interviewed by our team.

Read MoreNo, Russia didn’t capture a US Patriot missile launcher to give to China

Is this video proof that China’s army will attack NATO to defend Russia? Nope.

A video showing Chinese President Xi Jinping giving a speech to the Chinese armed forces has been going viral on social media since mid-March. The accounts that are sharing this footage say that it offers proof that China is ready to deploy its army if the United States and NATO attack Russia. But it turns out that the video was filmed six years ago.

Read MoreIs this video proof that China’s army will attack NATO to defend Russia? Nope.

No, this viral video of ‘bombings’ wasn’t actually filmed in Russia

The Ukrainians have intensified their bombing campaign on border towns in Russia in recent weeks. But a viral video said to show the aftermath of a recent Ukrainian strike on the Russian city of Belgorod actually shows nothing of the kind. The footage was filmed during protests in Kazakhstan two years ago.

Read MoreNo, this viral video of ‘bombings’ wasn’t actually filmed in Russia

This image of an explosion behind Putin’s ‘stability’ billboard is literally too good to be true

After Russian President Vladimir Putin was reelected on March 17, a photo went viral showing an explosion behind one of his campaign posters featuring the slogan 'stability'. However, it turns out that this image was created by a Ukrainian designer.

Read MoreThis image of an explosion behind Putin’s ‘stability’ billboard is literally too good to be true

What we know about this footage alleged to show ‘Russia moving nuclear missiles’?

People online have been widely circulating footage that they say shows the Russians transporting nuclear weapons, which some claim is in response to Sweden joining NATO. However, there is actually a different explanation for these images - which have already been taken out of context in the past. Similar videos are posted every year showing preparations for a military parade held annually in Russia on May 9.

Read MoreWhat we know about this footage alleged to show ‘Russia moving nuclear missiles’?

FAKE: Military from AFU threatened with a gun a woman with a child because she spoke Russian

Russian media and Telegram channels are distributing a video in which Ukrainian soldiers allegedly stopped a woman with a child because she did not give way to them. As evidence, they provide a segment from the video recorder in the woman’s car. The soldiers then allegedly started yelling at the woman, cursing her, threatening her with guns and shooting in the air because she was speaking to them in Russian.

In fact, this video is staged, it was filmed in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region, where there are no Ukrainian troops.

Read MoreFAKE: Military from AFU threatened with a gun a woman with a child because she spoke Russian

Fact Check: Italian PM Meloni Did NOT Say ‘If Russia Does Not Agree To The Terms Of The Peace Summit, We Will Force It To Surrender’ | Lead Stories

Did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni say, "If Russia does not agree to the terms of the peace summit, we will force it to surrender"? No, that's not true: The comments attributed to her come from a falsified Russian translation of what she said in English at the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland in June 2024. While Meloni has strongly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine, no credible sources report her saying that Russia should be forced to surrender.

Read MoreFact Check: Italian PM Meloni Did NOT Say ‘If Russia Does Not Agree To The Terms Of The Peace Summit, We Will Force It To Surrender’ | Lead Stories

No, this video doesn’t show a Russian air strike on a NATO arms convoy

A video of a massive fire circulated widely on social media in late April along with captions claiming it showed a strike by the Russian army on a NATO weapons convoy en route to Ukraine. However, it turns out that this is an old video that wasn't filmed anywhere near Ukraine.

Read MoreNo, this video doesn’t show a Russian air strike on a NATO arms convoy

Fact Check: U.S. Spokesperson Did NOT Justify Ukrainian Strikes On Belgorod, Russia Saying It Holds ‘Virtually No Civilians’ — Video Is AI Fake | Lead Stories

Does a 50-second video show authentic remarks by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller discussing "military targets" in the Russian city of Belgorod, with "virtually no civilians left" in that city?

No, that's not true: The video mixes video of different briefings, during which Miller made no such remarks. The words falsely attributed to him in the video were AI-generated. The State Department labeled the video a deepfake.

The video of fake remarks was also posted by the Russian Embassy in South Africa account on X, but later that post was deleted.

Read MoreFact Check: U.S. Spokesperson Did NOT Justify Ukrainian Strikes On Belgorod, Russia Saying It Holds ‘Virtually No Civilians’ — Video Is AI Fake | Lead Stories