Did priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine use tridents, national symbols of Ukraine, to bless water during a service? No, that's not true: The objects used by the clergymen for the consecration of water are three candlesticks, which were used together with crosses. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) published by wagner_ad1 (archived here) on January…

Does a video featuring men playing drums in a cathedral depict "pests" from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine taking over Kyiv's St. Volodymyr's Cathedral for a demonic disco event? No, that's not true: The video was recorded at the Ivano-Frankivsk Holy Resurrection Cathedral, a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic church, not at the St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv, which is part of the…

Does a video in which Ukrainian soldiers insult and accuse Volodymyr Zelenskyy show them "staging a mutiny" against the Ukrainian President? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found that this video, first appeared on social media in June 2022, shows prisoners of war captured by the Russian army in the Ukrainian town of Lyman, in 2022. They appear to be…

Правда ли, что президент Беларуси Александр Лукашенко отправил своих сограждан воевать против украинцев? Нет, это неправда. Видео, в котором появилось подобное утверждение, показывает, как белорусских военнослужащих командируют в Россию на обучение. Планируется, что на курсах будет изучаться опыт, полученный российскими вооружёнными силами в ходе специальной военной операции (СВО) ― так российские СМИ и руководство страны называют войну России с Украиной.…

Has the Czech Republic added Ukraine to the blacklist over statements from the Zelenskyy government regarding the quality and supply of Czech arms to Kyiv? No, that's not true: A representative from the Czech Foreign Ministry told Lead Stories there are no "blacklists" involved in its arms export screening policy toward Ukraine and that supplies of Czech arms will continue…

Did 150,000 out of 300,000 refugee children from Ukraine disappear in Poland? No, that's not true: the claim is based on a misquote of a report issued by a Polish research center, which did not refer to the disappearance of children, but rather to the fact that 150,000 of the 300,000 refugee children in Poland do not go to school.…

Did Ukrainian pensioners queue in line to get free bread because of a food shortage in the city of Chernihiv, in Ukraine? No, that's not true: The video shows bread being distributed at a specific event, organized by a Christian volunteer group, after a religious service at the Ukrainian Church of Evangelic Christians of the Volyn region, in Chernihiv. The…

Правда ли, что почтовая служба Латвии незаконно вскрывает посылки и читает письма белорусов, покинувших родину, в поисках денег и «полезной информации»? Нет, это неправда. Почта Латвии сообщила Lead Stories, что проверяет отправления на случайной основе и в подозрительных случаях, особенно если имеются видимые признаки содержимого, подпадающего под санкции ЕС, например, SIM-карты, деньги и аналогичные предметы, отправляемые в Россию или Беларусь.…

Was a banner with the words "Fuuuck Ukraine" raised by a fan during a U.S. professional wrestling event? No, that's not true: The video in the post was digitally altered to add the insulting sign. The original video instead showed a member of the audience holding a sign that reads "Betrayal, Bay Bay"; a catchphrase used by a competing wrestler…

Is World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus advocating a global shift to a plant-based diet in a video? No, that's not true: Pointing to the significant impact of food systems on greenhouse gas emissions and global health, he emphasized the need to transform these systems by promoting healthier, more diverse and plant-based nutrition to mitigate climate change and reduce the…

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)…

Was a monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia, Bulgaria, dismantled as a part of the erasure of communism? No, that's not true: The Sofia district administration, based on inspection results, determined that the monument required urgent restoration and relocation within the city due to its deteriorating condition and the potential danger it posed to the public, a decision endorsed…

Правда ли, что Валерий Ковалевский, белорусский экс-дипломат, заместитель лидера белорусской оппозиции Светланы Тихановской и представитель по международным делам Объединённого переходного кабинета Беларуси (ОПК), был выслан из Литвы из-за истечения срока действия его вида на жительство? Нет, это неправда. Ковалевский сообщил Lead Stories, что утверждение о его высылке неверно. Кроме того, Lead Stories не нашли доказательств, подтверждающих это сообщение. Данное…

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,…

Were a restaurant patio and a bar, a fish market and a food shop opened on the premises of St. Mark's Church in London? No, that's not true: The church was deconsecrated, transformed from sacred to secular use in 1974, and was transformed into a gastronomic hub in 2019. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) published by…

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 a caretaker of Ukrainian origin cause damage of 100,000 euros ($110,275) by breaking a statue in a gallery of modern art in Paris? No, that's not true: The sculpture in this post, by Swedish-born artist Anna Uddenberg, has been displayed in various exhibitions and remains untouched by acts of vandalism. A janitor named Valery Tarashchuk, reportedly of Ukrainian origin…

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…