Правда ли, что президент Беларуси Александр Лукашенко недавно отправил подарки бывшему президенту США Дональду Трампу и его жене Мелании, попросив доставить их бывшего советника по национальной безопасности США Джона Болтона? Нет, это неправда: видео, опубликованное в социальных сетях, относится к 2019 году. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 9 ноября 2023 года под заголовком…

Did Ursula von der Leyen say that Israel has the right to defend itself by any means necessary, including cutting off water and electricity to the Gaza Strip? No, that's not true: The president of the European Commission never made such a statement. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on October 14, 2023. The same message…

Did Benjamin Netanyahu announce that the replacement of the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the Third Temple in Jerusalem has already been budgeted for 2024? No, that's not true: The prime minister of Israel has not made any such statements at the time of writing, and there are no such items in the state budget for 2023-2024. The claim appeared in a…

Did American actress Elizabeth Olsen describe the sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and European Union (EU) as meaningless? No, that's not true: In the original video, the actress is shown talking about filmmakers and projects she would like to be a part of, and she does not talk about Russia or economic sanctions. The claim appeared in a…

Правда ли, что больницы украинского города Львова обслуживают только тех, кто говорит на украинском языке или пришёл с переводчиком? Нет, это неправда. Пресс-служба Львовского городского совета опровергла это утверждение в переписке с Lead Stories. Законы Украины допускают использование других языков в системе здравоохранения. Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной сети TikTok 6 ноября 2023 года. В…

Правда ли, что польские силовики убивают людей на границе с Беларусью и что Польша находится под игом США? Нет, это неправда. Lead Stories обнаружили сообщения о смертях на границе, но не нашли достоверных доказательств убийств мигрантов польскими силовиками. Утверждение о том, что Польша находится под игом США, является пропагандистским нарративом Кремля.Данное утверждение появилось в видео (архив здесь), опубликованном в социальной…

Has the popular Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak made a promise to Russian military members, to offer a 1-million-ruble reward for the destruction of a U.S.-supplied Abrams tank used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that the singer made such a commitment. Lorak also stated that she could not contribute to military…

Did participants of a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Committee turn their backs on U.S. ambassador Michele Taylor as a protest against Israel's bombing of Gaza in late 2023? No, that's not true: The meeting had no relation to the current Hamas-Israel conflict; the activists faced away because they were not satisfied with Taylor's response concerning human rights…

Did Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, claim that Palestinian rock throwing was a reason to bomb and kill Palestinian women and children? No, that's not true: The video of Erdan addressing the UN about the danger of rock-throwing at Israeli civilians is from 2022, he does not suggest rock-throwing is a cause for military strikes against Palestinians…

Does the Norwegian government encourage Ukrainian refugees to leave the country by paying them? No, that's not true: The Norwegian repatriation program provides financial aid to all who voluntarily want to return to their home countries. It is offered to refugees of other nationalities as well. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) which was published by semicvetik123_3…

Did a hundred thousand Jews recently arrive in Ukraine to each receive an allowance of 20,000 hryvnas ($547) from the government? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support the claim of a twofold increase in the Jewish population in Ukraine today. Instead, evidence points to a decline in the Jewish population in Ukraine since the Russian invasion…

Правда ли, что западные дипломаты отказались от предложения встретиться с детьми из Донбасса, находящимися в Беларуси, из-за страха взглянуть им в глаза и сказать правду? Является ли утверждение о том, что Беларусь похищает или принудительно перемещает детей из Донбасса на свою территорию, фейковой новостью? Нет, это неправда. Делегация Европейского Союза (ЕС) отказалась участвовать в визите, организованном Беларусью, из-за серьёзных опасений…

Was a black flag raised over a prominent religious site, the Imam Reza Shrine, located in the Iranian city of Mashhad, as a call for war or vengeance? No, that's not true: According to an official statement from the Imam Reza Holy Shrine's authority, the black flag was raised to publicly mourn the Gaza victims. The claim appeared in a…

Was the primary objective of the protesters at the October 1, 2023, rally in Warsaw to demand a cessation of aid to Ukraine? No, that's not true: The rally aimed to boost support for the opposition Civic Platform party and address concerns about rising costs and democratic checks. Warsaw city authorities reported that around a million people attended an opposition…

Did Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko congratulate Hamas for its attack against Israel? No, that's not true: There has been no published official statement from Lukashenko in reaction to events in Israel and Gaza so far. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs condemned any form of aggression and said casualties among civilians were unacceptable.…

Did Ukrainian First Lady, Olena Zelenska purchase jewelry worth more than $1 million dollars in a Cartier store in New York? No, that's not true: Zelenska and her husband, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were not in New York at the time of the alleged purchase. The story appeared in a video (archived here) published by pravda_bel on October 5, 2023. The text…

Is the frog logo on food products associated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and do these products include poisons and vaccines? No, that's not true: The logo is associated with the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit organization committed to biodiversity conservation and the advancement of sustainable livelihoods. They work to protect forests, improve the well-being of local communities, and…

Has the compulsory military service age for men in the Ukrainian army been raised from 60 to 65? No, that's not true: The law draft submitted to Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, proposes raising the military age to 65 years for common soldiers, non commissioned and warrant officers and raising it to 70 years for command authorities based on their…

Did the newly appointed Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, say that he would set the draft age for the Ukrainian army at 16, considering this change to be fair? No, he didn't: Lead Stories found that Umerov made no such statement. On September 14, 2023, this claim appeared in a video posted on the TikTok account @sanika.f ( archived…

Does Poland intend to withdraw from the European Union after elections scheduled for October 15, 2023? No, that's not true: This is a misleading interpretation of the words said by Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk in a publication on X, formerly known as Twitter. The politician stated: "On October 15, either we will lead PiS out, or PiS will lead…