Category Russia

Fake: Ukrainians Forced to Join Estonian Military, Threatened With Deportation

In response to StopFake's request, the Ukrainian Embassy in Estonia claimed that Ukrainians are not being drafted into the Estonian army. The official website for refugees in Estonia has no information about this obligation for Ukrainian citizens as well.

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Was Russian Victory Day Tank Sent to Ukraine After Parade?

Was Russian Victory Day Tank Sent to Ukraine After Parade?

Misleading Material. The video shared on Twitter is from a Russian parade in 2018. While similar to the tank used in the recent Victory Day parade, it is not the same vehicle.

Although we cannot say with certainty that the Victory Day parade tank hasn't been or won't be used in the war against Ukraine, there is no evidence to suggest that it or others of the same model will or have been used, least of all because they were manufactured dating to World War II.

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Was Russia's Only 'Victory Day' Tank Actually Built in Ukraine?

Was Russia’s Only ‘Victory Day’ Tank Actually Built in Ukraine?

While there is some truth to the tweet about the tank, it doesn't tell the full story. The T-34 was developed in 1939-1940 in Kharkiv, then part of the Moscow-controlled Soviet Republic of Ukraine at Plant Number 183. Production was later moved to the Russian cities of Omsk, Nizhny Tagil, and Nizhny Novgorod due to (later confirmed) fears of German invasion. [...]

According to Zaloga, the turret on the tank in the Victory Day parade indicated that it was likelier built in Nizhny Tagil, where a redesign called the T-34-85 was built.

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Manipulation: Ukraine Drives Up Criminal Activity in Eastern Europe

The April 24 article on the French news Atlantico website does not claim that crime in Eastern Europe has skyrocketed because of Ukraine. The story refers to the so-called Carpathian gray zone, an area used by criminal groups from various countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, to traffic prohibited goods to the EU. According to Xavier Raufer, the article's author, the increased flow through the Carpathian zone is caused by Russia's war against Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian ports.

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Putin didn’t ‘shut down’ all Russian oil to the U.S. It’s already banned.

This isn't accurate. The U.S. banned all imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal in March 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
A caption on an April 26 viral Facebook video claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin "just SHUTDOWN All Oil To The US, Collapsing The US Economy!"

Oil prices have dropped in recent days, but market experts credit that largely to weak demand and economic jitters over banking. This is the opposite of what would be expected with prices if this claim were accurate.

It's not. This claim is Pants on Fire!

Read MorePutin didn’t ‘shut down’ all Russian oil to the U.S. It’s already banned.

Fake: Ukrainian Forces Unable to Counter Russian Missiles

Aviation expert Valery Romanenko did not make such claims during an interview with the NTA TV channel. On the contrary, both Ukraine and foreigners emphasize the effectiveness of Ukrainian air defense increasing significantly since the full-scale war with Russia began (up to 80%).

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Old port fire video falsely shared as ‘Israeli attack on Iran’s military aid to Russia’

An old video of a smoking field of debris has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times in Chinese-language social media posts that falsely claim it shows Iranian military aid for Russia blown up by Israel in March 2023. But there is no evidence the event described in the posts actually occurred. The video was in fact shared by an Afghan official in the aftermath of a massive port fire in the country in February 2021.

Read MoreOld port fire video falsely shared as ‘Israeli attack on Iran’s military aid to Russia’

Fake News: NBU Governor Bought a Rolls-Royce

The car in question most likely belongs to a Ukrainian businessman and deputy of the Vinnytsia Oblast Council. What also indirectly points to this conclusion is the car's registration in the city of Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Vinnytsia oblast. The purchase of the Rolls-Royce GHOST with the vehicle registration plate КВ0001ОІ took place on 8 February 2022, meaning it occurred before Andriy Pyshnyy was appointed NBU Governor (and took office in October 2022) and before Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.

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