Category Misconceptions

Fact Check: Orban Did NOT Tell Zelenskyy In Argentina: ‘Putin Knows Something Special About Me’ | Lead Stories

Did Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the inauguration of Javier Milei as Argentina's new president, that Russian President Vladimir Putin knew something "special" about him? No, that's not true: Orban and Zelenskyy exchanged a few words in front of cameras during the ceremony, as shown by footage shared by major international media. Their conversation, though, cannot be heard. According to the Hungarian Prime Minister's press office and a post on X by Zelenskyy, the two leaders discussed European affairs. [...] The video is dubbed: The words spoken in the TikTok audio don't match the movement of Orban's lips as shown in the footage.
Read MoreFact Check: Orban Did NOT Tell Zelenskyy In Argentina: ‘Putin Knows Something Special About Me’ | Lead Stories

Fact Check: German magazine Titanic ‘s cover on celebrating Christmas in Ukraine is fake | Reuters

German satirical magazine Titanic did not publish a Christmas-themed cover depicting the severed legs of four Ukrainian soldiers hanging over a fireplace, and an image of this circulating online is fake, the editor-in-chief of the publication said to Reuters. [...] VERDICT: False. No such cover was published by German satirical magazine Titanic.
Read MoreFact Check: German magazine Titanic ‘s cover on celebrating Christmas in Ukraine is fake | Reuters

Lloyd Austin was not killed in Ukraine on Jan. 3 | Fact check

The claim: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was killed in Ukraine on Jan. 3. Our rating: False Austin is alive. [...] Austin resumed his full duties as secretary of defense on Jan. 5 and released a statement on Jan. 6. The report comes from a publication that routinely publishes fabricated stories.
Read MoreLloyd Austin was not killed in Ukraine on Jan. 3 | Fact check

Fact Check: Video does not show Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy belly dancing | Reuters

A clip of a man belly dancing in a red costume has been digitally altered to make it appear as if the dancer is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to the man who is featured in the original clip and experts who said the altered version shows signs of being a deepfake.
Read MoreFact Check: Video does not show Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy belly dancing | Reuters

Fact Check: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Was NOT Killed In Kyiv On January 3, 2024 | Lead Stories

Was Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin killed by Russian cruise missiles in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 3, 2024? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer confirmed to Lead Stories that this claim is false. On January 1, 2024, Austin was hospitalized in Washington, D.C., due to complications from surgery and remained there as of January 10, 2024. Also, this claim is from a website that regularly publishes fabricated content often mistaken for real news.
Read MoreFact Check: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Was NOT Killed In Kyiv On January 3, 2024 | Lead Stories

Video depicting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s belly dance is a deep fake

Claim: Video depicts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy dancing at an event. Fact: The viral video has been created using deepfake technology and the original video shows an unidentified man dancing. This video is being shared on social media since the year 2020. However, it is not known when and where this video was taken. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Read MoreVideo depicting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s belly dance is a deep fake

No, Ukraine is not taking money from Hawai’i relief

In the wake of the devastating wildfires on Hawai’i in August 2023, viral posts falsely claimed that the US government would only provide $700 in aid each to affected households. In fact, the federal government responded quickly to the horrific disaster in Maui, conducting extensive rescue operations and providing aid far in excess of $700 per household.
Read MoreNo, Ukraine is not taking money from Hawai’i relief

Online claims misrepresent White House remarks on Ukraine military aid | Fact Check

[T]he president did not threaten to deploy US troops to fight Russia if the budget was not approved. Instead, he was warning of what may happen if Russian forces were to expand into any of the NATO territories neighboring Ukraine, which the United States is bound by treaty to help.
Read MoreOnline claims misrepresent White House remarks on Ukraine military aid | Fact Check