Category Russian propaganda

Joe Rogan Claims U.S. Accidentally Sent $6.2 Billion to Ukraine

The U.S. did not accidentally send $6.2 billion to Ukraine. An overestimation of the cost of some military hardware meant that $6.2 billion was not spent in the transfer of U.S. stocks to Ukraine. While the DOD has said that this can now be used toward future stock drawdowns authorized by the president, that does not mean $6.2 billion has been sent accidentally, and all that implies, to Ukraine.

July 20, 2023
Aid oversight Aid to Ukraine Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine USA

Resource: “Vatnik Soup” – a guide to pro-Russian propagandists

A project by Finnish academic Pekka Kallioniemi: "#vatniksoup is a Twitter thread series (and a hashtag!) where I’ll introduce pro-Russian actors and propagandists from around the world, be they so-called “independent journalists”, politicians, military personnel or just regular grifters looking to get some easy money. The series also has introductions and deeper insights on how online propaganda and disinformation works and is spread. For example, I’ll talk about troll farms, social media manipulation and Russia’s online information operations."

July 19, 2023
Disinformation Fact check websites Fact-checking tools Resources Russia Russian propaganda Where to learn more

Does Zelensky Live in $5.5M Mansion With Infinity Pool?

The tweet by Churchill offers no evidence that the image of a luxury property she shared belonged to Zelensky. Social media users were quick to point out that the image was taken from a real estate website for a property that was on sale for $5.5 million. It appears to be the latest unfounded accusation that Zelensky has faced that he has amassed properties around the world.

July 19, 2023
Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine

Kremlin Attempts to Erase Decades of Russia’s Military Expansion in Europe

"On July 11, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s proposal to establish permanent military NATO bases near the Russian border, claiming that Russia never moved its military infrastructure westward. That is false. Below is a brief catalog of Russian military progress in Europe."

July 15, 2023
Disinformation Misconceptions NATO Russia Russian propaganda

Deadly Kramatorsk missile was Russian – not Ukrainian

On June 28, 2023, a Russian missile hit a crowded restaurant in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. 13 people died in this attack, including at least 3 children and a leading Ukrainian poet and author (as of July 3). As with pretty much every major strike on civilians, to add insult to injury, false stories immediately began being circulated by pro-Russian influencers online.

July 10, 2023
Attacks on civilians Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Russian propaganda Ukraine War crimes

The word "Fake" appears in red letters on top of a screenshot of a social media post, which describes so-called baby factories supposedly discovered in Ukraine.

Fake news: No evidence of ‘baby factories’ in Ukraine

Sick: BBC's fact-checking team have traced false claims of "baby factories" in Ukraine back to a notorious online hoax factory. "Who would possibly lie about something like that?" you might reasonably ask yourself. Depressingly, we have the answer to that question.

July 9, 2023
Blood libel Children Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Russian propaganda

No, weapons for Ukraine were not used in French riots

A false rumor on Twitter has been traced by the BBC back to pro-Kremlin propaganda channels. The deliberately misleading Twitter post falsely claims that weapons possibly among those sent to Ukraine were used against police in the recent riots in France (summer 2023). The attached image shows a fabricated “screenshot” of a non-existent news article.

July 9, 2023
Aid to Ukraine Corruption Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda

Fake: Zelenskyy Refused to Hold Elections And Seized Power in Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not refuse to hold elections in Ukraine. The Constitution of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" expressly prohibit holding any elections to the executive and legislative branches of government during wartime.

June 26, 2023
Coordinated disinformation Corruption Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Has Zelensky Announced ‘Full General Mobilization’ of Ukraine?

Misleading Material. General mobilization and martial law have been imposed in Ukraine since day one of Russia's invasion. The document being shared on social media by pro-Kremlin accounts does not call for another general mobilization of the country but is a local order for residents to update their information, and for authorities to track and keep record of eligibility.

June 23, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine

Tucker Carlson Says Ukraine Considered Destroying Kakhovka Dam

Carlson's conclusion that the Ukrainian government had considered destroying the dam misrepresents what was actually written. It might also fail to consider the perceived counterintuitive nature of such a move at a potentially pivotal moment in the conflict.

June 8, 2023
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Misconceptions Russian propaganda Ukraine War crimes