Tag Archives: nato

Did British MP Warn Of NATO Dirty Bomb False Flag Op?!

Did British MP Andrew Bridgen warn of NATO planning a dirty bomb false flag operation to spark World War 3?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : British MP Warns Of NATO Dirty Bomb False Flag Op!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that British MP Andrew Bridgen just warned about NATO planning a dirty bomb false flag operation to spark World War 3!

Here is an excerpt of the article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

British MP Warns NATO Planning ‘Dirty Bomb’ False Flag in Europe to Spark WW3

NATO is planning to launch a false flag attack on a European city using a nuclear “dirty bomb” and pin the blame on Russia, according to British Member of Parliament Andrew Bridgen who was citing high-level parliamentary intelligence.

Recommended : Did The US Bomb All These Countries Since World War 2?!

 

Truth : British MP Did Not Warn Of NATO Dirty Bomb False Flag Op!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Andrew Bridgen Is Not Privy To Parliamentary Intelligence

The People’s Voice article claimed that Andrew Bridgen cited “high-level parliamentary intelligence” and “British intelligence service agents” when he warned about a false flag attack on a European city using a nuclear dirty bomb. That’s simply not true.

First of all, Andrew Bridgen is an independent Member of Parliament, who does not sit in the Intelligence and Security Committee. Therefore, he has no access to sensitive or classified material provided by the UK intelligence community.

But more importantly – Andrew Bridgen himself never cited “high-level parliamentary intelligence” or claimed that “British intelligence service agents” told him about it. If you watch the GB News video above, he only referred to “defence analysts” – which could refer to anyone outside of the UK intelligence services with an opinion on defence matters.

Fact #2 : Andrew Bridgen Never Mentioned NATO

The People’s Voice article claimed that Andrew Bridgen said that “NATO is planning to launch a false flag attack on a European city using a nuclear dirty bomb“.

That’s not true either, because Andrew Bridgen never mentioned NATO at all!

Andrew Bridgen only claimed on GB News that there would be a nuclear detonation, and in fact, appears to make that comment after being asked about Russia using nuclear weapons:

GB News : Well, Putin said that he will use nuclear weapons if Russia is threatened, so isn’t there actually a way of winning any war against Russia?

Bridgen : Well, if he has nuclear, no one’s winning, aren’t they? I’ve got defence analysts feeding me information, and they’re in you know, services, and they’re saying that there is going to be a nuclear detonation in Europe.

When GB News pressed him on who would do such a dastardly deed, Bridgen notably did not mention NATO.

Recommended : Did Israel + US Crash Iran President’s Helicopter?!

Fact #3 : No Dirty Bomb Has Exploded In Donbas

Andrew Bridgen bizarrely claimed that a dirty bomb may have already exploded in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

Bridgen : Well, it could be a dirty bomb. There’s a lot of nuclear material floating around in Ukraine from their nuclear reactors.

I mean to create contamination, all you need is some conventional explosives and some nuclear material and you’ve got a dirty bomb. They may have already been set off in the Donbas area now.

It may seem silly, but it has to be said – no dirty bomb has exploded in Donbas. If that occurred, it would have sparked international outrage as the affected area would have been contaminated for years.

Fact #4 : Ukraine Is Not A NATO Country

The People’s Voice article bizarrely referred to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, saying that an attack by Russia on any NATO country would require the United States and all NATO members to “declare war on Russia”. It then states that such a “false flag by NATO, pinned on Russia” could be that trigger.

Well, that’s a really silly claim. Even if the (non-existent) dirty bomb did indeed explode in the Donbas region of Ukraine, it would not trigger Article 5… because Ukraine is not a NATO member!

Recommended : Are UN Troops Being Deployed In The United States?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did China Airdrop Food Aid To Palestinians In Gaza?!

Did China airdrop tons of food aid for hungry Palestinians in Gaza?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : China Airdrops Food Aid To Palestinians In Gaza!

People are sharing videos on TikTok and WhatsApp, which purportedly shows China dropping tons of food aid to Palestinians in Gaza!

WhatsApp / TikTok : China drops tons of food aid for hungry Palestinians

China memberi bantuan makanan kod Palestina yg lapar

WhatsApp / TikTok : China’s aid to Gaza brings hope of survival to Palestine

大爱中国援助加沙物资愿给巴带来生存的希望

TikTok : Chinese Humanitarian Aid For Palestinians

Bantuan Kemanusian China utk Palestina

Recommended : Are Chinese Students Being Harassed + Banned From US?

 

Truth : China Did Not Airdrop Food Aid To Palestinians In Gaza!

This is yet another example of fake news created and/or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and/or pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : China Never Airdropped Food Aid To Gaza

Let me start by pointing out that China never air-dropped any food aid to feed hungry Palestinians in Gaza.

So far, nine countries air-dropped food and other supplies into Gaza – Jordan, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and Egypt.

China never took part in any airdrop of humanitarian aid into any Palestinian territory, never mind Gaza.

Fact #2 : Video Shows Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

The example video above does not show the Y-20 cargo transport aircraft, which is used by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Instead, it shows a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which is commonly used by the United States and NATO countries.

Obviously, the PLAAF does not own or use any Boeing C-17 aircraft, so it is impossible for anyone to claim that those planes belonged to China.

Instead of showing China air-dropping food and other essential supplies to Palestinians in Gaza, the videos actually show American or British C-17 Globemaster III aircraft dropping supplies.

Recommended : Did HK Activist Fion Ho Commit Suicide After Fleeing To UK?!

Fact #3 : China Provided Some Aid

To be fair – China provided some aid – initially just 100 million yuan ($13.8 million) in aid.

But at the end of May 2024, President Xi Jinping announced that China would contribute an additional 500 million yuan ($68.96 million) in emergency humanitarian assistance, as well as $3 million in funds to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Fact #4 : Chinese Aid Is Disproportionally Small

However, it must be noted that Chinese aid is disproportionally small to its importance and economic strength.

Even when fully realised, Chinese aid is less than $86 million – just 7% of what the United Nations estimated in January 2024 that the Palestinians would require – some $1.2 billion in aid. It also pales in comparison to what other countries have sent to Gaza.

