Category Russian propaganda

Land documents claiming Ukrainian officials bought fancy properties in Switzerland are forged

A Swiss land registry official said that documents claiming to show purchases of luxury properties by Ukrainian officials are forged. The documents contain errors, such as the wrong digit count in numbers identifying the property. A Swiss newspaper said the false claims were the work of a blogger loyal to the Kremlin. Our ruling A website claimed that three high-ranking Ukrainian officials had purchased luxury property in the resort town of Gstaad, Switzerland. A Swiss land registry official said the documents cited as evidence were forged; errors in them prove that they did not come from the registry, the official said. We rate this claim False.

Post shows video game footage, not the war in Ukraine

What's being described as footage of the war in Ukraine is seen through a scope, with faint chatter in the background and the blast of weapons obliterating tanks on the ground. "In Saturday Russian artillery tanks was completely destroyed by Bayraktar TB2 drones," reads a grammatically problematic July 3 Facebook post sharing the video. But if you watch long enough, the clip is clearly glitchy and the aesthetics might seem familiar ' we've previously fact-checked videos like it that mischaracterize video game footage to make it seem like it's a recording of live combat in Eastern Europe. Searching for the video's description online, we found a YouTube post that gives more context, informing the reader that this isn't real war footage. We rate claims that this is real war footage False.

FACT CHECK: Did A Pentagon Spokesperson Demand Lithuania Be Expelled From NATO? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False There is no evidence to suggest the organization is planning to remove any members. Representatives for the Pentagon and NATO confirmed the claim is false.

June 29, 2022
Disinformation European Union Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions NATO Russia Russian propaganda USA

Did Ukrainians really place anti-Russian stickers around Auschwitz? Nope.

Several pro-Russian accounts have been circulating photos that they say show how Ukrainians put anti-Russian stickers in different places in Auschwitz, the former death camp run by the Nazis. The stickers say:Â "Russia & RussiansÂ - The only gas you and your country deserve is Zyklon B", a reference to the toxic gas used by Nazis to kill prisoners in the on-site gas chambers.

The Pentagon didn’t ‘admit’ that there are 46 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine

The United States government didn't admit that there are 46 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine. The document referenced by far-right and socialist websites repeats known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned and -operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S. The government fact sheet specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs." Our ruling A Gateway Pundit article said, "US Department of Defense Finally Comes Clean - Admits in Public Document that There Are 46 US Military-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine." There was no "coming clean" ' and the government made no such admission. The document referenced in the stories repeated known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned-and-operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S. The document specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs." We rate this claim False.

Russian has not been banned in Ukraine, despite repeated claims

Ukraine has not banned the use of the Russian language in the country. A 2019 law established Ukrainian as the official language of Ukraine and strengthened its use in businesses, schools and the media. Our ruling Lavrov referenced the banning and prohibition of Russian in Ukraine, particularly in "education, the media, everyday contacts," during a press conference. Despite a language law that establishes Ukrainian as the country's official language and prioritizes its use in civil society, Russian has not been banned. We rate Lavrov's statement False.

Does JD Vance profit from Russia propaganda?

J.D. Vance personally invested as much as $300,000 in the video sharing platform Rumble, although the precise details remain private. RT, a Russia state-sponsored service that amplifies Kremlin messaging, posts its videos and livestreams on Rumble. RT generates millions of views on Rumble, which increases the platform's value to advertisers. Our ruling Ryan said, "Vance profits off Russia propaganda." Ryan's claim is based on Vance's investment in Rumble, the platform where RT posts its videos. RT amplifies Kremlin messaging, and in the past two and a half months, RT has produced nearly 2 million views on Rumble. More views mean more advertising revenues for Rumble, and RT's presence adds value to Vance's investment. But other programs on Rumble attract many more viewers, and the details on Vance's investment in the company are not public. Rumble's CEO earlier this year said the company has yet to turn a profit. With that caveat in mind, we rate this claim Half True.

May 24, 2022
Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda USA

No, this photo doesn’t show an American admiral captured by Russians in Mariupol

On May 14, pro-Russia social media accounts started circulating a photo of a group of soldiers taken prisoner by the Russian army. These accounts claimed that one of the prisoners in the photo is a retired American admiral by the name of Eric Olson. That claim is false: this photo actually shows Ukrainians taken prisoner by the Russians in April 2022, well before the soldiers in the steelworks surrendered.

May 19, 2022
Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine USA

Was a retired Canadian general captured by Russians in Ukraine? – Truth or Fake

We take a look at reports that a retired Canadian lieutenant generalÂ was captured by Russian forces at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, Ukraine. Also, does the Rothschild family banking dynasty own Reuters news agency? (Short answer: no!)

No proof that Ukraine President Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida I

There is no proof that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida. The claim originated from a source that appears to be backed by the Russian government. The Pandora Papers leak did show Zelenskyy owned several offshore companies and other assets, but nothing that could corroborate the claim made on social media. Our ruling A now-deleted Facebook post shared the claim that Ukraine President Zelenskyy owned a $35 million home in Florida among several other assets. The claim appears to have originated from a Russian-backed source, and no other corroborating evidence for the claim could be found. While leaked financial documents showed Zelenskyy owned several offshore companies and other assets like cars and property, they made no mention of a Florida home. We rate this claim False.