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…

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.…