The Americans, for example, provided $180 million to Gaza through USAID by February 2024. In addition, the US military not only air-dropped supplies, it also built a temporary pier which cost $320 million to deliver more than a million pounds of aid (source) before it broke apart at the end of May, and had to be towed away for repairs.

Even smaller countries are contributing far more aid to Gaza than China. The UAE, for example, contributed 25% of all foreign aid to Gaza!

While credit should be given to China for the aid it promised, the contribution is far less than what the viral videos make it appear.

Recommended : China Unveils New Incentives For Wumao + CCP Uncles!

Fact #5 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This is really nothing more than yet another example of Chinese propaganda created or promoted by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and/or pro-CCP netizens. Here is just the latest dozen I fact-checked:

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Politics | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did NATO + Russian Forces Engage In Battle In Ukraine?!

Did NATO troops from France and Germany engage Russian troops in battle at Chasiv Yar, Ukraine?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : NATO + Russian Troops Engaged In Battle In Ukraine!

People are claiming that NATO troops from France and Germany just engaged Russian troops in battle at Chasiv Yar, Ukraine.

US Civil Defense News : 🚨Update: Reports that NATO (French and German) troops entered the battle to defend Ukraine near the Chasov Yar, Ukraine! This is bad news.

Recommended : Did Russian Missiles Destroy Port Of Odessa In Ukraine?!

 

Truth : NATO + Russian Troops Did Not Engage In Battle In Ukraine!

This is yet another example of fake news about the Ukraine War, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Evidence Of Battle Between NATO + Russian Troops

First, let me just point out that there is zero evidence of any battle between NATO and Russian troops at Chasiv Yar, Ukraine. There is also no evidence that 7 NATO soldiers died in that battle!

If such a battle actually occurred, Russia would have officially protested against the direct involvement of NATO troops in battle against its forces. After all, Russia has already threatened action against any NATO troops in Ukraine.

Yet, there was no official condemnation by Russia over this alleged battle with NATO troops from France and Germany. Unsurprisingly, none of those who made these claims ever provided any evidence.

There was also no photographic evidence of the battle, or NATO soldiers fighting Russian forces at Chasiv Yar. That’s because it never happened.

Fact #2 : Photo Was Posted At Least 9 Years Ago

This photo showing French Foreign Legion soldiers posing next to a helicopter, is being shared as “evidence” that NATO troops were deployed to fight against Russian forces. Allegedly, this photo was taken at or near Chasiv Yar.

However, this photo isn’t new. In fact, a Russian forum posted it (archive) on 1 December 2014 – over 9.5 years ago! That may not even be the oldest example of this photo, but it was the oldest I found so far.

The truth is – this photo was not taken in Ukraine, and has nothing to do with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or NATO troops fighting against Russian forces in Chasiv Yar.

Recommended : Did Ukrainian Pilot Defect To Russia With NATO Tech?!

Fact #3 : Claim Based On Single Russian Source

The claim of NATO soldiers engaged in battle with Russian forces appear to be based on a single Russian source – Colonelcassad on Telegram, who posted on 5 May 2024 (translated):

French and German mercenaries entered the battle near the Chasov Yar

It was posted in Russian, hence the Russified name, Chasov Yar, instead of the official Ukrainian name, Chasiv Yar.

However, Colonelcassad provided no evidence to back up his claims. Where is the drone footage? Where are the photos and/or videos of the battle or the 7 dead NATO soldiers???

His claims were never corroborated by other sources, and certainly not by Russian media, or the Russian government.

Recommended : Did Mossad Just Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War?!

Fact #5 : French Foreign Legion Soldiers Were Allegedly Deployed

Colonelcassad referred to an earlier report that French Foreign Legion soldiers were allegedly deployed to Slavyansk – a city approximately 50 km away from Chasiv Yar.

That report was based on a single report by the Russian Weapons Telegram channel, which stated (translated):

⚡️The first company-tactical units of the French Foreign Legion are deployed in the Slavyansk and Kramatorsk operational directions. It is this fact that may be responsible for the multiple intensification of high-precision rocket and artillery strikes of the Tornado-S MLRS on the logistics hubs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Slavyansk, Seversk and Kramatorsk.

The Russian Weapons Telegram channel not only provided no evidence to back up its claim, it shared a photo that was taken more than 9.5 years ago (see Fact #2 above)!

So there is no actual evidence that any French Foreign Legion contingent was deployed to Slavyansk.

Fact #6 : French Troops Were Allegedly Only Military Advisors

In any case, Russian Weapons did not claim that those French Foreign Legion soldiers were there to fight against Russian forces. In fact, it only claimed that those soldiers were likely there as foreign advisors to help with Ukrainian rocket and artillery strikes.

It would, therefore, make sense that those soldiers were allegedly deployed to Slavyansk – some 50 km away, and not the frontlines at Chasiv Yar.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Fact #7 : No Germans Troops Were Allegedly Deployed

On top of that, Russian Weapons only mentioned French Foreign Legion soldiers were allegedly deployed to Chasiv Yar.

There was no mention of any German troops, although it is possible that there might be Germans in the French Foreign Legion. French Foreign Legion soldiers are mostly foreigners, with the exception of its commission officers.

That said – German nationals serving under the French Foreign Legion would be considered as French soldiers. On top of that, Legionnaires may apply for French citizenship after three years of service, or upon being wounded in battle.

In any case, there are no known sources claiming that actual German troops were deployed to Slavyansk or Chasiv Yar in Ukraine. So why would anyone quote Russian Weapons and suggest that there were German troops as well???

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Brooklyn Couple Steal Palestinian Couple’s Home?!

Did a couple from Brooklyn steal a home that was once owned by an elderly Palestinian couple?!

Take a look at the photo that Michael Moore made viral, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Updated @ 2024-04-06 : Updated after photo went viral again
Originally posted @ 2021-05-24

 

Claim : Brooklyn Couple Stole Palestinian Couple’s Home!

People keep sharing this photo as evidence that Americans / Israelis are stealing Palestinian homes, every time there is a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

It notably went viral in May 2021, after Michael Moore posted it (archive) on his Facebook wall, and it has gone viral every few months since then, and most notably after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

If someone took/stole your home right now, and moved you out because a theocracy ordered it — or what if this same theocracy bulldozed your home and tossed you out into a field and told you and your children to GTF outta here — what would YOUR response be?

