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…

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,…

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…

Правда ли, что Индия сняла санкции на импорт белорусского калия, тем самым открыв новые возможности для соглашений и деловых предприятий между Индией и Беларусью? Нет, это неправда. Индия никогда не присоединялась к санкциям США и ЕС и торговым ограничениям на какие-либо белорусские товары и услуги, поэтому и санкции отменять было не нужно. Сокращение экспорта белорусских калийных удобрений в Индию связано…

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 a caretaker of Ukrainian origin cause damage of 100,000 euros ($110,275) by breaking a statue in a gallery of modern art in Paris? No, that's not true: The sculpture in this post, by Swedish-born artist Anna Uddenberg, has been displayed in various exhibitions and remains untouched by acts of vandalism. A janitor named Valery Tarashchuk, reportedly of Ukrainian origin…

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…

Did no officials meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Doha airport when he arrived for a visit to Qatar? No, that's not true: Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, arrived to receive him. However, Steinmeier waited at the exit of the plane for nearly half an hour. The claim appeared in a video (archived here)…

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 Lithuanian, Latvian and Polish presidents receive a request to move aside due to lack of space during a group photo session at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai on December 1, 2023? No, that's not true: The leaders of the Baltic countries and Poland boycotted the group photo session to protest the presence of Belarusian President…