Category Putin

Putin did not nationalize Russian central bank, and Rothchilds never controlled Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin was not responsible for the nationalization of the Russian centralized bank, which took place in 1917.

• The Rothschild family banking business has had an office in Russia since the 1990s, but it has no oversight over the country's currency or monetary policies, which are controlled by the Bank of Russia.

• The Rothschild family long has been the target of conspiracy theories, and their wealth is believed to be responsible for inspiring the anti-Semitic trope that Jewish people "control" the world's money.

Our ruling
A Facebook post says Putin "ended the Rothschild's control over Russia by nationalizing the Russian centralized bank."

Putin did not nationalize the Russian centralized bank; that occurred in 1917.

Evidence does not support the claim that the Rothschild family had control over Russia. The family's banking business has had an office in Russia since the 1990s ' though it recently suspended operations ' but it has no oversight over the country's currency or monetary policies, which are controlled by the Bank of Russia.

We rate this claim False.

April 20, 2022
Antisemitism Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Hatred and bigotry Misconceptions Putin Russia

Fake: Atrocities in Bucha, Chemical Attack in Syria, and the Work of White Helmets…

Atrocities committed by the Russian military in Bucha, Kyiv region are confirmed not only by Ukrainian authorities but also by governments of other countries and international organizations. Out of 519 cases of reported chemical weapons use in Syria, 349 have been "credibly confirmed".

April 15, 2022
Bucha Context Fact checks / debunkings International community Putin Russia Syria Ukraine War crimes

James Bond promo footage of choir in Russia falsely linked to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine

A video circulating online after Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine has racked up tens of thousands of views alongside a claim it shows members of the "Russian army choir" being arrested for singing about peace in Russian President Vladimir Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg. In reality, the video corresponds to old footage published in reports since 2015 about a stunt staged to promote the James Bond film "Spectre".

March 28, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Putin Russia Ukraine

Misleading posts link old Russia protest video with Ukraine invasion

A video of a violent clash between demonstrators and police officers has been viewed tens of thousands of times on social media alongside a claim it shows Russians protesting against Putin's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. But while thousands were detained across Russia over Ukraine protests, the video had been shared in a misleading context. The footage has previously circulated in reports since January 2021 about a Chechen student who fought with riot police in Moscow during protests calling for the release of a Kremlin critic.

March 25, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Putin Russia Ukraine

Prez. Zelensky expressing the “V sign” gesture over Prez. Putin is an Altered Image – Factcrescendo Sri Lanka – English

Fact Crescendo found out the image viral on social media claiming Prez. Zelensky showing the "V sign" gesture over Putin's head was actually a digitally altered meme. The meme was digitally created using two separate stock images taken during the Normandy Four Summit held in France 2019 in which Russian and Ukrainian leaders were seen posing separately along with French Prez. Emmanuel Macron

March 24, 2022
AI-generated images Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Methods Putin Russia Ukraine

There is no evidence that Putin invaded Ukraine to fight child trafficking

This claim originated in an article published by a website known for sharing misinformation, including one previous false claim on Ukraine.

• Russia's president stated many reasons for the invasion. Ending child trafficking was not among them.

• According to the U.S. State Department, Russia is failing to deal with human trafficking within its own borders.

Our ruling
A post on Facebook alleged that Russia started its invasion of Ukraine to fight child trafficking.

The claim originates in an article published by a website known for fabricating stories and sources.

There is no evidence that ending child trafficking is a goal of the war in Ukraine. Russia itself is failing to deal with human trafficking within its own borders, according to a report by the U.S. State Department.

And while Putin has been very descriptive about his reasons for invading Ukraine, child trafficking has never been mentioned.

We rate the post False.

Video shows Putin’s dog barking at Japanese journalists in 2016, not 2022

A video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times in Facebook posts that claim it shows Russian President Vladimir Putin trying to embarrass a "Japanese delegation" by bringing his dog to an official meeting. The posts -- which circulated online after Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- refer to Japan's alignment with the United States and other countries, which have imposed sanctions on Moscow. But the video has been shared in a false context. It shows Putin bringing his dog to an interview with Japanese journalists at the Kremlin in 2016.

March 16, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Putin Russia USA

Videos with false subtitles do not show Russian leader threatening war with Nigeria over Ukraine

Videos shared on Facebook claim to show Russian President Vladimir Putin warning Nigeria to stay out of the war in Ukraine or risk entering into its own conflict. But this is false: AFP Fact Check found that the clips use false subtitle translations. One video is from 2020 and shows Putin addressing Russians about the novel coronavirus. In another, he does address Russia's ongoing attack on Ukraine but makes no mention of Nigeria.

March 14, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Nigeria Putin Russia Ukraine

No, this document doesn’t show classified Ukrainian military orders to attack the Donbas region

The document isn't classified, and there are no direct statements in it about an attack on the Donbas. It makes references to a training camp on the opposite side of the country.

Our ruling
Russian officials shared a Ukrainian document on Twitter with claims that it showed secret, classified orders for a military offensive on the Donbas region in southeastern Ukraine.

This is wrong. There is no proof that the document is classified, and there are no direct statements in it about an attack on the Donbas. The document makes references to a training camp on the opposite side of the country.

We rate claims about a document showing a planned military offensive in the Donbas False.

Fabricated news alert falsely claims Russian president told South Africa’s ANC to keep out of its affairs

A purported screengrab posted on Facebook in South Africa and shared hundreds of times purports to show a news item published by local media house News24 according to which Russian President Vladimir Putin told the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to stop meddling in its affairs. But this is false; News24 denied the report belonged to them while the Russian embassy in South Africa dismissed the claim of a warning from Putin.

March 9, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports International community Methods Misconceptions Putin Russia South Africa