Fake: Moscow Patriarchate Priests Kicked Out of Zelensky’s Office by a False Alarm
An air raid alert signaling an enemy drone detected near Kyiv sounded, and the drone was subsequently shot down by Ukrainian air defense.
Category Russia
Read MoreFake: Moscow Patriarchate Priests Kicked Out of Zelensky’s Office by a False Alarm
Fake: US Intelligence Officer Says Poland Contributes to Ukraine’s Armed Forces Destruction
Poland providing Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets does not in any way contribute to the "destruction of Ukraine's Armed Forces". On the contrary, Poland and Slovakia's decision to transfer several dozen fighter jets to the Ukrainian military will only strengthen Ukraine's combat readiness for the expected counteroffensive. Poland is one of Ukraine's main partners in providing military assistance and training Ukrainian soldiers. Warsaw was one of the first countries to announce it would send German Leopard 2 tanks, as well as MiG-29 jets to Ukraine.
Fake: Ukraine Replaces Victory over Nazism Day with Victory Over Russia Holiday
A draft law under parliamentary consideration which has not yet been voted on does not cancel existing national holidays, but simply establishes new public holidays. The draft introduces a Peace Day holiday on September 21, in order to celebrate peaceful life after Ukraine's Victory over Russian military aggression. The May 9 Victory over Nazism day will remain a holiday, but will become a workday.
Fake: Ukraine Selling Stale Leftovers Due to Bread Shortages
Russian media is disseminating fake stories claiming Ukraine is selling stale repackaged bread as the country is suffering from bread shortages. Bread manufacturer Kyivkhlib's hotline reported that they do not produce the kinds of bread products described in these Russian stories. Russian propagandist claims that there is a bread shortage in Ukraine are also untrue. While experts predict an increase in bread prices throughout 2023, there are absolutely no bread shortages in Ukraine.
Courchevel restaurant explains Ukrainian ‘burial dance’ mix-up – Truth or Fake
In a video circulating on social media, users claim that a waiter at an upscale French ski resort wearing a Russian flag jumpsuit carried a Ukrainian "coffin" during a champagne parade. The FRANCE 24 Observers team contacted Bagatelle Courchevel; the restaurant explained that the scene had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Unproven claims about Volodymyr Zelensky’s wealth resurface online
Social media posts shared thousands of times say Volodymyr Zelensky earns $11 million per month, has billions in assets, including a $35 million house in Florida, and numerous other trappings of a moneyed lifestyle. This is unproven; public records show Ukraine's president does not own property in his name in the US state, financial disclosures and independent investigations indicate he is far from a billionaire, and none of the online claims include evidence of such significant wealth.
Fake: Kyiv Sending Children To War – video
StopFake located the video being circulated in Russian media claiming to show children being sent to the front. The video turned out to be of an adult Ukrainian National guard serviceman.
No, these videos do not prove the Ukrainian army is using chemical weapons – Truth or Fake
Videos purporting to show the Ukrainian army making or using chemical weapons keep surfacing on pro-Russian accounts. We debunk two of them in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Manipulation: British Military Expert Says Ukraine Can’t Retake Crimea
In his opinion piece for the British conservative Daily Telegraph newspaper, retired British Colonel Richard Kemp does not write that
Ukraine "cannot seize Crimea." On the contrary, Kemp emphasizes that
"Russia's complete collapse is surprisingly close," Ukraine will be able to
return the Crimean Peninsula which was annexed in 2014 and "achieve the
complete collapse of Putin's forces" with the full support of its partners.
Fake: Ukrainian Soldiers’ Bodies Found in Polish Coal Mine Shafts
Russian news sites and Russian social media accounts are disseminating
fakes claiming that the bodies of more than 500 Ukrainian soldiers were
found in a mine shaft at the Bogdanka coal mine in Poland. Bogdanka's press
office told StopFake such claims are completely fake, and there are no
bodies anywhere on the coal mine's territory. StopFake factcheckers have
ascertained that these fake claims were originally published on an
anonymous Telegram channel, which according to Ukraine's Security Service,
is used by Russian secret services to foment and incite anti-government
sentiments in Ukraine.