What would you have the moral right to do about it? And to be perfectly clear, I don’t care if it was a Christian Fascist German soldier in 1941 forcibly removing you from your home, or an American bank in 2008 forcibly removing you and kicking you to the curb while taking your home — it’s gut-check time, folks (and yes, I mean you too, fellow pacifists):

What would you have the moral and human right and DUTY to do about it, to respond to it, to stop it? And would the rest of the world just stand by and let you suffer as it so often does?

When do we all just put a stop to this, to grind the gears of the machine to a complete halt and replace the plutocracy (we’re not a democracy), the theocracy (you’re not a democracy), and any racial, religious or corporate supremacy with TRUE democracy, FULL human rights, and love?

Recommended : Is Israel Preparing To Build New Homes On Gaza Beach?!

 

Truth : Brooklyn Couple Did Not Steal Palestinian Couple’s Home!

This is a rather iconic photo – a Palestinian couple looking at what used to be their ancestral home, now occupied by an Israeli couple. We decided to investigate the photo, and here was what we found…

Fact #1 : The Photo Was Taken In Israel

This photo is genuine, and was taken in the village of Ijzim, about 30 minutes south of Haifa in Israel.

Just to be clear, Ijzim is not in the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip – territory under partial or full Palestinian control.

Fact #2 : The Photo Was Taken In 2020

Despite what people may say, this photo was not taken recently. It was taken and published in May 2020. The last time the elderly Palestinian couple was in Ijzim was 72 years prior to the photo.

Fact #3 : Ijzim Was Depopulated In 1948

Israel captured Ijzim during the 1948 War, and the majority of the villagers fled or were expelled during the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe). The Israelis quickly demolished the Arab houses to make way for permanent Jewish settlements.

Recommended : Israel FM Eli Cohen Confirm Hamas Put Children In Cages?!

Photo credit : Fred Csasznik – Front cover of The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem by Benny Morris, Cambridge University Press 1989.

Fact #4 : Palestinians No Longer Own These Lands

While the Nakba can be argued as morally wrong, this is not an uncommon practice whenever a country annexes or conquers a region.

For example, the Soviet Union expelled Germans from East Prussia after World War 2, and gave the southern part to Poland, while Lithuania was given the northern part.

Today, East Prussia is part of Poland and Lithuania – both members of the European Union and NATO. Germans who were expelled between 1945 and 1949 can visit their ancestral homes, but they cannot claim ownership over those lands.

More directly – there is no evidence the elderly Palestinian couple have any paper to prove their prior ownership of the land on which their home used to be.

Fact #5 : The House Was Not Their Home

The house in the photo is not the same house that the elderly Palestinian couple used to live in. That house, which belonged to the Palestinian man’s father, was demolished during the Nakba, and a new home was built on the land.

So it is factually wrong to say that the elderly Palestinian couple was looking at “the house they once lived in“. The house they were looking at is completely different from the house they once lived in.

That does not mean that the Palestinian couple has no right to feel hurt over their loss. It was, after all, where they once lived. But whether they are entitled to that land that they abandoned more than 70 years ago is another question altogether.

Fact #6 : It Was Part Of An Al-Jazeera Project

For those who doubt the authenticity of the photo, I can confirm that it is genuine and was taken as part of an al-Jazeera project.

In May 2020, Najwan Simri of Al Jazeera took an elderly Palestinian couple to visit their original homes and to meet their current Israeli residents. Here is the Al Jazeera video clip, as well as an English translation.

Recommended : October 7 Video Shows IDF Helicopters Killing Israelis?!

Some towns and cities inside the Green Line will become the hope of those in the diaspora. But they will also become a station of refuge for others.

Here lives a family uprooted from a nearby village. We had an appointment with Hajjeh Im Samir to accompany her there. Her [ailing] husband insisted on coming with us because he said the air of Ijzim is the best cure.

Despite its beauty, the road there seems desolate as if it gets you to the place but doesn’t take you there. Eagerly, Im Samir organizes our tour for us and tells us the names of the [Palestinian] owners of the houses.

Fact #7 : No Evidence The Couple Was From Brooklyn

The most authoritative source for this photo was Al Jazeera, and even they did not identify the Israeli couple, much less confirmed that they were from Brooklyn, New York City.

Despite my extensive searching, I could find no source to back up this claim. None of the earlier posts using this picture – in May to June 2020 – even mentioned that the Israeli couple were from Brooklyn.

Therefore, it is highly likely that their Brooklyn origin is completely bogus, and was added much later.

Many detractors have pointed out that this is of no importance. If that is true, then I ask – why lie about this? Why claim, without evidence, that the couple was from Brooklyn?

IMHO, it must have been important for the people who added this “Brooklyn” connection to tie this “occupation” of Palestinian land to the Americans. Hence, the necessity to claim that the Israeli couple was from the United States.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Politics | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Ukrainian Pilot Defect To Russia With NATO Tech?!

Did a senior Ukrainian pilot just defect to Russia with his Su-27 fighter loaded with NATO missiles, and electronics?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Ukrainian Su-27 Pilot Defected To Russia

People are sharing two photos of a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet, claiming / suggesting that it was just flown to Russia by a defecting Ukrainian flight commander, fully-loaded with NATO missiles, radar, and electronic warfare equipment.

Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺 : So this appeared in the base today😁

A Ukrainian “flight commander” flew a SU-27 jet over the Russian border and landed in one of our bases.

Can’t wait for the F-16…

Intelligence FRONT : A senior pilot who served as a squadron commander in the Ukrainian Air Force escaped with a Su-27 jet and took refuge in Russia. It is said that the pilot arrived with a large amount of information, documents and some intact western-made missiles, radar and electronic warfare pod on the plane. This is the first time such an incident has occurred, and the fact that the incoming pilot is a high-ranking figure with plenty of documentation, and that the planes are already NATO integrated and carry NATO equipment and missiles, constitutes a historical opportunity for the Russians regarding NATO air equipment and missiles. It was also a chance to obtain extensive information about the situation of the Ukrainian Air Force and air defense forces, as well as NATO activities in the country.

