Category Methods

No, Putin didn’t say the West is controlled by Satanic pedophiles

During a 2013 speech, Vladimir Putin mentioned Satan and pedophilia, but he didn't say that the West is controlled by Satanic pedophiles.

The headline that Putin said the West is controlled by Satanic pedophiles was posted on a blog five years ago and also relies on this 2013 speech, but presents it as if Putin made the comments during former President Donald Trump's tenure. The blog, like the headlines in the Faceook video, sound themes familiar among those who follow QAnon, a movement that claims without evidence that there is a global cabal of child sex traffickers that Trump is trying to thwart.

The rest of the headlines that appear in the video vary in accuracy.

"Putin calls Bill and Hillary Clinton 'the same Satan'" was published in PJ Media in 2016 after Putin quoted a Russian proverb while talking about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's desire to be president like her husband, former President Bill Clinton. "As we say, husband and wife are the same Satan," Putin said.

"Putin: All U.S. presidents are puppets ' 'dark men in suits rule America'" appeared on blog posts in 2017 that paraphrased comments Putin made to the French publication Le Figaro.

According to an English Translation of Putin's remarks that appeared on the Kremlin's website, he did not mention puppets but said: "I have already spoken to three U.S. presidents. They come and go, but politics stay the same at all times. Do you know why? Because of the powerful bureaucracy. When a person is elected, they may have some ideas. Then people with briefcases arrive, well dressed, wearing dark suits, just like mine, except for the red tie, since they wear black or dark blue ones. These people start explaining how things are done. And instantly, everything changes. This is what happens with every administration."

March 4, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Hatred and bigotry Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Putin Russia

This is fictional footage from a 2016 drill, not a recent BBC report on the Ukraine-Russia crisis

Footage of what looks like a news report has been circulating on Facebook in Nigeria claiming to show a BBC reporter broadcasting on the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis and warning of an impending nuclear war. But this is false; the video has been online since at least 2016. Furthermore, the BBC confirmed the footage is fictional.

Posts falsely claim photo shows Ukraine’s first female fighter pilot

Social media posts featuring an image of a woman in military uniform claim she is Ukraine's first female fighter pilot and that she died during Russia's invasion. But the Ukrainian Defense Ministry says the photo shows a soldier who won a 2016 beauty contest organized by the military, and the country's first female combat pilot is now a politician.

March 4, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine

Old photo of children saluting Ukrainian soldiers circulates in online posts about Russia’s recent invasion

A photo of two children facing tanks has been shared alongside claims it shows Ukrainian kids saluting soldiers as they head off to battle Russian forces currently invading the country. But the image has been shared out of context: AFP Fact Check found the photo was taken in 2016 by Ukrainian photographer Dmitry Muravsky.

March 4, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine

Old air crash photo shared in posts about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Social media posts and news reports about Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine have repeatedly shared an image of a burning jet alongside a claim that "six Russian fighter planes" were shot down. Whilst Ukraine's military said it had shot down six Russian aircraft on the first day of the invasion, the image has been shared in a false context. The photographer who captured the original image told AFP it was taken in 1993. The image corresponds to reports from 1993 about a crash involving Russian aircraft during a UK airshow.

Old image of food truck in Canada shared in posts about Sikhs giving support in Ukraine

As Russian troops invaded Ukraine, an image of a food truck was shared thousands of times in social media posts that claimed it shows members of the Sikh community offering free food to people affected by the conflict. However, the photo was shared in a false context. While there have been reports by Indian media outlets about a Sikh humanitarian organisation offering support to people who have fled war-torn Ukraine, the image of the food truck shows a Sikh community initiative in Canada.

These images were taken during the 2008 Georgia-Russia war, not in Ukraine

Facebook posts asking for prayers for victims of the war in Ukraine, accompanied by photographs of suffering civilians, have been shared dozens of times in Kenya and Tanzania. But these posts are misleading; the pictures actually show victims of the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia.

Pictures show various Russian ballistic weapons but not its new “Satan 2” missile

Images of three different missile systems have been shared widely on Facebook alongside a claim that Russia recently unveiled a new weapon that could eradicate every living being on Earth. But this is false: the weapons featured in the posts are old and do not show the fearsome new RS-28 Sarmat, also known as Satan 2, which will only enter service towards the end of 2022, according to experts.

March 4, 2022
Escalation / WWIII Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Narratives Russia Ukraine

Video game footage falsely shared as live video of Ukraine crisis

Several supposedly 'live' videos featuring firepower hitting buildings and shooting planes out of the nighttime sky have been shared on Facebook in South Africa with claims that they show Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, this is false: these hours-long videos actually show a military simulation video game called Arma 3.

March 4, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine

Posts use 2014 riot image to falsely compare Ukraine’s capital days before and after Russian invasion

Facebook posts with contrasting aerial images showing Ukraine's capital Kyiv both untouched by war and in ruins have been shared hundreds of times with the claim that the pictures show the city before and after Russia's invasion. The claim is misleading; while the first image of the city intact is fresh, the second showing devastation in the capital was taken about eight years ago during deadly protests that ushered in a change of government.

March 4, 2022
2014 Maidan revolution Context Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine