Fact checks

Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on X are spreading claims that a Ukrainian man, whom former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met during his visit to Kyiv in April 2022, was allegedly killed near Kurakhove. According to the false reports, Johnson had a chance encounter with this man outside a shop on a Kyiv street, and propagandists now claim his name was Serhii Varchuk, suggesting he was a Ukrainian soldier who died on the front line. This is a fake. Russian sources manipulated the man's photo. Using the Forensically image analysis tool, Ukrinform's fact-checking team identified digital alterations…

The source of the disinformation is former MP Ihor Mosiychuk, who frequently posts Russian narratives Russia's state propaganda agency TASS, citing former Ukrainian MP Ihor Mosiychuk, along with pro-Russian bloggers on TikTok, Telegram channels, and social media platforms X and Facebook, are circulating information claiming that the son of Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, Oleksii, supposedly bought an elite apartment in the tallest residential building in Warsaw for $2 million. As "proof," propagandists provided a screenshot allegedly from a Polish online land registry and a photo of the apartment itself. This is a fake. Firstly, the form in the screenshot…

To create fake news, propagandists used a report from Ukrainian news outlet Zaxid.net to discredit Ukrainian forces Russian propaganda outlets have manipulated a news report from the Ukrainian media outlet Zaxid.net to falsely implicate a Ukrainian soldier in a shooting incident, aiming to discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Fake screenshots of a Zaxid.net article are circulating on Russian propaganda platforms. The altered publication claims that a resident of Boryslav, Lviv region, was fined 70,000 UAH for shooting a teenager. In the manipulated subheading, Russian propagandists falsely assert that the crime was committed by a serviceman. This is a fabrication. Russian…

Propagandists have forged photos with campaign posters to create the illusion of 'support' for their narratives within Ukrainian society. Kremlin-run media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on the social media platform X are spreading photographs allegedly taken in Kharkiv. The images show campaign posters featuring a crossed-out photo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and inscriptions reading "We demand elections," "Give us back our elections," and "Elections are our right." According to propagandists, these posters supposedly indicate that a movement demanding presidential elections in Ukraine, despite martial law, is gaining momentum in Kharkiv. This is fake. First, it is impossible to…

Russian propagandists have forged an Instagram story from American actor Sylvester Stallone to discredit the Ukrainian government Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bot accounts on social media platforms X and Facebook are circulating a fabricated Instagram story, allegedly from Stallone, best known for Rocky and Rambo. The fake video supposedly features footage from a non-existent video game where a character in boxing gloves "punches" an animated figure resembling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his office. According to the propagandists, Stallone promoted the "game" and shared a link to it with his followers. This is a fake because no such…

Russian propagandists have fabricated a Deutsche Welle video to spread disinformation about Ukrainian refugees Pro-Russian Telegram channels are circulating a video that falsely claims a Ukrainian refugee in Germany set fire to his own Tesla in protest against the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has provided aid to Ukraine. The video also alleges that the man blamed Elon Musk for the shutdown, stating that Musk currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to the fabricated report, the Ukrainian faces deportation and a EUR 15,000 fine. However, this is a complete fake. No…

Propagandists forged a photo using a graphic editor to discredit the Ukrainian government Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on X are spreading a photo that allegedly was taken in a city in the U.S. state of California. The image shows graffiti with President Volodymyr Zelensky "holding onto" the letters of USAID (the United States Agency for International Development). This is a fake. The building where, according to Russian propagandists, the graffiti was allegedly painted, is not located in California. Using Google Maps tools, our team located this object. In reality, the parking lot in front of the building…

Propagandists fabricated Euronews report Pro-Russian media outlets are spreading a fake video attributed to Euronews. The video allegedly quotes words from Pope Francis' personal secretary, Daniel Pellizzon, about the pontiff's audience with the wives of Ukrainian prisoners of war from the Azov Regiment on May 11, 2022. The video claims that the Vatican supposedly called the meeting a decision that was made due to a "deception" orchestrated by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It is claimed that the Vatican initially thought Pope Francis was meeting with the widows of mobilized Ukrainian soldiers. This is a fake. The video…

Russia attempts to discredit Ukraine ahead of Bundestag elections. Pro-Russian English-language media and bots on the social media platform X are spreading a fabricated investigation by the so-called "Foundation to Battle Injustice." The publication claims that the Ukrainian government allegedly struck a "deal" with the leaders of the German Green Party to "discredit" the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of the Bundestag elections, scheduled for February 23, 2025. According to the "data" from the foundation, 800-900 Ukrainian "specialists" are purportedly set to recruit 3,500-4,000 teenagers from among Ukrainian citizens and other migrants in Germany to carry out various…

Zmist is fighting russian propaganda since day 1. The number of fakes disproven: 239. Main narratives: russia is defending itself against NATONATO and the EU are orchestrating a global food crisisThe US was developing bioweapons in Ukraine and NigeriaPoland is planning to capture western UkraineThe Ukrainian army is destroyed, russian victory is closerussians don’t commit war crimes, Ukrainians doSanctions against russia are destroying EuropeThe world is dominated by russophobia Goals evolution: We are not going to attack, we want to conduct a military exerciseWe would like to replace the Ukrainian government and denazify UkraineWe wish to demilitarize Ukraine to ensure…