Multiple posts on Facebook have claimed that a sharpshooting Canadian sniper known as Wali was killed by Russian special forces 20 minutes after he arrived on the frontline in Mariupol, Ukraine as a volunteer fighter. However, this is false; the man, a former Canadian Armed Forces sniper, dispelled the rumours of his death during a video call.
A recent Facebook post falsely claims that CNN footage from the war in Ukraine was faked, citing a firefighter’s jacket bearing the name of a Canadian city. But the footage was shot in Ukraine. The jacket was donated by a Canadian organization.
Two photos have been shared in a report that links them to a fire at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant following a Russian attack in March 2022. However, the images -- viewed thousands of times -- have been shared in a misleading context. Both photos predate the Russian attack: one image has circulated in reports since 2011 about an oil refinery fire in Japan, while the other has circulated in reports since January 2022 about a Russian military drill.
A photo of firefighters covered in soot has been shared thousands of times in social media posts that claim it shows Ukrainian firemen working to "save lives" after the Russian invasion. Although Ukraine's firefighters have been working at the sites of Russian air strikes since Moscow began bombarding Ukrainian cities, the image actually shows firefighters in Australia.
There is no evidence Putin beheaded 12 bioweapon engineers in Ukraine.
This claim comes from Real Raw News, a blog that has shown a pattern of fabricating news about politicians being executed or arrested by the military.
Though the story claims Putin told former President Donald Trump about the alleged beheading, a spokesperson for Trump said the account is baseless.
The Space Foundation removed Yuri Gagarin's name from an upcoming fundraising event after it received derogatory and anti-Russia comments on its social media accounts.
The organization did not revoke any formal honors from the cosmonaut. Exhibits related to Gagarin are still on display at the foundation's gallery in Colorado, and his accomplishments will still be celebrated at the annual event, the group said.
Our ruling
A Facebook post claims, "the Space Foundation has erased the honors previously bestowed on Yuri Gagarin, the first man to ever be in space. His name was stripped 'in light of current events.'"
This is misleading.
The Space Foundation removed Gagarin's name from an event after it received derogatory and anti-Russian comments on its social media accounts due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the organization did not revoke any formal honors from the cosmonaut. Gagarin's exhibits are still on display at the foundation and his accomplishments will still be celebrated at the event.
The post contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.
A screenshot of CNN footage has been shared on social media alongside the claim that the channel falsified coverage of a fire in Ukraine, with the name "Edmonton" on a firefighter's jacket cited as evidence. But the footage shows the aftermath of strikes in the city of Lviv, and the jacket was donated by a Canadian non-profit, the organization and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services say.
Social media posts claim that American news channel CNN reported that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is causing cases of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. But the posts feature an altered image from a satire website with comments suggesting it was true, and the media company said the apparent newscast is a fake.
An email was sent on March 7 instructing some U.N. staff members not to use the words "war" or "invasion" when discussing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The message came from a regional office without clearance and is not considered official U.N. policy, organization officials told PolitiFact. U.N. leaders including Secretary General António Guterres and Rosemary DiCarlo, the organization's under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, used the words in tweets before and after the email was sent.
Our ruling
A Facebook post claims that the U.N. sent an email instructing staff not to use the words "invasion" or "war" when referring to Ukraine.
The email is real and instructed some U.N. staff members not to use the terms. But it came from a regional U.N. office and officials say that it did not reflect the organization's official policy. Top U.N. leaders have used the words on social media before and around the time the email was sent.
For a statement that's partially accurate but leaves out important details, we rate this Half True.
A Canadian charity has for years donated firefighter gear to Ukrainians. A jacket bearing the name of the city Edmonton that appeared in live CNN coverage in Ukraine came from the group, the charity said.
An April 2019 Instagram post from the group shows piles of jackets bound for Ukraine. A 2018 post says: "Sharing more gear outside Lviv." The second photo in this post shows someone holding up a jacket that says "Edmonton" that resembles the one that appears in the CNN broadcast.
We rate claims that this jacket is evidence that CNN staged the scene, or that Lemon isn't in Ukraine, False.