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.…

Was a new law introduced by the Lithuanian government to impose a rain tax as a response to budget deficits caused by sanctions, starting at the beginning of 2024? No, that's not true: Lithuania does not have a rain tax. However, the government has enacted a new law that mandates registration for users of surface water. This regulation applies to…

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…

Правда ли, что португальское правительство ограничило въезд в страну лидера белорусской оппозиции в изгнании Светланы Тихановской и усложнило условия для белорусских граждан? Нет, это неправда. Представитель португальского МИДа подтвердил, что таких ограничений не было, а Lead Stories не нашли никаких доказательств, что Португалия ввела рестрикции против белорусов. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 14…

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…

Did Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko discuss the Russia-Ukraine war with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, showing him a map with military positions, and advising him to reconsider his stance to spare his country a defeat? No, that's not true: A video circulating on social media was created by juxtaposing excerpts from an interview given by Lukashenko to a Ukrainian journalist in…

Does this video show former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer and analyst Scott Ritter inviting Russian followers to subscribe to his Russian Telegram channel? No, that's not true: The video of the alleged invitation to follow him on his new Telegram channel is taken from a 2022 interview that Ritter gave to The Real News Network, in which he made…

Was there an order from the leader of Chechnya, a republic in southwestern Russia, to arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine? No, that's not true: Ramzan Kadyrov issued directives to apprehend and detain individuals involved in unauthorized riots. Regarding Palestine, he advocated for collective prayer. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok by @nata__789__ on October…

Правда ли, что президент Беларуси Александр Лукашенко недавно отправил подарки бывшему президенту США Дональду Трампу и его жене Мелании, попросив доставить их бывшего советника по национальной безопасности США Джона Болтона? Нет, это неправда: видео, опубликованное в социальных сетях, относится к 2019 году. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 9 ноября 2023 года под заголовком…

Did Ursula von der Leyen say that Israel has the right to defend itself by any means necessary, including cutting off water and electricity to the Gaza Strip? No, that's not true: The president of the European Commission never made such a statement. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on October 14, 2023. The same message…

Did Benjamin Netanyahu announce that the replacement of the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the Third Temple in Jerusalem has already been budgeted for 2024? No, that's not true: The prime minister of Israel has not made any such statements at the time of writing, and there are no such items in the state budget for 2023-2024. The claim appeared in a…

Did American actress Elizabeth Olsen describe the sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and European Union (EU) as meaningless? No, that's not true: In the original video, the actress is shown talking about filmmakers and projects she would like to be a part of, and she does not talk about Russia or economic sanctions. The claim appeared in a…

Правда ли, что больницы украинского города Львова обслуживают только тех, кто говорит на украинском языке или пришёл с переводчиком? Нет, это неправда. Пресс-служба Львовского городского совета опровергла это утверждение в переписке с Lead Stories. Законы Украины допускают использование других языков в системе здравоохранения. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 6 ноября 2023 года. В…

Правда ли, что польские силовики убивают людей на границе с Беларусью и что Польша находится под игом США? Нет, это неправда. Lead Stories обнаружили сообщения о смертях на границе, но не нашли достоверных доказательств убийств мигрантов польскими силовиками. Утверждение о том, что Польша находится под игом США, является пропагандистским нарративом Кремля.Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной…

Has the popular Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak made a promise to Russian military members, to offer a 1-million-ruble reward for the destruction of a U.S.-supplied Abrams tank used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that the singer made such a commitment. Lorak also stated that she could not contribute to military…

Did participants of a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Committee turn their backs on U.S. ambassador Michele Taylor as a protest against Israel's bombing of Gaza in late 2023? No, that's not true: The meeting had no relation to the current Hamas-Israel conflict; the activists faced away because they were not satisfied with Taylor's response concerning human rights…