Category Misconceptions

Don’t fall for this promise of a ‘leaked’ recording of Biden and Zelenskyy

We found no evidence to corroborate a claim that an audio recording was leaked documenting a private conversation between the presidents. A social media post claims otherwise. We requested to follow the account where the supposed leaked audio of Biden and Zelenskyy was posted but as of publication time, that request hadn't been granted. However, we searched for news reports and other sources to corroborate this latest post's claim, and found none. We rate it False.
Read MoreDon’t fall for this promise of a ‘leaked’ recording of Biden and Zelenskyy

Photo of Biden, Zelenskyy holding hands was altered

President Joe Biden made a surprise trip to Ukraine on Feb. 20, and he was photographed walking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside of a monastery in Kyiv. Multiple news outlets have published the picture. But an altered version of the photo is spreading on social media....Biden announced more military aid for Ukraine on the trip, but the image, taken for The New York Times by photographer Daniel Berehulak, is doctored. We rate claims the photo is authentic False.
Read MorePhoto of Biden, Zelenskyy holding hands was altered
Is Putin Ally's Son Dodging Ukraine Draft as Model in London?

Is Putin Ally’s Son Dodging Ukraine Draft as Model in London?

Unverified. At least one of the photos shared regularly online about Vladimir Solovyov's son is misleading and of somebody else; the Irish model Tommy Solovyov. But there is also no definitive evidence to show that his actual son is currently based in London modeling or elsewhere. Another photo frequently shared online indicates that he has modeled or is modeling; however, that agency is based in Russia.
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Vladimir Putin didn’t intercept shipment of chemical compound adrenochrome

Adrenochrome features heavily in QAnon conspiracy theories, which purport the baseless idea that a global cabal of pedophiles is harvesting the chemical from the blood of children to stay young and healthy. That's false, and so is the claim that Putin foiled a shipment of it. We found no credible news reports or other sources to corroborate the claims in this post. Real Raw News has a disclaimer saying it contains "humor, parody and satire," though the author has defended his stories as truth. The website also regularly publishes false, fantastical stories authored by someone using a pseudonym. We rate this baseless post Pants on Fire!
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Posts Misquote Biden’s Year-Old Remarks on Tanks for Ukraine

Posts Misquote Biden’s Year-Old Remarks on Tanks for Ukraine

President Joe Biden announced on Jan. 25 that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with 31 tanks. After the announcement, a meme on social media misquoted Biden’s remarks from March 2022, suggesting he said that sending tanks to Ukraine would cause World War III. Biden said sending weapons “with American pilots and American crews” would cause a world war.
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Have Over 150K Ukraine Troops Been Killed in Russia Conflict?

Have Over 150K Ukraine Troops Been Killed in Russia Conflict?

Unverified. The figures quoted in Twitter come from a Turkish website that does not link to its sources, nor does it provide any other authenticated evidence. The claim that it received its data from Israeli security services is also highly dubious. While we cannot verify the actual number of soldiers killed on either side of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the estimates quoted in the tweet and the article do not match anywhere near the figures cited by Western intelligence services and senior officials.
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Has Ukraine Banned 19 Million Russian Books From its Libraries?

Has Ukraine Banned 19 Million Russian Books From its Libraries?

The tweet suggests that all 19 million books have been banned, which the details of this story do not clarify. It may also imply incorrectly that only books by Russian authors or about Russia are being removed. Although books such as these may well be removed, the tweet does not summarize the details of this story, or lack thereof, correctly.
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Did Zelensky Order Destruction of Docs Linked to Hunter Biden?

Did Zelensky Order Destruction of Docs Linked to Hunter Biden?

False. The tenuous link between Hunter Biden, Rosemont Seneca, Metabiota, and the Ukrainian government notwithstanding, the "letter" from the Ukrainian government has been debunked. The letter, which was circulated on Russian social media in 2022, was littered with mistakes that indicated it was translated to Ukrainian from Russian.
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NATO and U.S. troops and trainers have not died in Ukraine war

There are no NATO troops or trainers in Ukraine, and no NATO personnel have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022, NATO said. The U.S. has sent troops to countries surrounding Ukraine that are NATO members, but the U.S. has not sent troops into Ukraine. The Pentagon announced in December that Ukrainian troops would travel to a U.S. base in Grafenwöhr, Germany for military training from soldiers from the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command's 7th Army Training Command. It's unclear how many Russian or Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded so far. U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in January that Russia alone has had more than 100,000 killed or wounded. We rate the claim that in Ukraine, 2,458 NATO soldiers and 234 NATO military trainers have died, some of whom are from the U.S., Pants on Fire!
Read MoreNATO and U.S. troops and trainers have not died in Ukraine war