Ukraine

Maryna Stupak is a freelance fact-checker and journalist. She has worked as a Kyiv-based freelance journalist for international media outlets, including a joint project by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, as well as a project by Poland's public broadcaster, Telewizja Polska. She has also been a presenter on an analytical news programme produced for YouTube by Suspilne,…

Did the BBC report that Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska was spotted wearing a pendant stolen from France's Lalique Museum? No, that's not true: The BBC denied ever publishing such a report. The video was doctored to digitally add the jewelry item to Zelenska's neck. The claim appeared in a post (archived here and here) published on X by @its_The_Dr…

Does a viral clip confirm that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave Monaco bombing suspect Anastasiia Berezovska a military award in 2022? No, that's not true: The rumor was based on a doctored clip. The real footage of the award ceremony didn't show people who looked like Berezovska. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X by @GarbageHuman24 on…

Did Donald Trump post a photo where he shows European leaders a map of North America with Canada, Greenland and Venezuela covered in the U.S. flag? Yes, that's true: Trump did post the image on his Truth Social account, but the image was doctored. It was originally taken in August 2025, and the map did not show Canada, Greenland and…

Do viral posts prove that Russia destroyed the Skyfall drone production facility in Ukraine visited by late Senator Lindsey Graham hours before his death? No, that's not true: The posts don't cite any sources. No credible media outlets reported that, and even Russia didn't claim it hit that target. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X published…

Does a real English-language France 24 video factually describe a Ukrainian bill about construction of a monument aimed at commemorating national heroes? No, that's not true: The head of France 24 English told Lead Stories that the French broadcaster never produced such a video. Contrary to the fake video on social media, the actual Ukrainian monument legislation is not centered…

Did a real report from Euronews state that Volodymyr Zelenskyy's parents were detained for laundering $11 million? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, Euronews had not published a story matching the claim. A Ukrainian governmental body dedicated to stopping the spread of disinformation has said the claim is false. The claim, which has appeared across social media,…

Does a video show Swedish World Cup footballer Lucas Bergvall saying, "Please stop voting for mass migration"? No, that's not true: The quote attributed to him on social media does not match what Bergvall said in a video interview, nor was it from the World Cup in June 2026. When translated into English, Bergvall's words concerned a then-upcoming match against…

Is a viral video that shows Shakira's 2026 World Cup opening song performance real? No, that's not true: An online detection tool identified elements of the video as AI-generated. Shakira does not appear in the 10-minute video posted on social media. The real footage of Shakira performing the opening song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with singer Burna Boy…

Did the Associated Press publish a video report confirming that the suspected shooter of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' dinner had visited the Ukrainian embassy multiple times before the attempted attack? No, that's not true: An AP representative told Lead Stories that the video report using its logo had nothing to do with the news agency. Lead…