Fact checks

Propagandists are trying to discredit President Volodymyr Zelensky's initiative in the eyes of Western allies Pro-Kremlin media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on social media platform X are spreading an allegedly new cover of the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo. It features a cartoon-style depiction of the pacific international peace symbol, made up of the remains of a soldier in Ukrainian uniform, and the caption “Ukrainian Peace Formula.” This cover is a fake - it is not available on the Charlie Hebdo website or on the magazine's social media accounts, which typically feature the first pages of new issues. The…

Propagandists spread a photo with a fake announcement to demoralize Ukrainian society Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and bots on social media platform X are spreading a photo allegedly taken at a branch of the Pension Fund of Ukraine. Against the background of an announcement listing pension benefits, an unknown person holds a booklet allegedly from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine with an “invitation” for pensioners to join the military. The booklet is accompanied by the slogan “Your experience is our strength”. The “bonus” for the participants is supposed to be a “chance to win” a voucher to a sanatorium or…

Russia initiated a propaganda information campaign for the birthday of its dictator On the occasion of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's birthday, local propaganda outlets presented their leader with a gift. Russia’s “information operations troops” did it in the usual way - by spreading fakes and disinformation. The Russian propaganda's main narrative was the slogan “Putin is the president of the world.” In this context, Russian propaganda spread fakes and staged videos allegedly supporting Vladimir Putin's policies both in Ukraine and around the world. The pseudo-support in Ukraine was illustrated by numerous Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bots on social…

Propagandists created fake website to promote disinformation and used old internet photo of car to discredit Ukraine's president Reports have recently emerged on the English-language website Seattle Tribune saying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly purchased a car worth about $15 million that previously belonged to Adolf Hitler. The story claims that the car was allegedly spotted in Kyiv on October 6, when Zelensky was getting out of it. For "evidence," the propagandists added a screenshot allegedly from one Telegram channel, which published a photo of a car "parked" near the building of the President's Office. The article links the…

Propagandists faked postcard from Ukrainian children to soldiers and 'ad' from funeral home Kremlin-controlled Russian media outlets, Telegram channels and accounts on social media platform X are spreading disinformation that Ukrainian schoolchildren were given "postcards" to write their wishes to soldiers defending Ukraine on the front lines. However, a photo of this "postcard" shows a map of Ukraine without the territories temporarily occupied by Russia - Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. This is a fake. Russian propagandists likely created this postcard in a graphic editor, printed it and photographed it. All the graphic elements in the picture can be found…

Propagandists distorted the story of Ukrainian farmer to promote narrative of "heavy losses" among Ukraine's military Russian Telegram channels shared a video about "Ukrainian artist Mykyta Solovii" who allegedly grows strawberries on the graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and then sells them. According to propagandists, the "artist" seems to have been implementing this initiative since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The video states that a hundred grams of strawberries cost $100, and all funds are allegedly transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The propagandists in the video also "quoted" the man as saying that his dream is…

Propagandists spread pseudo advice, allegedly from Ukrainian ministry, to increase anxiety ahead of winter Russian Telegram channels, bots on X, as well as Kremlin-run foreign media outlets are distributing videos with the logo of the Ukrainian Energy Ministry. The video says that due to problems in the energy sector that Ukraine will face in the winter period, Ukrainians should stock up on dung-based fuel briquettes to heat their homes in winter. Propagandists claim the video was allegedly released by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry. This is a fake. Such a video or any other message on this topic was not published…

Propagandists invented clause in loan agreement from EU to sow despair in Ukrainian society A central Russian media outlet, propaganda Telegram channels and some Ukrainian bloggers are spreading reports that Ukraine will allegedly have to independently repay a EUR 35 billion loan that the European Commission is going to provide at the expense of future profits generated from immobilized Russian assets in the EU. This is a fake. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not mention this during her visit to Kyiv on September 20, where she publicly announced the granting of the loan. There is no mention…

Propagandists are trying to sow enmity in Ukrainian society for language-related reasons Russian media outlets, pro-war Telegram channels and bots on social media platform X are distributing a screenshot of a post allegedly published by a resident of Ivano-Frankivsk, Vera Boklag, on her Facebook page. The post claims that her husband was allegedly beaten because he allegedly joined the so-called "language patrol." As "evidence," the post contains a photo of a man with visible bruises on his face. It is difficult to identify the man, because most of the face in the picture is not visible. This whole story is…

Propagandists spread photo of fake brochure from British Embassy in Ukraine to discredit military recruitment centers among foreigners Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels have recently begun to share a photo of a brochure that was allegedly printed at the British Embassy in Ukraine. It allegedly contains information for UK nationals who stay in Ukraine about how to "behave correctly" with representatives of territorial recruitment and social support centers. Foreigners were allegedly recommended to avoid contact with employees of such centers, not to maintain eye contact with them, not to respond to "rudeness, provocations, pushing, racist statements," and "not to sign any documents"…