Category Methods

Fake: Ukrainian Serviceman Sent to Avdiyivka to Die for Posting a Tik Tok

The author of the TikTok video is alive and was never sent to the frontlines in Avdiyivka. StopFake managed to track him down and the serviceman refuted the information spread by propaganda.

December 19, 2023
Bot farms Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: Elon Musk Wants to Receive Russian Passport and Thinks Putin Is “Not a…

An excerpt from a broadcast on X (formerly Twitter), in which Elon Musk praises Putin and Russia, was generated by a neural network and shared initially by Russian sources. The original recording of the broadcast with Musk, where he says no such thing, is available online.

Manipulation: Former NATO Commander Praises Russian Army and Give Up on Ukrainian Forces

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis did not say that the Russian army is significantly superior to the Ukrainian army, and certainly did not "give up on the Ukrainian army." He only noted that the Russian army currently has a significant advantage in aviation. In his column on the Bloomberg website, Stavridis emphasizes the importance of further military support for Ukraine from its Western partners. The ex-military officer also notes that, with sufficient means, Ukraine "will at a minimum be able to hold off further significant Russian land gains."

Manipulation: Polish and British Special Forces Have Been Fighting in Ukraine Since The Very…

We are talking about training and counseling of the Ukrainian military, which took place long before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As for the participation of the Poles, the book "Poland at War," cited by the propaganda, confirms that they were withdrawn from the territory of Ukraine after the start of the [full-scale] war at the insistence of the Polish authorities.

December 14, 2023
Aid to Ukraine Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Military aid Misconceptions Poland Russia Russian propaganda UK Ukraine

Fake: Ukraine Recognizes a Person With One Leg As Fit for Military Service

A person with an amputated leg was never considered fit for military service. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a person with a diagnosis of "unilateral amputated stump of the lower limb above the level of the upper third of the lower leg" is unfit for military service. In a comment to StopFake, a territorial center of recruitment and social support representative said that the document looks like a fake.

December 12, 2023
AI-generated images Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: Ukrainian Government Tried to Sell Scythian Gold at Sotheby’s – Bloomberg

This news is fake, and the story of the attempted sale of Scythian gold is made up. Bloomberg did not publish such stories either on its website or in its social media. Currently, the archaeological objects known as Scythian gold from Crimea, returned to Ukraine from the Netherlands, are under close guard at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.

December 11, 2023
Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Methods Misconceptions Narratives Outrageous luxuries Ukraine

Video Fake: Ukrainian Military Leaving Their Positions in Bilohorivka

The video was most likely edited. There is a discrepancy between the facial expressions of the man and the words he is saying. In addition, the landscape and weather conditions depicted in the video suggest that the original video was filmed before winter began. Additionally, the press service of the 119th separate brigade of the Military Police in the Chernihiv region stated that the person in the video does not serve in their unit.

December 10, 2023
AI-generated images Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: Poland to Cease Payments to Ukrainian Refugees Since 2024

As of November 25, Poland has not announced that payments to Ukrainian refugees will be suspended from January 1, 2024. The screenshot, which propaganda alleges to originate from the Polish government website, was edited.

Fake: Polls Show Ukraine is Ready for Territorial Concessions for the Sake of Peace

Public opinion polls in Ukraine show that the vast majority of Ukrainians still consider any territorial concessions to Russia unacceptable.

November 24, 2023
Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: Ukrainian Armed Forces Mine Border With Hungary in Zakarpattia

There is no information about who the man in the video is, neither what unit he is from nor his rank, which makes it impossible to verify what he is saying. The press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine denied this information, saying that the fake was designed to "negatively affect the situation."

November 24, 2023
AI-generated images Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Hungary International community Methods Misconceptions Ukraine