Category Misconceptions

False subtitles added to Putin’s Ukraine war declaration video to suggest African states are next

A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing the press has been viewed thousands of times on Facebook posts alongside the claim that he has declared war on African countries - including Kenya and South Sudan - for commenting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The claim is false; Putin's speech in Russian makes no mention of Africa. The clip was taken from his televised address on February 24, 2022, when he announced Russia's decision to invade Ukraine.

March 4, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Putin Russia Ukraine United Nations

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

Old photos circulate in misleading posts claiming Ukrainian president led troops on the battlefield amid Russian invasion

Several images of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wearing camouflage, a bulletproof vest and a helmet have been shared on social media with claims that he was leading his soldiers on the battlefield as Russia invaded its eastern neighbour. However, the claim has been shared out of context: the photos were taken last year when Zelensky visited troops several times in the pro-Russian separatist region of Donbass in Ukraine.

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

The photos show scenes from a youth paramilitary camp near Kyiv in 2015 and 2017

A series of photos of children wearing military fatigues and brandishing weapons is circulating in multiple posts online which claim they are Ukrainian children training to fight after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In fact, the pictures were taken in 2015 and 2017 at a youth paramilitary camp on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

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