Fact checks

To promote disinformation, Russian propagandists used a bot account on Facebook and AI-generated images of a child. Russian media and other Kremlin propaganda channels have been spreading a Facebook post allegedly written by a Ukrainian soldier who apologizes for the "murder" of a minor in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, supposedly carried out by his comrades. The post is accompanied by what appears to be a photo of the child. This is fake. The image of the child was AI-generated. According to the Hive Moderation fake detection program, the picture promoted by Russian propagandists has an 87.9% probability of being AI-generated.…

Russian propagandists are attempting to disrupt Ukraine's mobilization campaign targeting 18-24-year-old volunteers. Russian media outlets and bots on social networks are circulating photos and videos purportedly from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. These materials claim that men aged 18 to 24 are being offered a one-million-hryvnia contract to serve in the Defense Forces. The fake promotion suggests that volunteers could use this money to purchase a "120-year subscription" to Pornhub. Additionally, propagandists have created a video designed to look like a targeted YouTube advertisement, falsely offering access to "exclusive content" on OnlyFans in exchange for signing a military contract. This is…

Russian propagandists have fabricated an Instagram ad Russian propaganda Telegram channels are circulating screenshots of an alleged online poll supposedly conducted in Ukraine's western Zakarpattia region by Bethlen Gabor Kollegium. The so-called survey asks residents questions like: "What do you think about some districts of Transcarpathia joining Hungary?", "How would you vote in a referendum?", "How would Ukraine react?", "Should the EU and NATO decide on this matter?" According to Russian disinformation narratives, this "poll" is evidence of Hungary preparing to annex part of Ukraine. No such survey exists on Bethlen Gabor Kollegium's Instagram profile. In reality, this is a…

Russian propagandists have fabricated agitation posters and staged videos to discredit the Ukrainian military Russian media and Telegram channels are circulating images of leaflets allegedly posted in Ukrainian cities. These leaflets supposedly call for the "destruction" of military personnel serving in Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TRSSCs). However, this is a fake. Firstly, the photos provide no verifiable evidence of the location where they were taken, making it misleading to claim that these leaflets are being distributed in Ukraine. Secondly, the images show remnants of snow, yet they first appeared online on March 24. The last recorded snowfall in…

Russian media outlets have been circulating a report, along with excerpts from it, supposedly from the occupied city of Sudzha in the Kursk region. The report was allegedly produced by a so-called Finnish journalist, Kosti Heiskanen. These materials claim that Ukrainian forces committed atrocities against civilians, suffered "heavy losses," and engaged in unlawful warfare tactics, including disguising themselves in civilian clothing or Russian military uniforms. This is a fabricated story. The author of these claims, "Finnish journalist" Kosti Heiskanen, entered Sudzha alongside Russian troops. His report provides no credible evidence of Ukrainian war crimes, nor does it substantiate the allegations…

Propagandists forged a news report from Al Jazeera television network Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube have been circulating a video bearing the Al Jazeera logo. The video falsely claims that an Al Jazeera employee, while closely analyzing footage of a conversation between U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and pro-Ukrainian activists in Cincinnati, Ohio, noticed that one of the protesters allegedly spat into the stroller carrying Vance's daughter. The video further suggests that U.S. media outlets are deliberately ignoring this supposed incident. However, this is entirely false. No such video exists on Al…

Russian propaganda has fabricated a video from Ukrainian children's TV channel Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on social media platforms X, YouTube, and Reddit are circulating an animated video featuring the logo of the Ukrainian children's TV channel PlusPlus. The video depicts a boy wearing Ukrainian-themed clothing who, upon hearing his sister listen to a Russian-language song, reaches for a phone -- seemingly to report her to law enforcement. The screen then displays the hotline number for Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU). In posts accompanying the video, propagandists falsely claim that Ukraine is broadcasting a TV ad targeting…