US Civil Defense News :🚨Update: Ukrainian flight captain decided he wanted to live and defected to Russia, flying and landing his fighter jet in Russia. They realize the war is over. They lost. It’s time to move on!!!

Recommended : Did Russian Missiles Destroy Port Of Odessa In Ukraine?!

 

No Evidence Ukrainian Su-27 Pilot Defected To Russia!

This appears to be another example of FAKE NEWS / VATNIK PROPAGANDA circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Photos Were Taken At RIAT 1996

First, let me just point out that the claim or suggestion that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet with the tail number 48 just defected to Russia is definitely false.

The two photos of the same Ukrainian Su-27 aircraft with the tail number 48 were not taken recently, or even in Ukraine or Russia.

The photos are of a Ukrainian Su-27S at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) show, was held at RAF Fairfore in Gloucestershire in the UK. They were taken in July 1996 – more than 27 years ago!

The photo above was taken by Mike Freer, who captioned it as a Ukrainian Su-27S “departing RIAT 96”.

The photo below was taken by Peter Fothergill, who took his photo on 19 July 1996, but only uploaded it to the AirFighters website on 1 September 2020.

Fact #2 : No Evidence Of Pilot Defecting With Su-27

Claims that a senior Ukrainian officer or flight commander defected to Russia with a Su-27 fighter jet loaded with NATO missiles and electronics have been circulating on X (formerly Twitter) since 18 November 2023.

However, none of those who posted the news have actually provided any evidence that such a defection took place.

The defection of a senior Ukrainian pilot would have been major news, especially if he flew a Su-27 fighter jet loaded with NATO missiles and electronics to Russia. Yet, Russian news media have not mentioned such a stunning development.

Recommended : Did US Army Lose + Recover Stolen Sarin Gas Rockets?!

Fact #3 : Ka-52 Pilot Reported A Pilot Defection

The claims appear to be based on a short report by the Russian state news agency, TASS. On 18 November 2023, TASS reported that a Ukrainian military pilot defected to Russia.

According to Alexey Voyevoda – a Ka-52 helicopter pilot who organised the flight, the pilot is now “consulting with the Federal Security Service”.

MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. A military pilot of the Ukrainian armed forces has defected to Russia, a Ka-52 helicopter pilot, who organized the flight, told TASS.

“The Ukrainian military pilot is in Russia, consulting with the Federal Security Service,” Alexey Voyevoda said.

Voyevoda explained that he cannot yet disclose the details of this operation.

You will note that the TASS report never said that it was a senior pilot, or a flight commander. It also never said that the pilot flew to Russia with a Su-27 fighter jet, much less one loaded with NATO missiles or electronics.

Fact #4 : Ka-52 Extraction Is Plausible

The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator (Hokum B) is a two-seater helicopter, seating a pilot and a gunner side-by-side.

While it is not capable of carrying any passengers, it is possible for a Ka-52 pilot like Alexey Voyevoda to fly into Ukraine without a gunner, to extract a defecting Ukrainian pilot.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did US Send Nuclear AEGIS Missiles To Ukraine?!

Did the United States just send nuclear capable AEGIS missiles to Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : US Sent Nuclear Capable AEGIS Missiles To Ukraine!

US Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently claimed that the US government sent nuclear capable AEGIS missiles to Ukraine!

In 2019 actor and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky ran as the peace candidate winning the Ukrainian presidency with 70% of the vote. As Benjamin Abelow observes in his brilliant book, “How the West Brought War to Ukraine,” Zelensky almost certainly could have avoided the 2022 war with Russia simply by uttering five words — “I will not join NATO.”

But pressured by NeoCons in the Biden White House, and by violent fascist elements within the Ukrainian government, Zelensky integrated his army with NATO’s and allowed the U.S. to place nuclear-capable Aegis missile launchers along Ukraine’s 1,200-mile border with Russia.

These were provocations that senior U.S. diplomats like post-WWII foreign policy architect George Kennan, former U.S. Defense Secretary Bill Perry, and former U.S. ambassador to Moscow Jack Matlock had long described as “red lines” for Russian leadership. Let’s face it, the Neocons wanted this war with Russia, just as they wanted war with Iraq.

He followed up by explaining that it’s because the AEGIS system is compatible with Tomahawk missiles which carry nuclear warheads.

The Aegis system advertises its tubes as compatible with Tomahawk missles which carry hydrogen bomb warheads with explosive power 10x the size of the Hiroshima bomb.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

 

Truth : US Did Not Send Nuclear AEGIS Missiles To Ukraine!

This is another example of MISINFORMATION shared by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : AEGIS Is An Anti-Ballistic Missile System

Let me begin by pointing out that AEGIS is a missile defence system that is designed to defend against short to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

In other words, AEGIS is not an offensive weapon. It is a defensive surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.

Fact #2 : AEGIS Is Not Nuclear Capable

As a defensive missile system, there is no need for AEGIS missiles to be nuclear-capable. Hence, there are no nuclear-capable AEGIS missiles or AEGIS missile launchers.

It is ludicrous for any missile defence system to use nuclear-tipped missiles since they would necessarily intercept incoming ballistic missiles in mid-flight.

The resulting explosion would cause massive destruction to the ground below, which would likely be in the territory of the defending country!

Fact #3 : There Are No AEGIS Missile Systems In Ukraine

AEGIS missile systems are complex and require extensive training, and are only deployed by American and NATO forces. They are also primarily based on ships, although NATO decided to develop the land-based AEGIS Ashore in 2014.

The first AEGIS Ashore site was deployed operationally in Deveselu, Romania, in 2016, while the second site was opened in Redzikowo in Poland, in 2022. There are no other AEGIS Ashore systems in the world, and certainly none in the Ukraine.

It takes many years to develop an AEGIS Ashore site. Even if the US government decided to setup an AEGIS Ashore site in Ukraine today, it wouldn’t be operational for many more years to come!

Recommended : Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

Note : The AEGIS Ashore facility is behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This launcher to his left is the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) launcher that was emplaced during AEGIS Ashore construction.

Fact #4 : AEGIS Is Not Compatible With Tomahawk

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seems to be confusing the AEGIS missile system, with the Tomahawk cruise missile. They are both different systems. The AEGIS missile defence system is not compatible with the Tomahawk cruise missile system.

