Category Misconceptions

FAKE: The DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) militants repulsed attack by Ukrainian saboteurs near Horlivka – video

Reports of a sabotage near Horlivka are a provocation spread by the DPR and Russia.

Via verifying the video metadata, we found out that it had been taken beforehand.

A process of verifying on the Metadata2go resource showed that the video had been created on February 8, 2022. And the militants published it as an evidence of the sabotage on February 18. That is to say, that the provocation has been prepared earlier.

February 22, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Methods Misconceptions Russia Ukraine

Russian spokesman’s statement ignores centuries of Russian attacks

Historians cite upwards of a dozen examples dating back to the 1500s in which Russia or the Soviet Union attacked another country without being militarily attacked first.

• Russia may offer various justifications for why it attacked another country in these instances, but each of these examples involved militarily unprovoked actions by Russia or the Soviet Union.

Our ruling
Peskov said, "Russia has never attacked anyone throughout its history."

Historians cite upwards of a dozen examples dating back to the 1500s in which Russia or the Soviet Union attacked another country without being militarily attacked first.

Russia may offer various justifications for why it attacked another country in these instances, but contrary to Peskov's statement, each of these examples did involve militarily unprovoked actions by Russia or the Soviet Union.

We rate the statement Pants on Fire.

J.D. Vance says transgender rights drives looming conflict in Ukraine

Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance said the State Department's focus on transgender rights is inflaming the conflict with Russia in Ukraine.

Russia has placed as many as 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders.

Russia has said Ukraine's ties to NATO are a key threat to Russia's national security.

Our ruling
Vance said that Biden risks war with Russia because Putin doesn't "believe in transgender rights."

There is a risk of war, but it is because of Russia's focus on Ukraine's ties to the west and the buildup of Russian forces along Ukraine's border.

The State Department noted the threats against transgender people as one issue among many in a report on human rights. It gave much more space to the danger posed by Russia's military policies in its most recent annual threat assessment.

The risk of war in Ukraine is not affected by Putin's attitude toward transgender rights.

We rate this claim Pants on Fire.

Update: This story has been updated to include a response we received from the Vance campaign shortly after initial publication.

February 21, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Hatred and bigotry International community Minorities in Ukraine Misconceptions NATO Russia Ukraine USA

When Putin’s fans share fake videos of him to make him look tough – Truth or Fake

Vladimir Putin's online followers love sharing videos or photos of the Russian president that play up his strongman image. But sometimes in doing so, they share fake and manipulated videos - which then go viral. The Truth or Fake team take a look at two examples.

November 26, 2021
"How to" instructions Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Fact-checking tools Image search Images Misconceptions Putin Resources Russia Russian propaganda Video

How can you spot a fake profile picture on social media? – Truth or Fake [Outdated]

Whether it's on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, there are plenty of fake accounts. People using these accounts hide behind a fake avatar and incite debates or mock other users. Sometimes even the profile pictures are completely fabricated - they're not real people. In this episode, the Truth or Fake team shows you how to spot these fake photos. [Ed. note: As of 2024, spammers can use AI to create profile pics that can't be identified using this technique.]

November 19, 2021
"How to" instructions Coordinated disinformation Images Other analysis tools Resources

The pro-Russian propaganda hiding in your TikTok feed – Truth or Fake

Just like on any social media platform, there's a lot of disinformation to be found on TikTok. But whereas Facebook and Twitter have flagged some accounts as potentially biased or untrustworthy, TikTok allows these videos to pop up in people's feeds. This week, Truth or Fake takes a look at a video about Syria doing the rounds on TikTok.

October 1, 2021
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Syria

The viral ‘abandoned child’ story: Feel-good posts can be fake too! – Truth or Fake

It's a heartwarming story: a Danish humanitarian worker, Anja Ringgren Loven, helped this starving child in 2016. The moment when she offered him water was captured on camera, and the picture went viral online.

May 27, 2021
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Resources

Debunked: Putin’s ‘Bond villain’ house doesn’t exist

Two pictures of a white, futuristic building in a forest went briefly viral in early April with the false claim that the building belonged to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

April 13, 2021
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Putin Russia

Fake: Flag with Nazi Swastika in Ukraine

On September 20, the official Twitter account of the Permanent Mission of Russia in Geneva published a photo entitled "Modern Ukraine. Human Rights on the Upgrade", showing a building with Ukrainian and Nazi flags.

However, this photo has been "wandering" around the Network under different titles for a long time. Let us recall that it was taken during the shooting of a movie in Kharkiv in 2011.

September 22, 2014
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Hatred and bigotry Misconceptions Nazism Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine