Правда ли, что президент Украины Владимир Зеленский в своём выступлении в Вильнюсе сказал, что победа Украины даст белорусским эмигрантам шанс на установление порядка и демократии в Беларуси? Нет, это неправда. Во время визита в Литву Зеленский не упоминал белорусов, покинувших страну, или возможность установления ими демократического режима в случае победы Украины в войне. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь)…

Were traditional winter holiday characters Father Frost and Snow Maiden banned in Ukraine? No, that's not true: No restrictions or bans have been imposed by Ukraine on the presence of the two winter holiday characters or the use of their costumes, and animators continue to show the characters at events across the country. The claim appeared in a video (archived…

Did The Guardian report that at the start of 2023, there was a scabies medication in the U.K. containing components produced in Russia, and due to sanctions, these ingredients couldn't reach British pharmaceutical manufacturers, resulting in a scarcity of scabies cream? No, that's not true: The British publication highlighted the increasing prevalence of scabies in the absence of adequate treatment,…

Are realistic-looking face masks of old men being sold in Ukraine so men can avoid receiving a summons? No, that's not true: The mask producer denied such a claim and stated they refuse to sell masks for such purposes. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by alexandr_turner on January 5, 2024. The caption on the video…

Did Elon Musk pose in a T-shirt printed with folkloric-looking Ukrainians and captioned with Russian swear words? No, that's not true: The image was manipulated from a photo of Musk taken during the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. Musk had appeared wearing a shirt featuring the American rock band Tesla. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here) on January 9,…

Is there a mandatory payment of 100 hryvnia for residents in Ukraine to access a bomb shelter during an air alert? No, that's not true: The Department of Press and Information of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence told Lead Stories that the claim is false, categorizing it as disinformation. Furthermore, Lead Stories found no evidence supporting this claim. The claim appeared…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy purchase two luxury yachts worth $75 million with the help of his close friends, used as proxies? No, that's not true: The two yachts are still for sale. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) published by belvestnik.bel121 (this account seems to have vanished) on December 1, 2023, with a text overlay (translated…

Did the Čemodāns restaurant in the Latvian capital refuse to serve Russian actress Chulpan Khamatova and was she even kicked out for communicating in Russian? No, that's not true: Both the actress and the restaurant denied it. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on the TikTok account @user9096623588115 on November 24, 2023. It was also shared by the…

Did a Ukrainian TV host "ask all unmarried women to move in with unmarried men" in order to save on energy and heating in a recent broadcast shared on social media? No, that's not true: In an email to Lead Stories, the TV channel said that such an announcement was never made or broadcast on the network. The claim appeared…

Are children trafficked to pedophiles at the Ukrainian-Polish border? No, that's not true: Poland's Government Information Centre stated that the claim of selling children for pedophilia at the Ukrainian-Polish border is disinformation. Lead Stories found no evidence supporting this claim. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on the TikTok account @alexandr_turner on November 27, 2023. Russian media outlets…

Did Ukrainians in the city of Zhytomyr receive leaflets inviting them to vote for current Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny as the new president of Ukraine? No, that's not true: Pictures purportedly showing such leaflets have been shared as Russian propaganda, along with the alleged candidacy of Zaluzhny in an upcoming election in Ukraine, according to…

Has CNN released a billboard advertisement in New York City saying "Kyiv is all over"? No, that's not true: A CNN representative told Lead Stories that CNN never produced such an ad, and Lead Stories found no evidence that the ad shown in videos on social media ever existed. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on the TikTok…

Did a 17-year-old Ukrainian teenager lose his life on the battlefield, fighting with the Armed Forces of Ukraine? No, that's not true: The man being referred to in a video circulating on social media, Volodymyr Sachala, was 26, not 17, when he died. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok published by okupantttt on December 7, 2023.…

Did the former adviser to Ukraine's president's office announce an "information bomb" at the beginning of 2024 that would reveal the truth about Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, while claiming the support of influential Ukrainian armed forces generals? No, that's not true: Oleksiy Arestovich announced he did not make these statements, and the video appears to be manipulated. TikTok account @belvestnik.bel121 posted…

Does a video on social media show "thousands of U.S. Marines landing in Israel," to assist Israeli forces in the fight against Hamas? No, that's not true: The video predates the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict. It is from June 2022 and features the arrival of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division in Romania, to support the V Army Corps mission to strengthen…

Are they recruiting extras in Kyiv to support the election campaign of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, and is the main requirement for extras the presence of combat experience or dress uniform? No, that's not true: The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine's Department of Press and Information emailed Lead Stories to refute the claim on…

Did Ukrainian television channel 1+1, citing Ukraine's Defence Ministry, acknowledge that over a million soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have died or gone missing? No, that's not true: The Department of Press and Information of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence told Lead Stories it was disinformation. Channel 1+1, contacted by Lead Stories, also added that no such information…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy deliver an urgent speech in which he announced his resignation? No, that's not true: A watermark on the video on social media is from a platform for creating videos with talking AI avatars, the voice is not the same and the content is satirical. No credible reports confirm such an announcement. The claim appeared in…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announce a "shovel challenge" and ask people to join him in cleaning a Ukrainian cemetery? No, that's not true: The original video showing Zelenskyy shoveling snow from a city street, posted on his official Facebook account in 2019, has been digitally altered to superimpose his video over scenes from a Ukrainian cemetery. The claim appeared…

Has a pregnant medic in the Ukrainian city of Odesa received a summons? No, that's not true: Ukrainian law recognizes pregnancy as a valid reason for a servicewoman's dismissal, and pregnant women do not need to register for military service. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok by @alexandr_turner (archived here) on November 12, 2023, and was also shared…