What he does not appear to understand is that ships that carry the AEGIS systems (AEGIS ships) use the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) which was upgraded to be backward compatible with other missiles. This allows the ships to use a standard canister launching system for different missiles.

Originally, the Mk 41 VLS was designed to fire the RIM-66 Standard missile used by the AEGIS system. But for greater flexibility, the launching system was upgraded to accommodate the larger canister used by Tomahawk missiles. The current Mk 41 VLS now accommodates a variety of different missiles:

  • RIM-66 Standard
  • RIM-67 Standard
  • RIM-161 Standard Missile 3
  • RIM-174 Standard ERAM
  • RGM-109 Tomahawk
  • RUM-139 VL-ASROC
  • RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
  • RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM)
  • Joint Strike Missile

While the launcher itself supports different missiles (which are stored in their own containers), the actual systems controlling those missiles are different. An AEGIS system for example, cannot fire Tomahawk missiles out of Mk 41 VLS launchers.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Fact #5 : There Are No Operational Nuclear Tomahawk Missiles

It is true that Tomahawk cruise missiles were originally designed to accept nuclear warheads, but they were withdrawn long ago, and are no longer in service:

  • BGM-109A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile – Nuclear (TLAM-N) had a W80 nuclear warhead, but was retired from service by 2013.
  • BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) had a W84 nuclear warhead, but was withdrawn from service in 1991 to comply with the INF Treaty.

There are currently no Tomahawk missiles with nuclear warheads in active service. So the claim that US deployed nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles anywhere is nonsense.

Fact #6 : There Are Easier Ways To Attack Russia With Missiles

With heavy fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine, it doesn’t make sense for the US to deploy Tomahawk missiles, nuclear capable or otherwise, in that country.

For one thing, it would be taken as casus belli by Russia. Even if it chose not to escalate the war, it is easier for Russia to attack the AEGIS / Tomahawk missile launchers in Ukraine.

But more importantly, there are easier ways to hit Russia with Tomahawk missiles than deploying them in Ukraine, where Russian forces (including air defences) are deployed in great numbers.

It would be far easier and safer for the United States / NATO to attack Moscow (for example) using Tomahawk or other missiles deployed in Latvia or Estonia, which are both NATO members.

Recommended : Does CGTN Video Prove US Blew Up Nord Stream?!

Fact #7 : Robert F. Kennedy Jr Admitted He Was Wrong

Almost a week after he made those false claims, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. finally admitted that he was wrong. But even his correction reasserted the false claim that Russian fears of AEGIS precipitated the 2023 invasion of Ukraine.

Latvia and Estonia are NATO members, where AEGIS Ashore missile systems can potentially be installed, and Tomahawk systems deployed. Attacking Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, does not change that calculus.

This only goes to show how ill-prepared he is to be Commander-in-Chief of the United States.

ERRATA: Apologies for my earlier tweet reporting that the U.S. had installed nuclear-capable Aegis Missile systems in Ukraine. This was incorrect. The U.S. installed the Aegis batteries in Romania and Poland.

According to former top NATO military planner Col. Douglas Macgregor and historian Benjamin Abelow, the Russian government’s fear that the U.S. was about to install the same systems in Ukraine was one of several national security anxieties that motivated Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Russia had been deeply concerned that new U.S. missile systems, deployed as close as 400 miles from Moscow, could increase the chance that, in a crisis, the U.S. might believe it could carry out a decapitating preemptive first strike.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Military Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Australia To Ban TikTok On Official Devices!

Australia just announced that it would join other Western countries in banning TikTok on official devices!

 

Australia To Ban TikTok On Official Devices!

On 4 April 2023, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced that Australia will ban TikTok on official devices, “as soon as practicable“.

Dreyfus said that the decision was taken “after receiving advice from intelligence and security agencies“.

The direction will come into effect as soon as practicable. Exemptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis and with appropriate security mitigations in place.

Australia also made changes to its Protective Security Police Framework (PSPF), noting that TikTok poses a security threat due to its data collection practices.

The TikTok application poses significant security and privacy risks to non-corporate Commonwealth entities arising from an extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflicts with Australian law.

The Australian government, however, said that it will allow the use of TikTok for “a legitimate business reason”,. and on a separate”standalone device”. This move came after a security review of social media apps, including TikTok, was submitted to the Australian government last month.

Before this announcement, over half of all Australian federal government agencies had already banned TikTok on official devices. With this decision, the ban is applied consistently across the Australian government and brings Australia in line with New Zealand, and other Five Eyes member countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, in banning TikTok on official devices. Norway, the European Parliament and NATO also banned TikTok on official devices.

Recommended : Was TikTok CEO Denied Recess In US Hearing?!

 

TikTok Calls Decision Driven By Politics, Not Fact

Before the ban of TikTok on government devices was announced, TikTok Australia and New Zealand Lee Hunter said that the decision was “driven by politics, not fact”.

There is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.

Our millions of Australian users deserve a government which makes decisions based upon facts and who treats all businesses fairly, regardless of country of origin.

TikTok maintains that there is no evidence to suggest that its app posed a security risk.

In June 2022, TikTok was accused of allowing its engineers in Beijing repeatedly access private user data outside of China! Two years earlier – in June 2020, TikTok was even caught spying on what its users typed in other apps, and accused of being malware.

However, there has been no concrete evidence that TikTok contained the kind of sophisticated malware that was recently discovered in the popular Chinese app, Pinduoduo.

Recommended : Pinduoduo App Contains Persistent Spy Malware! 

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

The viral photo of the Luxembourg Prime Minister and his wife is FAKE!

Here is what you need to know about that viral photo!

Updated @ 2023-03-20 : Updated with some additional details
First published @ 2022-05-20

 

Claim : This Is Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel + His Wife!

People have been sharing this viral photo since 2019, but it is going viral again in pro-Russia and pro-CCP groups.

Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel arriving for a function with his wife, Gauthier Destenay.

卢森堡总理和他妖艳的妻子,留着胡子穿 着鱼尾裙,很fashion,你觉得呢?

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg and his coquettish wife, with beards and fishtail skirts, are very fashionable, what do you think?

