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:…

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 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy buy a house in Italy with US and EU aid money? No, that's not true: There is no proof Zelenskyy spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a luxury house and yachts. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by TikTok user mogilevnewsby on May 23, 2023, with the text:…

Did Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko send a plane with his family to Turkey, amid the mutiny in Russia? No, that's not true: There is no evidence the plane departed from Belarus carried the family members of the Belarusian leader. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by t.an21 on June 25, 2023. Similar claims can…

Did Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ride the agricultural tractor MTZ-50 at a speed of 280 kilometers (174 miles) per hour? No, that's not true: This is technically impossible. In fact, he drove a Tesla at that velocity. A video making that claim (archived here) was posted on the TikTok account @epicbattlesworld on June 11, 2023. The caption is (translated from…

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…