Category Putin

Posts use old video to falsely claim Russian president visited South Africa in March 2023

After the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant last month for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a video re-emerged on social media claiming to show him arriving in South Africa for an official visit. But this is false: the video was filmed in July 2018 ahead of the 10th summit of the BRICS group, which South Africa hosted. AFP Fact Check previously debunked a similar claim about the video a few months after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Read MorePosts use old video to falsely claim Russian president visited South Africa in March 2023

Why these images do not prove that Vladimir Putin sent a ‘body double’ to Mariupol

Did Vladimir Putin really use a body double during his recent visit to Mariupol, Ukraine? That's the question posed by several posts that began circulating on social media on March 20, 2023. However, while these posts claim to show evidence of physical differences in the president's face, the images they rely on are far from conclusive.

Read MoreWhy these images do not prove that Vladimir Putin sent a ‘body double’ to Mariupol

Claims that Vladimir Putin destroyed an ‘adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine’ lack evidence

A recent blog post builds on a fictitious narrative that Russian President Vladimir Putin is stymieing the production of adrenochrome in Ukraine.......We found no credible news reports or sources to corroborate the unfounded allegations, which were published on Real Raw News, a site that regularly posts fake news. The blog's stories are written by someone using a pseudonym and the site has a disclaimer saying it contains "humor, parody and satire," though the author has defended his stories as truth.

The same site wrote separately that Putin intercepted a shipment of adrenochrome bound for the United States. We rated that Pants on Fire!......We rate claims that Putin destroyed an adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine Pants on Fire!

Read MoreClaims that Vladimir Putin destroyed an ‘adrenochrome warehouse in Ukraine’ lack evidence

How one year of disinformation has shaped the narrative of the Ukraine war online

On February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, triggering a war on the ground, but also an information war online. Since then, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has debunked 115 pieces of misinformation that have been shared in photos or videos online. But what are the main themes in these false narratives? And what techniques are used to misinform? Here's a look back at this year in fake news.

Read MoreHow one year of disinformation has shaped the narrative of the Ukraine war online

Chinese social media users share edited Putin speech video with false subtitles about Ukraine

Chinese social media users have repeatedly shared a doctored clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech with false subtitles that claim he said he will not step down from power until "the problem in Ukraine is settled". However, the video contains clips taken from two different addresses and audio from one of the speeches. The Chinese and English language subtitles are false translations of the speech. As of February 17, 2023, AFP has found no official reports about Putin making such an announcement.

Read MoreChinese social media users share edited Putin speech video with false subtitles about Ukraine

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!

Read MoreVladimir Putin didn’t intercept shipment of chemical compound adrenochrome

Fabricated story falsely claims Vladimir Putin destroyed an adrenochrome lab in Ukraine

This story was fabricated. It appeared on Real Raw News, a site that regularly publishes false, fantastical stories authored by someone using a pseudonym.

Real Raw News stories are authored by someone using a pseudonym and the site has a disclaimer saying it contains "humor, parody and satire," though the author has defended his stories as truth.

We found no credible news reports or other sources to corroborate the claims in this post.

QAnon promotes a number of conspiracy theories that invoke pedophilia and a Democratic cabal. QAnon adherents were present during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. These ideas also infiltrated political discourse as recently as the 2022 midterm elections.

We rate this claim Pants on Fire!

Read MoreFabricated story falsely claims Vladimir Putin destroyed an adrenochrome lab in Ukraine