卢森堡首相贝泰尔携”夫人”昨天抵京,开始对华访问。这是全球首个首相同性恋, 可拭目以待!!

Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel arrived in Beijing yesterday with his “Madame” and started his visit to China. This is the world’s first gay prime minister Can wait and see! !

Recommended : Did EU Torture + Kill Hundreds Of African Refugees?!

 

Truth : Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS designed to disparage the LGBT community and/or European / NATO leaders.

The very fact that this claim was resurrected from 2019, after Europe heavily sanctioned Russia for invading Ukraine, tells us that this is hardly coincidental.

It then went viral again in March 2023, right after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In any case, here are the reasons why this is NOT a photo of the Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, or his wife.

Fact #1 : Xavier Bettel Is Married To Gauthier Destenay

Xavier Bettel is Luxembourg’s first openly gay Prime Minister, and he married his partner, Gauthier Destenay, a Belgian architect.

Bettel and Destenay had been civil partners since 2010, but was able to marry each other on 15 May 2015 – a year after the Luxembourg Parliament approved same-sex marriage.

Here are real photos of Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel (right) with his partner, at their town hall wedding.

Recommended : Is This President Macron Dancing With His Wife 30 Years Ago?!

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, right, puts his hand around the shoulder of his partner Gauthier Destenay after their marriage at the town hall in Luxembourg, on Friday, May 15, 2015. The marriage comes one year after the parliament approved legislation to turn Luxembourg into an increasing number of countries allowing for same-sex marriages. Bettel and Destenay have been civil partners since 2010. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Fact #2 : That Was Photo Of Conchita Wurst + Andre Karsai

The viral photo is actually of famous Austrian singer and drag queen, Conchita Wurst, and her business manager and the executive director of her company, Andre Karsai.

Conchita is actually the drag queen persona of Thomas Neuwirth, with a fictional backstory – Conchita was born in the mountains of Colombia, and married to French burlesque dancer Jacques Patriaque (Neuwirth’s actual friend)

He says this Conchita Wurst persona is similar to Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce alter-ego, and uses it as a way to protect his private life.

Neuwirth is gay but not a trans woman. He uses the he/him pronouns when referring to himself, but uses she/her to describe his Conchita Wurst character.

Conchita Wurst is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. She also had a cameo in the 2020 movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Here is an interesting fact about the character’s name. Conchita is a Spanish slang word for vagina, while Wurst is a German slang word for penis. So Conchita Wurst literally means vagina penis!

In 2019, Neuwirth introduced a new mononymous persona called WURST, which would allow for a “more masculine expression”.

Fact #3 : That Photo Was Taken At 2019 Vienna Opera Ball

The viral photo was taken at the Vienna Opera Ball that took place 28 February, 2019, by Jeff Mangione of Kurier magazine. Here is Conchita Wurst with the Austrian Minister of Justice, Dr. Josef Moser.

Recommended : Eurovision: Did Polish Presenter Give Nazi Salute To Ukraine?!

And this was her Instagram post at Wiener Opernball 2019 :

Fact #4 : Luxembourg PM Bettel Visited China Twice

As Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Bettel paid two official visits to China :

  • 11-14 June 2017 : Bettel visited China together with two ministers.
  • 27-28 March 2019 : Bettel visited China to witness the signing of several bilateral agreements, and to speak at the Boao Forum for Asia.

There is no evidence that his partner, Destenay, ever accompanied him on his trips to China.

Just in case Chinese netizens are “confused”, let me be clear – that viral photo was not taken in China during Bettel’s official visit.

Here is an actual picture from Bettel’s official visit to China in 2017.

This photo is being circulated in pro-Russia and pro-CCP groups, as a way to both disparage LGBTQ people and EU / NATO leaders during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Please help us fight such fake news – SHARE this fact check out, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | CelebrityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Was BBC Journalist Pretending To Be In Danger?!

Was BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen caught pretending to be in danger in Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : BBC Journalist Was Caught Pretending To Be In Danger!

People are sharing a photo of Jeremy Bowen lying on the ground, claiming that the BBC journalist was caught pretending to be in danger!

So brave this BBC western media reporter bringing us life story.

BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, pretends to be on the frontline, whilst a woman looks on, seemingly bemused, carrying her shopping!

Even the Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United States, Dmitry Polyanskiy shared the viral photo, claiming that:

An illustration of the quality of @BBCWorld’s ‘professional journalism’.

Western media is fighting at NATO’s proxy war with Russia in Ukraine like a rank-and-file soldier, instead of providing objective information to its readers!

Recommended : Did Mossad Just Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War?!

 

Truth : BBC Journalist Was Not Caught Pretending To Be In Danger!

This is yet another example of Chinese and Russian propaganda, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Is Screenshot From Video

First, let me just point out that the viral photo is actually a screenshot from a BBC News video, recorded on 6 March 2023.

It was part of BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen’s report on the Battle of Irpin, during which the city was wracked by fierce street fighting and artillery shelling.

Fact #2 : Jeremy Bowen Was Taking Cover From Artillery Shelling

If you watch the BBC News video in its entirety, you can see Jeremy Bowen and his crew accompanying the woman in question, as well as other civilians, as they try to leave the city of Irpin.

Even in the short clip that I posted below, you can see the group suddenly falling to the ground, as shells pounded nearby.

The screenshot occurred as Jeremy Bowen laid on the ground while reporting on the shelling. The woman and other people can be seen crouching, only getting up to move on when the shelling stopped.

While that screenshot made it look like Jeremy Bowen was pretending to be in danger, the truth is – he was in danger, as were the people he was accompanying. A woman and two children were killed by Russian mortar fire that same day, as they tried to flee the city.

Recommended : Russian Gov Caught Fabricating Dirty Bomb Evidence!

Fact #3 : This Is Just Another Example Of Pro-Russia Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Russian and Chinese propaganda created to mislead people about the carnage Russia has been wreaking in its invasion of Ukraine.

Here is just the latest dozen the other Russian and Chinese propaganda articles and videos that I looked at so far:

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Does CGTN Video Prove US Blew Up Nord Stream?!

Does a viral CGTN video show how the US government blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines?!

Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : CGTN Video Shows How US Blew Up Nord Stream Pipelines!

