Category Misconceptions

Fake: Five Years Ago, Russian Language was Banned in Ukraine and Linguistic Genocide Has Began

The legislation in Ukraine regulating the use of the Ukrainian language does not apply to personal communication or religion, and does not provide for any criminal liability for violations of its norms, "language patrols" or "language inspectors", as propaganda claims. Ukrainians themselves do not see any harassment of Russian-speaking Ukrainians, as evidenced by the results of opinion polls.

DISINFO: Anglo-Saxons involved in Iran leader’s death and other recent attempts

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative and a conspiracy theory claiming that Western countries support terrorism all over the world and order assassinations of political leaders who carry out independent policies. There is no evidence of the EU, the US or their allies being involved in the long list of events covered by the disinformation piece above.

May 20, 2024
Context Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Iran Japan Minsk Agreements Misconceptions Turkey

DISINFO: Zelenskyy is usurping power in Ukraine

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aimed at defaming president Zelenskyy and absolve Russia from its responsibility for suspending the democratic process in Ukraine. Ukrainian law prohibits holding presidential elections while under martial law. This was stipulated by the Ukrainian martial law passed in 2015, long before President Zelenskyy became the president of Ukraine in May 2019.

May 20, 2024
Democracy Disinformation Elections Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

DISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

The claim that Ukraine and the US were behind the assassination attempt against Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is a baseless accusation with no supporting evidence. This is part of a broader pro-Kremlin campaign aiming to portray Ukraine as a terrorist state. Shortly after the news that Prime Minister Fico was shot, a widespread disinformation campaign accused Ukraine of being responsible for the assassination attempt. Popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and bot accounts played a key role in spreading this disinformation narrative. The extremely rapid response combined with such serious accusation is an indicator that this is a coordinated disinformation campaign.

May 19, 2024
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Ukraine USA

DISINFO: Ukrainian government is planning to relocate to Lviv

The article contains baseless speculation devoid of any factual basis. It serves the pro-Kremlin aim of eroding morale and a narrative of a disintegrating Ukraine that is in retreat militarily. The article references a Reuters article, which states that foreign investment and the increase in internally displaced people are most noticeable in the western regions (Lviv and Transcarpathia). However, this fact, which is a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, has no bearing on the claim that the Ukrainian government is planning a resettlement to western Ukraine, specifically Lviv. Ukraine has no intention of abandoning Kyiv, the capital city. Even during the height of the war in spring 2022, the government and the president remained in Kyiv.

May 14, 2024
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fact Check: Putin Defends Hitler’s Invasion of Poland in Carlson Interview

True. Based on a Russian transcript of Vladimir Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson, Newsweek verified Putin said Adolf Hitler was "forced" to invade Poland, an inaccurate interpretation of the circumstances leading to World War II. While translations do not use the word "forced" or "compelled", they broadly match its meaning.

Fact Check: Is Tucker Carlson on Ukraine ‘Kill List’ Over Putin Interview?

False. The claim that the Mirotvorets list, which Alex Jones and Infowars refer to as a "kill list," is inaccurate, as is the claim that Tucker Carlson was added to it following reports he had interviewed Vladimir Putin. The list does not advocate violence toward those on it, which is part of an NGO, non-state-funded effort by Ukrainian activists to list "enemies of Ukraine." Carlson has been listed on the site since mid-2023.

February 8, 2024
Democracy Fact checks / debunkings Freedom of speech Hatred and bigotry Incitement & hate speech Misconceptions Ukraine

FACT CHECK: Viral Video Shows Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Belly Dance? – YouTube

A social media post claims that an accompanying video shows a belly dance performed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We check the veracity of the claim in this video. [Verdict: False. The video is a deep fake.]

January 14, 2024
Coordinated disinformation Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Ukraine

Russian fake news: Ukrainians allegedly disconnected from public utilities for not appearing in military commissariat

In a commentary to Ukrinform, the representative of Rivne Regional State Administration confirmed that the above 'announcement' was another fake story. By spreading fake narratives, Russian propagandists pursue two objectives at once. Firstly, they make attempts to sow panic within Ukraine against the background of the adoption of a decision on the draft bill on mobilization. Secondly, they try to discredit Ukraine's military and political leadership before international partners, as if the Ukrainian authorities were conscripting citizens against the law, allegedly shutting them out even in routine matters.

January 13, 2024
Coordinated disinformation Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fact Check: Video doesn’t show migrants fleeing Russia after Putin citizenship offer | Reuters

Posts on social media shared the video suggesting migrants were fleeing so as not to be sent to the warfront. A post on social media platform X reads, "Putin threatened to send all illegal Chinese immigrants to the front lines in Ukraine. Airports saw a sudden rush of flights back to China." Screenshots from the video were also shared on Facebook. The video, however, can be traced back to at least Dec. 30, 2023, when it was posted on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, as showing people traveling from Russia for New Year. The same user says in the description of a different video of the same location that it shows Heihe river port in China.

January 13, 2024
China Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia