Правда ли, что правительство Латвии сняло санкции, которые Европейский Союз ввел против Беларуси после вторжения России в Украину? Нет, это неправда. Такого официального заявления сделано не было, а латвийское правительство приняло новые ограничения. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 28 января 2024 под заголовком «Латвия отменила санкции против Беларуси». Текст на видео гласил: Более…

Правда ли, что в ролике показаны белорусы, которые вышли на улицы с требованием к польским властям пересмотреть своё решение об отказе в выдаче вида на жительство белорусским гражданам? Нет, это неправда. Акция, которую демонстрирует данное видео, прошла в Варшаве (Польша) 24 января 2024 года и посвящена освобождению политических заключённых в Беларуси. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь) в социальной…

Did the Lithuanian government decide to demolish the Soviet pedestal and Eternal Flame at the Antakalnis cemetery in Vilnius? No, that's not true: The sculpture will be transferred to complete the collection of Soviet soldiers' statues, a move that was initiated in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by…

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…

Did the first president of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, seek to register the Ukrainian language at the United Nations as an official language? Was his request denied, as the UN does not recognize the Ukrainian language as independent but instead considers it a dialect? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence supporting these assertions. Ukraine is internationally recognized as…

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.…

Did devils and other evil spirits dance in a Ukrainian church, and was this broadcast on Ukrainian television on Christmas Eve? No, that's not true: The video is an advertising campaign by the Ukrainian online gambling platform Cosmolot. The claim appeared in a video (no longer available, but archived here) on TikTok by nata__789 (the account is no longer available)…

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…

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…

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…

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,…