People are sharing a CGTN video that claims to show how the US government blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Here is a transcript of the video which I will share in two parts below, but feel free to skip to the next section for the facts.

How they blew up Nord Stream

On February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian crisis erupted. Before and after that, the U.S. politicians have repeatedly threatened an attack on the Nord Stream pipeline.

US President Joe Biden : If Russia invades Ukraine, Nord Stream will cease to exist.

US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland : If Russia invades Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.

Recommended : Did Mossad Just Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War?!

 

No Evidence CGTN Video Shows How US Blew Up Nord Stream Pipelines!

This is yet another example of Chinese propaganda, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : CGTN Is An Official Chinese State Media Outlet

China Global Television Network (CGTN) is a state-run and -funded news channel owned by Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television, and controlled by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

While it portrays itself as offering an alternative view of world affairs, it is known as a vital Chinese government propaganda outlet, with its accuracy often questioned.

Even here at Tech ARP, I have personally fact checked CGTN on several occasions.

Fact #2 : CGTN Video Is Based On Seymour Hersh’s Claims

The CGTN video appears to be based entirely on claims by American journalist, Seymour Myron Hersh, and does not offer anything new to add to the story.

Fact #3 : CGTN Video + Seymour Hersh Offered No Actual Evidence

Like Seymour Hersh’s Substack article, the CGTN video is loud and dramatic. Quite unlike the Nord Stream explosions that took place underwater.

However, if you actually analyse both the CGTN video and/or Seymour Hersh’s article, you have to ask – where actually is the evidence?

Seymour Hersh himself based his article on a single anonymous source. Even more concerning, no one else has been able to corroborate his claims more than 5 weeks later.

The viral CGTN video just repeats whatever Seymour Hersh claimed, without offering any evidence. It is important to note that this video was created by what is ostensibly a news organisation that is supposed to verify the facts before publishing.

Recommended : Did Putin Force EU Countries To Pay For Gas In Rubles?!

Fact #4 : Seymour Hersh Claims Are In Dispute

The US government has naturally disputed Seymour Hersh’s claims, calling his article “utterly false and complete fiction”.

What’s concerning to me, as a common person, though is that some of Hersh’s claims are suspect and easily fact checked. Take for example, his claims that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was a committed anti-communist who had been cooperating with US intelligence since the Vietnam War.

It would be quite a feat for Stoltenberg to work with US intelligence during the Vietnam War since he was born in 1959, and would have been only 4-16 years old at that time! Stoltenberg was also pro-Communist as a young teen, and opposed US involvement in the Vietnam War by participating in protest rallies against the US embassy in Oslo.

Seymour Hersh’s claim that an Alta-class minesweeper was used in BALTOPS 2022 is also in dispute. Joe Galvin, OSINT editor of The Outlaw Ocean Project, showed that no Alta-class minesweepers were in the area at that time!

Hersh’s claim that the explosions were triggered by a sonobuoy dropped by a Norwegian P-8 Poseidon aircraft is also in dispute. Norway has five P-8 Poseidon aircraft, but none of them were seen in the area on the day of the explosion – September 26, 2022.

A US Navy P-8 aircraft was spotted in the area, but that aircraft only arrived 90 minutes after the first blast occurred! So it could not have been the P-8 aircraft that triggered the explosions as Hersh claimed.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Fact #5 : Both Nord Stream 1 + 2 Were Not Operational

It is true that both US Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden were against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and President Biden threatened to “end Nord Stream” if Russian invaded Ukraine.

However, Nord Stream 2 never became operational, after Germany suspended its certification on 22 February 2022 – two days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

More importantly, Russia cut or interrupted gas supplies on Nord Stream 1, before shutting it down completely in the months following its invasion of Ukraine:

  • June 2022 : Russia cut Nord Stream 1 gas supply by 75%.
  • July 2022 : Russia shut down Nord Stream 1 for 10 days. It reopened at 12.5% of normal capacity.
  • August 2022 : Russia shut down Nord Stream 1 completely.

Both Nord Stream pipelines had long ceased to supply Europe with gas, long before explosions tore holes in them. There is simply no advantage for the Americans to destroy two pipelines that were no longer supplying Europe with gas.

Fact #6 : Europe Refused To Resume Gas Supply

Only three of the four gas pipelines were destroyed by the explosions, with Pipe B of Nord Stream 2 surviving. Russia offered to resume gas supply to Europe, which was promptly declined.

The refusal shows that Europe itself is eager to wean itself off Russian gas, and not because of earlier US threats to “end Nord Stream”.

The Americans did not have to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines, because Russia’s own actions in disrupting gas supplies and invading Ukraine already did that for them.

Recommended : Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

Fact #7 : Many Countries Had Plausible Reasons To Destroy Nord Stream

As far as plausible reasons go, many countries had plausible reasons to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines:

  • US : To prevent allies in Europe from being held hostage by their reliance on cheap Russian gas.
  • UK : To encourage allies in Europe to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
  • Russia : To stop supplying Europe without breaking its gas supply contracts, and/or to divide Europe.
  • Ukraine : To unite Europe against Russia.

While motive is important, it is not evidence that a country has committed the crime. There has to be actual evidence that the US / UK / Russia / Ukraine did it.

Regardless of what CGTN or Seymour Hersh may claim, there is simply no conclusive evidence YET that any of those countries are responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Russia Destroy NATO Jets, Helicopters In Ukraine?!

Did Russia just destroy NATO jet fighters and helicopters that were sent to help Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-02-27 : Added more details
Originally posted @ 2022-05-22

 

Claim : Russia Just Destroyed NATO Jets + Helicopters In Ukraine!

People are sharing a video created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), which claim to be evidence of NATO jet fighters and helicopters being shot down by Russia while trying to help Ukraine.

The video has an overlay that says, “Only China has the privilege to watch the live video, not even the western countries and the world.“, and it is accompanied by this message :

☝️Nato sent their jet fighter & Helicopter to help Ukraine, as soon as they entered the border, they were attacked by the Russian missile. not a single one escaped. only the Chinese media reported that news, non in the West.
☝️Nato 战机jet fighter & Helicopter 去幇助鸟克兰一进入边畍就被俄羅斯飞彈打的一个都跑不掉, 只有中國媒體才能報導西方沒有。

 

Truth : Russia Did Not Destroy NATO Jets + Helicopters In Ukraine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and spread by pro-CCP and pro-Russian netizens and groups.

