Fact checks

Russian propagandists have fabricated a fake poll, falsely attributing it to Britain's GLPOR. Russian Telegram channels are circulating results from a so-called "poll" allegedly published by the British company GLPOR. According to this pseudo-study, 62% of Britons supposedly view the 100-year partnership agreement between the UK and Ukraine as a "threat to the interests" of their country. This claim is false. GLPOR is a fictional sociological firm with a website created solely to publish fabricated polls that serve Russian disinformation campaigns. The GLPOR website claims it is a British international market and political "research and data analytics" company, "working for…

Propagandists have deployed bots on social media platforms to disseminate disinformation to Western audiences Kremlin-backed media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on social platforms X and Instagram are circulating a post from an anonymous X user with the nickname "SlavicFreeSpirit." The post alleges that Slovaks have begun tearing off license plates from Ukrainian cars in Slovakia in protest of Ukraine's suspension of Russian gas transit as of January 1. The user further claims that Ukrainian men are forced to return to their homeland to obtain new plates, where they face mobilization. This claim is false. The "SlavicFreeSpirit" account provides no…

Russian propagandists created fake content involving USA Today and Instagram story by American actress Jamie Lee Curtis Amid large-scale forest fires in California, Russian propaganda began spreading false narratives about Ukraine, alleging that Ukrainians are "profiting" from the tragedy. Specifically, Kremlin-backed media outlets and Telegram channels shared a fabricated news video with the USA Today logo. The video claimed that "Ukrainian" phone scammers had defrauded Americans of $40 million under the pretense of aiding fire victims. This claim is false. The video does not exist on USA Today's official website or social media platforms. The propagandists manipulated stock videos, images,…

Propagandists doctored a YouTube video filmed in New York's central square Russian Telegram channels and bots on the social media platform X are sharing a video being shown on Times Square screens. The short clip shows one of the advertising screens supposedly displaying footage of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's speech at a press conference summarizing the Russian Foreign Ministry's annual work, held on January 14, 2025. A voice-over in Russian claims the video was recorded at 4 a.m. local time. However, the video is fabricated and was not broadcast on Times Square screens. Russian propagandists used graphic editing tools…

Propagandists fabricated an ad supposedly placed in a Ukrainian church and manipulated Google Trends data Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, bots on X (formerly Twitter), and bloggers on TikTok are circulating a photo of an "ad" allegedly displayed near a church in the Volyn region of Ukraine. The ad claims parishioners are "not recommended" to visit the church on January 7 because police will be stationed outside. It further alleges that those attending the celebration will be interrogated by law enforcement. The ad is fake. The location where the "ad" was supposedly placed cannot be identified from the photo. Propagandists…

Russians first created a fake account for the President of Ukraine and then falsely claimed that Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, blocked it Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, bots on X (formerly Twitter), and Russian bloggers on Weibo are spreading claims that the Office of the President of Ukraine allegedly tried to register an official account for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Douyin – the Chinese version of the social network TikTok – in an attempt to promote their narratives to a billion-strong audience. However, according to propagandists, these pages were soon blocked. As "evidence," they are sharing screenshots…

Russian propagandists fabricated a video by merging two unrelated news stories from different U.S. TV channels -- one about Ukrainian refugees and another about a Cincinnati nursing home Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and YouTube bots are circulating a video claiming to show an MSNBC news program about Ukrainian refugees. In the video, the presenters reportedly highlight the low number of men among those fleeing the war. One presenter allegedly remarks that they are all dead and begins laughing. Russian propagandists assert that American journalists are mocking Ukraine's losses in the war. This claim is false. Russian propagandists fabricated the…

Russian propaganda fabricated a three-year-old video and distorted a news story about the planned construction of a crematorium in Lviv Russian media outlets, pro-war Telegram channels, and bots on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube are sharing a video purportedly showing a Ukrainian morgue. The footage, with blurred visuals, depicts numerous black bags allegedly containing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russia's Kursk region. To lend credibility, propagandists overlaid the video with a Ukrainian-language song. However, the video is a fabrication. Analysis reveals it was first uploaded online in December 2021 -- two months before Russia's full-scale…

Propagandists fabricated job search ads allegedly posted on Ukrainian platforms OLX and Jooble Russian bots on social media platforms Telegram and X are distributing fabricated screenshots, allegedly from the job search site Jooble and the online marketplace OLX. The fake ads claim to recruit disabled men aged 18 and older for mass scenes in a "New Year's military-patriotic television project." The ads emphasize that a "big advantage" is given to candidates with "an injury or mutilation, not necessarily sustained during hostilities." Participants are reportedly offered UAH 4,000 per day for filming. This is a fake. There are no ads with…

Propagandists faked 'ad' about New Year's party in Lviv kindergarten Kremlin-run Telegram channels are circulating a photo of an alleged "advertisement" from a Lviv-based kindergarten. According to the text, the theme of the "New Year's party" is the Heroes of Ukraine, with parents "persuasively asked" to dress their children in historical costumes. The "advertisement" includes "examples" of the best costumes, supposedly "recommended" by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, with children dressed as Stepan Bandera. This advertisement is fake. Propagandists fabricated the ad, printed it, and photographed it. The image of a rooster next to the ad originates…