Category Disinformation

Has Zelensky Announced 'Full General Mobilization' of Ukraine?

Has Zelensky Announced ‘Full General Mobilization’ of Ukraine?

Misleading Material. General mobilization and martial law have been imposed in Ukraine since day one of Russia's invasion.

The document being shared on social media by pro-Kremlin accounts does not call for another general mobilization of the country but is a local order for residents to update their information, and for authorities to track and keep record of eligibility.

Read MoreHas Zelensky Announced ‘Full General Mobilization’ of Ukraine?
Did RFK Jr. Claim That Ukraine Has Cost U.S. $8 Trillion?

Did RFK Jr. Claim That Ukraine Has Cost U.S. $8 Trillion?

A representative for Kennedy Jr. told Newsweek via email that "the candidate misspoke."

They added: "What he meant was that spending on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars totaled $8 trillion. He apologizes for the misstatement."

Whatever Kennedy Jr.'s intended message was, the lack of detail does appear to have caused some to believe that the U.S. has spent $8 trillion on Ukraine which is, quite clearly, not correct.

Read MoreDid RFK Jr. Claim That Ukraine Has Cost U.S. $8 Trillion?

No, Ukraine’s military is not camouflaging tanks as houses

An October 2020 article from the news outlet RBC-Ukraine said the car was decorated to look like a Ukrainian village house. The car motor was hidden, and the driver's seat was built into the floor. Side mirrors that would normally be on a car were replaced with cameras inside the structure, RBC-Ukraine reported.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, there have been numerous false and misleading claims about the war and both countries' military units.

We rate the claim that a Ukrainian tank is using a house as camouflage False.

Read MoreNo, Ukraine’s military is not camouflaging tanks as houses

The war in Ukraine is real and ongoing, despite nonsense social media posts

That's because it trafficks in misinformation about the war that we've encountered before. Previous posts have falsely claimed that various photos are evidence the war is fake, that video clips prove it's staged, that it's scripted. None of that was accurate, and neither is the claim that there's no war in Ukraine.

It defies more than a year of news coverage from reporters with media outlets from around the world giving dispatches from Ukraine, describing the front lines, the lives of civilians and more.

We rate this post Pants on Fire!

Read MoreThe war in Ukraine is real and ongoing, despite nonsense social media posts

Claim of 1 million Ukrainian soldiers dead has no official backing

Reuters reported in April that leaked documents allegedly from U.S. intelligence agencies estimated as many as 354,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have died or been injured in the war. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the documents, and U.S. officials said some files appeared to be altered.

The Facebook video's claim that 1 million Ukrainian soldiers have been "wiped out" is much higher than any official reported estimates. So we rate this claim False.

Read MoreClaim of 1 million Ukrainian soldiers dead has no official backing

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
Was Russian Victory Day Tank Sent to Ukraine After Parade?

Was Russian Victory Day Tank Sent to Ukraine After Parade?

Misleading Material. The video shared on Twitter is from a Russian parade in 2018. While similar to the tank used in the recent Victory Day parade, it is not the same vehicle.

Although we cannot say with certainty that the Victory Day parade tank hasn't been or won't be used in the war against Ukraine, there is no evidence to suggest that it or others of the same model will or have been used, least of all because they were manufactured dating to World War II.

Read MoreWas Russian Victory Day Tank Sent to Ukraine After Parade?

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.