War

Did a special April 2023 (issue 337) of The New European (TNE) feature on its cover a cartoon of a scowling Rishi Sunak, U.K. prime minister, looking at Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy sitting on the lap of the Dalai Lama, who has stuck his tongue out -- with Zelenskyy saying, "I'll suck it if you pay me!"? No, that's not…

Did sanctioned Russian banks regain their access to the international system of cross-border money transfers in April 2023? No, that's not true: No such decision was made by the European Union or the United States, as of this writing. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) published on April 22, 2023. It opened: NEWS | Russia has been reconnected…

Does this video show a Russian fighter jet intercept a U.S. Navy aircraft and order it to leave on April 10, 2023? No, that's not true: This event shown in the video did not happen on April 10, 2023, but on July 7, 2021. The source of the footage can be found on the Ministry of Defense of Russia's YouTube…

Does a viral snapshot of a poster portray authentic recruiting efforts of Ukraine to encourage the homeless and welfare recipients in the United States to join the fight against Russia? No, that's not true: The rumor was promoted by Kremlin-affiliated entities citing unidentified and unconfirmed social media posts. The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States denied the country's involvement in…

Did Volodymyr Zelenskyy announce that he would "no longer take a call from Xi Jinping?" No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the Ukrainian president made the comment about Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Lead Stories previously debunked another made-up quote from the same Twitter account. The claim appeared as a post published on Twitter on April 6, 2023…

Does a social media photo show the aftermath of Russian bombing of a NATO "secret underground bunker," possibly in Ukraine? No, that's not true: The image is a screenshot from a March 2021 video showing the aftermath of explosions at an oil depot that was being used by Turkey-backed opposition forces in northern Syria. The claim appeared in a post…

Did Ukraine stage war scenes to boost the morale of its soldiers at the frontlines by exaggerating their success? No, that's not true: A clip used as "proof" by social media users actually shows backstage footage from a real movie set located outside Ukraine. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) published on April 4, 2023. It said: Ukrainian…

Does a video, published on social media, show "44 Russian Tanks" hit in a "Bakhmut trench" by a single "Ukraine elite Drone" on April 1, 2023? No, that's not true: The same account posted multiple items in which the narrator mispronounced the name of the city being fought over, making similar claims that contradict each other in key details and…

Does a social media video prove that reported Russian missile strikes on Ukraine didn't take place or were staged? No, that's not true: The video, which alternates between images of Independence Square in the capital Kyiv and BBC television coverage showing damage across the war-ravaged nation, only confirms that missile strikes didn't take place in that particular part of the…

Did two Ukrainian soldiers driving a vehicle with a Ukrainian flag and a Nazi-style straight-armed cross on the tailgate stop a woman driving on a rural road and argue with her because she spoke Russian -- and then as she and her child became increasingly panicked and cried, did one of the soldiers fire a gun several times in her…

Do viral images of Russian President Vladimir Putin actually show him being arrested? No, that's not true: The "photos" were created by AI-based software, and, as of this writing, Putin is not under arrest, despite a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. The claim appeared in a post published on Facebook on March 26, 2023. It contained a video…

Does a "real tweet" from a Twitter account called "Taliban Public Relations Department, Commentary" proclaim that Afghanistan has the second-largest collection of Humvees behind the United States? No, that's not true: There is no proof that the tweet cited on social media is from the PR arm of the Taliban. Also, another post on the same Twitter account appears to…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin intercept an adrenochrome shipment that was in transit to the United States? No, that's not true: The claim contains a hodgepodge of conspiracy theories and it originated in an outlet known for publishing fictitious "news" stories. The claim originated in an article titled "Putin Intercepts Adrenochrome Shipment Headed to United States," published on February 8,…

Does the caption on a video on social media correctly state that the video shows NATO military equipment arriving in Europe? No, that's not true: These vehicles were preparing to leave Europe. The video shows U.S. Army vehicles from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division staged at the Port of Gdynia, Poland in preparation to being shipped…

Is there evidence that children in Ukraine are being punished for questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no information that supported this statement. Additionally, an image used to support this claim is not related to the claim. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) published on Twitter on February 18, 2023. It included…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin order the destruction of all COVID-19 vaccine supplies in Russia? No, that's not true. The claim originated from a website known for spreading false claims, and no other independent credible source has published anything to back up this theory. On March 4, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Health publicly confirmed sending additional doses to different…

Did Polish media "accidentally" catch on camera Volodymyr Zelenskyy's lookalike as he followed the Ukrainian leader during President Joe Biden's February 20, 2023, visit to Kyiv? No, that's not true: The person seen following the Ukrainian president is his bodyguard Maksym Donets, who has been photographed and filmed many times in public settings with the president. Social media posts shared…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy say the United States should send its sons and daughters to war now to fight for Ukraine against Russia? No, that's not true: His quote was taken out of context. Zelenskyy was addressing a hypothetical situation of what he believes would happen if Ukraine were to lose the war and Russia were to enter the…

Do a pair of photos that show completed repairs to a high-rise building in Ukraine only one year after it was damaged by a missile strike prove that the war in Ukraine is "fake"? No, that's not true: There is footage of the missile strike and photos of the aftermath from many angles. The strike to the apartment building at…

Does a video show HIMARS and Gepard military weaponry on a street in Romania heading to Moldova? No, that's not true: The footage was shot in November 2022 of a military rehearsal for the National Day Parade in Alba Iulia, Romania, approximately 566 miles from the border with Moldova. The Romanian government released a statement saying the footage is from…