Did an Orthodox priest pronounce an anathema on the motorcade of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he passed through the streets of Bulgaria's capital Sofia? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found that the man shown in the video, wearing a black robe and holding a cross, is not a priest, and his actions in front of the camera have…

Did the Wagner Group chief and leader of the failed mutiny against the Kremlin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, state that Wagner group fighters would carry out combat operations on behalf of Russia, including those possibly aimed at Poland, from Belarus territory? No, that's not true: In a July 19 video release, Prigozhin is heard addressing his mercenaries in Belarus, saying they will…

Did Brandon Mitchell, a Canadian volunteer in Ukraine, say that Russia does not bomb bridges and railways because it targets only military objects and does Russia target only military objects? No, that's not true: In his interview with YouTube channel Lindy Beige, Mitchell says: "You know, the Russians have caused a lot of damage there, but there's some things that…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put forward the legalization of cannabis in Ukraine? No, that's not true: Zelenskyy spoke about licensing cannabis-based medication in an effort to help Ukrainians suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders that might arise amid the conflict. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @pollman7…

Did the exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya, in a tweet, call on Belarusians to engage in sabotage to prevent the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus? Is she also developing a secret plan for their elimination while demanding assistance from peaceful Belarusians? No, that's not true: In correspondence with Lead Stories, Tikhanovskaya's press service has confirmed that the…

Did UNESCO reach an agreement with Ukraine to move Christian relics from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery to European countries in order to protect them? No, that's not true: No such agreement existed as of June 26, 2023. The story appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok by political.channel.minsk on June 29, 2023, under the title: "Sacred operation."…

Правда ли, что белорусский лидер Александр Лукашенко обманул главу российской частной военной компании (ЧВК) «Вагнер», Евгения Пригожина, заманив его в Минск, где его сразу же задержали? Нет, это неправда. Lead Stories не обнаружили никаких достоверных данных в поддержку этого утверждения. Проверка при помощи инструментов обратного поиска изображений показала, что фотография, представленная как доказательство задержания Пригожина в Беларуси, распространяется в интернете…

Was the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, murdered after the bombing of his house in the Belarusian capital? No, that's not true: This video captures the aftermath of a drone strike on a fuel depot in Crimea in April 2023, where a fire broke out. The leader of the mercenary group is alive, at last report. The claim…

Did almost half of U.S citizens oppose future aid to Ukraine in a survey? No, that's not true: Only 38 percent of all the respondents disagreed with supporting Ukraine in the conflict. The outcomes of a poll conducted by AP-NORC in February 2023 revealed that 37 percent of respondents expressed support, 38 percent expressed opposition and 23 percent stated neither…

Have swimming and fishing been banned because cholera was found in Odesa's seawater? No, that's not true: Fishing has been prohibited since authorities have observed "a plague of fish" in the southern Ukrainian region along the northern coast of the Black Sea, following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, and have warned against the risk of botulism. Swimming has also…

Does the "leaked" phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko prove that Putin and Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin put forward a conflict resolution without Lukashenko knowing about it? No, that's not true: It was Lukashenko's own initiative to mediate in the conflict. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived here) published by…

Правда ли, что в Беларуси в июне 2023 года началась мобилизация? Нет, это неправда. В последнюю декаду июня 2023 года проводилось мобилизационное учение согласно ежегодному плану подготовки Вооружённых Сил Республики Беларусь. Данное утверждение появились в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 15 июня 2023 года. Текст на экране сообщает: В Беларуссии начинается мобилизация, летают вертолёты с флагами и…

Did a report by the RAND Corp., a U.S think tank, explain the real reason behind Russian-Ukrainian conflict? No, that's not true: Russian historian Andery Fursov referred to a document that was proven to be fabricated. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published by the Russian TikTok account natalyanystad on June 2, 2023, with a caption reading (translated…

Did Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko propose launching nuclear weapons against Poland? No, that's not true: Lukashenko never said that and the sound in a video claiming to show the Belarusian leader making such a statement has been altered. The claim originated from a video (archived here) published on TikTok by mirandichek on June 7, 2023. The video shows the Belarusian…

Правда ли, что Беларусь начала войну с Литвой за доступ к морю? Нет, это неправда. Беларусь никогда не заявляла о намерении вторгнуться в Литву. Эти утверждения ― выдумка так называемых ТикТок-мапперов, от английского mappers (картографы). Они создают контент, публикуя различные карты в социальных сетях и сопровождая их утверждениями, которые не всегда достоверны. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (более не доступно,…

Did Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a video, say the Caspian Sea was the territory of Belarus and promise to find all Belarusians who launched their rockets from the shores of the Caspian Sea? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found this video has been manipulated. This claim has been published by different TikTok accounts in Russian. On April 7,…

Have three priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate been physically attacked in March 2022 and January 2023 in Ukraine, as part of a systematic effort to intimidate and harass them? No, there is no evidence to support the claim: The specific cases cited as examples in a recent Belarusian TV show are missing context or provide…

Did Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko decide to break off ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin? No, that's not true: The video fragment was taken from Lukashenko's speech during VI All Belarusian People's Assembly in February, 2021. When giving the speech, Lukashenko referred to the opposition initiative "Intensive reform package for Belarus," which lists the goals of the opposition political organizations,…

Is Netflix producing a movie titled 'Zelenskyy', where all the actors are Black? No, that's not true: There is no publicly available information that such a movie is in production as of May 24, 2023. The actor Daniel Kaluuya is not reported to be involved in a movie by that title. The video (archived here) was published on TikTok.com on…

Was Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko replaced by a twin during his visit to an air defense command center on May 15? No, that's not true: the images presented in the video were altered. The story appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @bigkross50 on May 18, 2023. It opened: Shock! Lukashenko's double put Belarusian Army on…