Ukrainian Minister of Economic Development Yulia Svyrydenko did not make such a statement. The quote was spread only by pro-Russian outlets and social media netizens. Ukraine condemns the rocket attacks and aggression of Hamas against the population of Israel, and calls for every effort to de-escalate the conflict to seek peace and protect civilians.
Social media posts claim The Washington Post published an article suggesting Ukraine sent weapons to Hamas following the Palestinian Islamist movement's bloody October 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked a war in the region. This is false; the headline is fabricated and there is no evidence of such aid.
Canada's recognition in parliament of Canadian-Ukrainian World War II veteran Yaroslav Hunka, who fought on the side of the Nazis, sparked public outrage in September 2023. Pro-Russian social media accounts seized the moment, alleging that Ukraine had released a postage stamp to immortalise Hunka. But the claim is false: AFP Fact Check found that the barcode on the stamp belongs to another series of Ukrainian stamps. Ukraine's national postal service also confirmed the Hunka stamp does not exist.
A viral video circulating on Russian-speaking social media accounts claims to show weapons that Ukraine sent to Hamas before the group's attack on Israel. The same images were also used in a fabricated report belonging to a fake media investigation. In this edition of Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl debunks these claims, with support from two weapons and open source intelligence experts.
Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as X, formerly known as Twitter, have responded to a letter from EU Commissioner Thierry Breton urging caution over an increase in disinformation and illegal content. Both social media giants have said they've taken action on social media posts that violate EU law. Also in this edition: Argentinian presidential candidates play the blame game on currency devaluation and US auto workers escalate their strike.
A video circulating on X, as well as several Russian media outlets, claims Olena Zelenska's "Russian passport" was discovered in a raid of the couple's flat in occupied Crimea. However, there are several inconsistencies suggesting its inauthenticity, including the photograph and serial number. Vedika Bahl explains in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Pro-Russian social media accounts have been circulating an image of what they say is a Ukrainian postage stamp showing a Ukrainian veteran who fought alongside the Nazis in World World II. It turns out, however, that this isn"t a real stamp.
Russian propaganda is linking the current bedbug outbreak in Paris to Ukrainian refugees. To "prove" this false narrative, pro-Russian accounts on social media are sharing fabricated French media publications from Le Figaro, Libération and Contrepoints, falsely claiming that "parasite experts believe that the bedbug epidemic in Paris is linked to the influx of Ukrainian refugees in the capital". We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
The Kremlin accuses Ukraine of issuing a national stamp with the face of 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a Canadian-Ukrainian soldier who served in a Nazi military unit during World War II and was wrongfully honoured in the Canadian parliament last week with a standing ovation. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
A fabricated video edited in the social media style of American media outlet USA Today claims a member of the Ukrainian delegation provoked a drunken bar fight in New York during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the US, before being detained by police. However, in this edition of Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl uses geolocation tools to verify that the "brawl" images were filmed around 18 kilometres away from the alleged site. Both USA Today and the New York police dismissed the reports as fake.