Category Ukraine

CNN didn’t report that Uganda’s president said it would be ‘disgusting’ to support Ukraine

Uganda's president came out as an early supporter of russia but this is not a real CNN headline.

The post appears to be an altered screenshot of a 2014 story on CNN's website. The story features a paused video of Museveni in which he appears wearing the same outfit and in front of the same background as the image of him in the Instagram post.

We found no credible news reports or other sources documenting Museveni as saying it would be disgusting to support Ukraine.

We rate that claim False.

Read MoreCNN didn’t report that Uganda’s president said it would be ‘disgusting’ to support Ukraine
Did Putin Suggest Russia Would Use Ukrainians as Human Shields?

Did Putin Suggest Russia Would Use Ukrainians as Human Shields?

True. The video of Putin saying Russian troops would "stand behind the people," and dare Ukrainian troops to "shoot their own people" is genuine. The statement was made during his 2014 press conference.

While it is unclear if he implied using them as human shields, he did specify "not in front of them, but behind," further supporting that interpretation.

Read MoreDid Putin Suggest Russia Would Use Ukrainians as Human Shields?

Were these Ukrainians staging a fake battle scene? Nope, it’s a music video

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been widely circulating a video over the past few weeks that shows a man dressed as a Ukrainian soldier acting out a scene in front of a camera. These accounts have claimed this video is proof that people are staging scenes of the war in Ukraine. Turns out, however, the video was filmed during the shooting of a music video by a Ukrainian artist whose music represents the "pain of war".

Read MoreWere these Ukrainians staging a fake battle scene? Nope, it’s a music video

Photo of Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika was altered

This photo was altered. In the original, Zelenskyy is holding a jersey that has the number 95, not a swastika.

The original image was distributed by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service in June 2021. According to a caption on Agence France-Presse's website, it shows him "posing with a jersey of Ukraine's national football team."

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed the idea that the effort is one of "denazification," a narrative historians have decried as "false and destructive."

We rate claims Zelenskyy was holding a jersey with a swastika False.

Read MorePhoto of Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika was altered

Social media post critical of Zelenskyy came from Kid Rock fan account, not the artist

A screenshot of a Gettr post critical of U.S. foreign aid to Ukraine has been attributed to Kid Rock, but it originated on a fan account.

We couldn't find a Gettr account for Kid Rock, and it's not listed among the social media accounts on his website. Kid Rock's website links to his YouTube account and his verified Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

We've previously debunked claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida. We couldn't find any credible sources to corroborate the claim in this Gettr post, either.

As for the claim that Kid Rock authored it, we rate that False.

Read MoreSocial media post critical of Zelenskyy came from Kid Rock fan account, not the artist

No, these photos don’t prove that Zelensky is filming his videos in front of a green screen

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been circulating photos and a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky standing in front of a green screen, claiming that this image offers proof that the videos that he publishes on social media are filmed in a studio and not on the ground as claimed. However, these pictures don"t prove anything of the sort - they were taken during a forum where the president appeared as a hologram.

Read MoreNo, these photos don’t prove that Zelensky is filming his videos in front of a green screen

No, this Ukrainian general isn’t wearing a bracelet with a swastika on it

Did the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces publish a photo of himself wearing a bracelet with a swastika on it? That"s what some Russian media outlets and pro-Russian social media accounts have been reporting since October 9, 2022. While the photo is authentic, the compression of the image and the poor resolution quality make it possible to mistake the symbol on his bracelet for the Nazi cross. In reality, however, it is a Celtic knot.

Read MoreNo, this Ukrainian general isn’t wearing a bracelet with a swastika on it