Category Russian propaganda

Fake: Russia Shot Down Its Own Drones Over Ukraine After Trump’s Conversation with Putin

Despite the unsubstantiated statements of the Russian Defen?e Ministry, Russia continued shelling Ukraine even after the US President talked on the phone with the Kremlin leader. Energy infrastructure in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions was shelled. In total on the night of March 18-19, 2025, 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles, as well as 145 Shahed strike UAVs were launched over Ukraine.

Old video shared as recent footage of Ukrainian troops ‘surrendering’ in Kursk

What was claimed: A video shows Ukrainian troops surrendering in the Kursk region on 11 March 2025.

Our verdict: The clip predates this and has been shared online since at least April 2022.

March 14, 2025
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

No, Russia Has Not Surrounded Thousands Of Ukrainian Troops In Kursk

"I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared," Trump wrote.

But there aren't thousands of Ukrainian troops in Kursk any longer. They left days ago, despite what Putin may claim. "It's wise to rely on intelligence," Tatarigami advised, "not Putin's word."

March 14, 2025
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fact Check: Video Of Putin Speaking About Russian Terms For Ceasefire Is NOT From 2025

Did a video circulating on social media show Russian President Vladimir Putin making a public statement about Russia's terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine in March 2025? No, that's not true: The clip had been online for nine months. It showed Putin's remarks from June 2024.

Old video of Ukraine soldiers surrendering in Mariupol shared as recent

The Verdict: Misleading.
According to reports, the video actually shows Ukrainian servicemen surrendering in Mariupol in 2022.

March 12, 2025
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Media taken out of context Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

The Ukrainian parliament is NOT preparing to pass a new bill making 14-year-olds eligible for mobilization or registration

The claim was based on a fake, unverified article that was later deleted, with the publishing website issuing a public apology. Maksym Savrasov and other Ukrainian officials denied the claim.

March 8, 2025
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

“Europe also has no weapons – the warehouses are empty.”

Conclusion: European military outmatches Russian in key areas, with 1.47 million personnel, 367,760 armored vehicles and over 2,000 warships, including six aircraft carriers. France, Germany and Britain are increasing defense spending, while Russia struggles with losses, outdated stockpiles, and sanctions-limited weapons production.

March 5, 2025
Disinformation European Union Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda

The facts behind resurfaced claim that Zelenskyy has multiple homes, planes, offshore accounts

The claim, shared across Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived) and X (archived) in the form of an image, read:

The President of Ukraine owns a 35 million dollar home in Florida and has $1.2 billion in a overseas bank account. Zelensky owns 15 homes, 3 private planes, and has a monthly income of 11 million dollars. Why is no one questioning where our AID is going?

However, there was no proof of any of the claims shared within the image.

No, Zelensky hasn’t bought Eagle’s Nest, it is still in ownership of Bavarian state

Russia's war against Ukraine is not only a military confrontation, but Moscow is also deliberately targetting the Ukrainian president with disinformation and narratives that seek to discredit him. In early February 2025, posts on social media falsely claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky had purchased a property known as the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden in the southern German state of Bavaria. However, the site -- which was closely associated with the Nazis during World War II and is a popular tourist destination even today -- is still owned by the state authorities. Furthermore, the false claims seem to have originated from a Russian disinformation network.

Trump rift opens floodgates of disinformation on Ukraine

Disinformation targeting Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky is surging as US President Donald Trump's shift on the war frays relations with Kyiv and threatens to cripple support for the battle-worn nation. [...]

Joseph Bodnar, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (archived here), said the Russian influence efforts are focused "on fostering animosity between the Trump and Zelensky administrations."

"Russia wants to convince US negotiators that Ukraine is their enemy, not their partner. It's a means for the Kremlin to extract favorable terms in whatever peace settlement comes."