Правда ли, что министр национальной обороны Литвы Арвидас Анушаускас заявил, что Польша собирается заминировать свою границу с Беларусью? Нет, это неправда. Министр не делал такого заявления. В интервью литовскому телеканалу LRT TV он лишь отметил, что польские политики обсуждают эту вероятность, и подчеркнул, что Литва не будет публично раскрывать возможные меры безопасности, которые могут быть предприняты в ответ на угрозу,…

Did an aircraft with Wagner mercenaries onboard land in Niger's capital Niamey? No, that's not true: The footage presented in the claim shows a plane approaching Khartoum airport in Sudan in 2005. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) where it was published by vasia1326 on August 5, 2023. The same claim can be found here. The text…

Are Ukrainian women being mobilized to perform compulsory military service? No, that's not true: During a telethon aired by Channel 5 on January 8, 2023, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense, Hanna Maliar confirmed that women in Ukraine are not designated for mandatory mobilization until 2026. The claim originated from a TikTok video and reappeared in a video (archived here) where…

Does the photo depict a Wagner fighter near the Polish border? No, that's not true: The picture was manipulated and the original shows a man in military uniform with a Polish flag on the sleeve. The story appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) which was published by @planet.404 on August 2, 2023. The same video can be found on…

Was there a digital billboard displaying the message "Stop war, stop Zelenskyy" in Tokyo, Japan? No, that's not true: The video has been doctored and the original shows digital advertisements. The story appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @planet.404 on TikTok on August 1, 2023, under the title "Tokyo. Billboard." The text on the video…

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 the German political party Alternative for Germany create an advertisement against NATO (also trending under the name Heil, Zelenskyy)? No, that's not true: The video was shot in Russia and Alternative for Germany has no involvement in the production of the clip. The story appeared in a Telegram video (archived here) which was published by @Belarus_VPO on July 26,…

Does the replacement of the Soviet emblem with Ukraine's coat of arms, the Trident (Ukrainian: Tryzub), on the Motherland Monument in Kiyv cost $16 million? No, that's not true: The estimated expense for this work is calculated at 28 million hryvnias, which is equivalent to $755,000 (the exchange rate at the time of writing this article). The claim appeared in…

Did Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov purchase a villa for his daughter for 7 million euro? No, that's not true: At the time of writing this article the villa in Cannes mentioned in the claim was still for sale as seen on the Christie's International Real Estate website, for an asking price of 11.7 million Euros. The story originated from…

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…

Was Zelenskyy left alone and neglected by other participating leaders during the NATO summit in Vilnius? No, that's not true: numerous pictures and video footage confirm that other heads of state and government gave a hospitable welcome to the President of Ukraine and his wife Olena. On July 12, 2023, the claim appeared in a video posted on the TikTok…

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…

Does the video show former Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observer Vera Vayiman talk about child organ laboratories operated by Ukraine national batalions? No, that's not true: Vera Vayiman has never been a member of the OSCE and her narrative has no base. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @pollman7…

Did the Belarusian leader discuss shutting down or reducing the Internet in Belarus by 2025? No, that's not true: On the contrary, Lukashenko confirmed the plan to provide broadband Internet access to rural areas of Belarus by 2025. On July 10, 2023, the claim appeared in a video posted on the TikTok account nexta_tv (archived here). The President said in…

Did the Latvian government demand that the exiled Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya change Belarus's opposition symbol, the white-red-white flag, "due to its collaborationist past" and in relation to the recent "scandalous resignation" of the mayor of Riga, Mārtiņš Staķis, who supported the Belarusian opposition? No, that's not true: In correspondence with Lead Stories, the press secretary of the Latvian…

Does the video depict military vehicles of PMC (private mercenary company) Wagner on the territory of Belarus? No, that's not true: The video was taken during the mutiny in Russia on June 24, 2023. The story originated from the TikTok account barmalei331 and was later deleted, but reappeared in a video (archived here) where it was reshared by lanastudioofficial on…

Does this video show the movement of Belarusian troops toward Rostov-on-Don, Russia, where Russian Wagner group members staged a rebellion on June 23? No, that's not true: the video shows part of a Belarus military parade in Minsk in May 2020 and Belarusian forces did not move into Russia during the recent rebellion. The claim appeared in a video (archived…

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…

Правда ли, что литовские власти намерены выслать из страны белорусскую политическую активистку и лидера оппозиции Светлану Тихановскую? Нет, это неправда. В 2021 году Литва отклонила запрос Генеральной прокуратуры Беларуси о выдаче Светланы Тихановской, подтвердив предоставленное ей политическое убежище. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (более недоступно, архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 21 июня 2023. В тексте к видео сказано:…