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Five fact-checks about the war in Ukraine

Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year kept our fact-checkers very busy. We wrote 92 articles debunking false claims about information related to the war. These ranged from claims the Bucha massacre was staged to false TV reports and accusations of Nazism among Ukrainians. To mark the end of the year, we made a list of some of our top fact-checks about Ukraine.
Read MoreFive fact-checks about the war in Ukraine

No, Ukrainian fans were not responsible for Nazi graffiti at the World Cup

Numerous accounts on Twitter and Telegram have been sharing a video they say is a report by Al Jazeera showing Nazi graffiti left by Ukrainian football fans during the kickoff game of the World Cup in Qatar on November 20. The media outlet, however, says that they didn"t make this video. Moreover, a number of clues have allowed us to establish that this is a fake news report and that the Nazi graffiti was, in fact, photoshopped.
Read MoreNo, Ukrainian fans were not responsible for Nazi graffiti at the World Cup

FACT CHECK: Did Time Magazine Publish This Image Of The British Home Secretary Wearing A Swastika? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False This image is digitally fabricated. A spokesperson for Time Magazine confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact that the image is not an authentic cover.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: Did Time Magazine Publish This Image Of The British Home Secretary Wearing A Swastika? | Check Your Fact

No, the Ukrainian president did not write a book called ‘Mein Kampf’

Is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the author of a new book entitled "Mein Kampf", or "My Struggle", using the same graphic design as Adolf Hitler's manifesto? This is what many people online have been claiming to be the case since October 19, 2022. But the photos they use as proof are actually just photoshopped using old images. While the Ukrainian president is indeed preparing to release a book, it has a totally different title and cover design.
Read MoreNo, the Ukrainian president did not write a book called ‘Mein Kampf’

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

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

FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Russian Conscripts With Mosin-Nagant Rifles? | Check Your Fact

An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows Russian conscripts with 19th-century era Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifles. Verdict: Misleading While the image does feature the rifle, the photo is from a 2020 parade. It has nothing to do with the current conflict in Ukraine.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Russian Conscripts With Mosin-Nagant Rifles? | Check Your Fact

Fake: In 1943, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Crucified Four Children

This photo has nothing to do with the Ukrainian national movement and with the events of the 1943 Volyn tragedy. The children in the photo were killed by their own mother Marianna Dolinska on the night of December 11-12, 1923, in the village of Antoniowka near the Polish city Radom.
Read MoreFake: In 1943, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Crucified Four Children