Category Methods

Old video of Russian tank toppling over at military parade resurfaces in Ukraine war posts

An old video of a Russian tank toppling over at a military parade has been viewed tens of thousands of times in posts that misleadingly claim the driver who overturned the vehicle subsequently avoided being sent to the front line in the war against Ukraine. The clip -- which recirculated shortly after a military parade in Moscow in May 2023 -- corresponds with media reports from 2018 about an accident at another event in the western Russian city of Kursk.

Read MoreOld video of Russian tank toppling over at military parade resurfaces in Ukraine war posts

Video Fake: Ukrainian Refugee Complaining About Living in Europe

The video circulating online is satirical and its author is not and has
never been a 'Ukrainian refugee in Europe.' The woman from the video
permanently lives in Ukraine and films many satirical sketches on TikTok.
However, Russian propaganda used the 48-second joke video to once again
discredit Ukrainian refugees.

Read MoreVideo Fake: Ukrainian Refugee Complaining About Living in Europe

Old video falsely shared as anti-Putin protest in Russia in May 2023

A video has surfaced in social media posts that falsely claim it shows protesters rallying against Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in May 2023. While Russians have genuinely protested against Putin's war in Ukraine, the footage shows an anti-Kremlin protest in May 2013.

Read MoreOld video falsely shared as anti-Putin protest in Russia in May 2023

Dated photo at Moscow refinery is misrepresented as wartime image

A photo of a burning building is being shared on Twitter alongside claims it shows a fire at a factory supplying aircraft engines to Russia's military amid its war in Ukraine. This is false; the image first appeared in 2018 and shows an oil refinery that caught fire, according to reports from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Moscow and news articles from the time.

Read MoreDated photo at Moscow refinery is misrepresented as wartime image

Manipulation: Zelensky Talking the Pope Out of Negotiations and Peace

The New York Times article does not claim that Ukraine opposes peace and negotiations. On the contrary, it emphasizes that the main topic of the meeting between President Zelenskyi and the Pope was precisely the Peace Formula - the Ukrainian scenario for the end of the war. At the same time, Zelenskyi really considers the negotiations with Putin meaningless.

Read MoreManipulation: Zelensky Talking the Pope Out of Negotiations and Peace

Manipulation: Ukrainian Intelligence Chief Budanov Calls to Kill All Russians

The Ukrainian Intelligence Chief of the Defense Ministry did not call to kill all Russians. In his interviews, Kyrylo Budanov emphasized that anyone who committed war crimes in Ukraine will be found and liquidated in any part of the world. He never called for killing Russians on national grounds, as the Russian media reported. Such narratives are another Russian propagandist attempt to present Ukraine as a country of flourishing Nazism.

Read MoreManipulation: Ukrainian Intelligence Chief Budanov Calls to Kill All Russians

Parties in Kyiv nightclubs in the midst of war? Watch out for these misleading images

A video compilation that has been circulating since May 3 claims to show that - despite the war - the party is in full swing in Kyiv's nightclubs, taking advantage of foreign donations to Ukraine's war effort. Most of these images date from before the war, however, and some of the establishments where they were filmed have been closed since the conflict began in February 2022.

Read MoreParties in Kyiv nightclubs in the midst of war? Watch out for these misleading images

Manipulation: Ukraine Drives Up Criminal Activity in Eastern Europe

The April 24 article on the French news Atlantico website does not claim that crime in Eastern Europe has skyrocketed because of Ukraine. The story refers to the so-called Carpathian gray zone, an area used by criminal groups from various countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, to traffic prohibited goods to the EU. According to Xavier Raufer, the article's author, the increased flow through the Carpathian zone is caused by Russia's war against Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Read MoreManipulation: Ukraine Drives Up Criminal Activity in Eastern Europe

Putin didn’t ‘shut down’ all Russian oil to the U.S. It’s already banned.

This isn't accurate. The U.S. banned all imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal in March 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
A caption on an April 26 viral Facebook video claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin "just SHUTDOWN All Oil To The US, Collapsing The US Economy!"

Oil prices have dropped in recent days, but market experts credit that largely to weak demand and economic jitters over banking. This is the opposite of what would be expected with prices if this claim were accurate.

It's not. This claim is Pants on Fire!

Read MorePutin didn’t ‘shut down’ all Russian oil to the U.S. It’s already banned.