Fact #1 : That Video Was From A Video Game

The viral video does not show actual combat in Ukraine. It is really nothing more than a compilation of two gameplay videos from the game, ArmA 3.

ArmA 3, which is also known as ArmA III or Armed Assault 3, is an open-world, military tactical shooter game by Bohemia Interactive.

The first half of the video was cropped from an ArmA 3 video called “Combat Helicopter shot down by Missile – 4 Tanks Blown Up – Milsim – ArmA 3” – from 0:11 to 2:08, cutting off just before the videos says “Subscribe for more!“.

Recommended : Did Mossad Just Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War?!

Fact #2 : The Original Video Is Blocked In China

Ironically, the original ArmA 3 gameplay videos that the viral fake video used are hosted on YouTube, which is blocked in China.

So the overlay claiming that “only China has the privilege to watch the live video” is not only false, it is a sad reminder of the censorship in China.

The truth is – only people in China have the “privilege” of being lied to using a fake video that is easily available to the rest of the world.

Fact #3 : That Was A Russian Helicopter

We can’t tell what anti-aircraft missiles were fired at the beginning of the video, but we can easily see that they were fired at a Russian helicopter.

Anyone who watched a Rambo movie or two would easily recognise the distinctive shape of the Soviet Union’s “flying tank” – the Mil Mi-24 helicopter, which is also known as Mi-25 or Mi-35. Whatever may be the case, that was not a Western helicopter!

Recommended : Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

Fact #4 : That Was A Russian Tank

At around 1:00 of the video, it zooms in into a tank before it is destroyed by a missile.

The tank profile is also easily recognisable as a Russian tank, most likely the T-80 main battle tank.

For certain, that is not the side profile of any Western tank in existence!

Recommended : Does Video Show F-22 Shooting China Spy Balloon?!

Fact #5 : That Was An American TOW Missile

At around the 1:44 mark in the fake video, you can see that the soldier and the missile launcher that destroyed one of the tanks.

That is the M220 launcher for the American TOW BGM-71E anti-tank missile, not a Russian missile launcher.

In other words – the video does not show Russian forces destroying NATO tanks and helicopters. It actually shows US forces in the ArmA 3 game shooting down Russian tanks and helicopters.

Here is a comparison of the screenshot (left) and the frontal aspect of the same TOW missile launcher in the ArmA 3 game.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Fact #6 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

NATO Allied Land Command confirmed that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

So the claim that NATO sent jets and helicopters to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion is false.

Fact #7 : NATO Refused To Send Aircraft Into Ukraine

NATO also repeatedly refused to create a No-Fly Zone over Ukraine, despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleading for one.

That’s partly because the anti-aircraft missiles NATO countries supplied have successfully prevented Russia from achieving any kind of air superiority in Ukraine.

NATO has also publicly stated that they want to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia, which could lead to a continent-wide conflict.

That is also why they refused to send Ukraine jet fighters to replace those destroyed by Russian attacks.

The claim that NATO is sending jet fighters and helicopters to help Ukraine is bullshit.

Read more : Did NATO Promise Not To Expand One Inch Further East?!

Please watch out for similar fake news created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛)!

Help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and support our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Mossad Just Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War?!

Did the Mossad just reveal massive NATO losses in the Ukraine War, evidence that it is losing to Russia?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Mossad Just Admitted NATO Is Losing Ukraine War!

The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are sharing this article which claims that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, just revealed massive NATO losses in the Ukraine War, evidence that it is losing to Russia!

It’s rather long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

The military loss data of Russia and Ukraine disclosed by Mossad, Israel’s world-renowned intelligence agency:

Russian military losses: 23 aircraft, 56 helicopters, 200 drones, 889 tanks and armored vehicles, 427 artillery pieces, 12 air defense systems, 18,480 killed, 44,500 injured, and 323 captured. The number of soldiers involved in the war was 418,000.

Ukraine lost 302 aircraft, 212 helicopters, 2,750 drones, 6,320 tanks and armored vehicles, 7,360 cannons, 497 air defense systems, 157,000 killed, 234,000 injured, 17,230 prisoners, and 734,000 soldiers, is in the ninth domestic mobilization of 100,000 soldiers to fill the gap.

 

Truth : Mossad Did Not Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Mossad Does Not Comment On Ukraine War

Mossad is the national intelligence agency of Israel, and has a policy of not commenting publicly on its operations. Neither does it comment on geopolitics and current events.

Therefore, it is not surprising that there is no such Mossad report on NATO losses in the Ukraine War, or any Mossad statement that NATO was losing the war in Ukraine against Russia.

Fact #2 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

Even if Mossad does actually comment on current events, it would be ludicrous for it to announce NATO losses, because there are NO NATO forces in Ukraine!

NATO Allied Land Command had long confirmed that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

So the claim that 2,458 NATO soldiers died is utter nonsense. Like Russia, Ukraine has foreign volunteers, but these are not NATO forces.

Recommended : Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

Fact #3 : Russian Losses Far More Than Ukrainian Losses

While Russia has not revealed its losses, Ukraine has publicly posted Russian losses on a daily basis. Of course, Ukrainian figures have not been verified, and are likely inflated.

But the open source intelligence website, Oryx, has been keeping track of material losses on both sides. It collects visual evidence, to verify those losses.

I created this table of the latest Russian and Ukrainian material losses, based on the latest Oryx intelligence results published on Thursday, February 24, 2023.

What is readily obvious is that, with few exceptions, Russia has suffered 3-4X more material losses than Ukraine.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Total Losses Russia Ukraine
Tank 1,770 468
Armoured Fighting Vehicle 793 266
Infantry Fighting Vehicle 2,118 493
Armoured Personnel Carrier 298 226
MRAP 44 42
Infantry Mobility Vehicles 180 288
Command Posts
233 9
Engineering Vehicles 283 46
Anti-Tank Missile Systems 38 21
Artillery Support Vehicles 91 22
Towed Artillery 176 103
Self-Propelled Artillery 348 116
Multiple Rocket Launchers 177 39
Anti-Aircraft Guns 17 4
Self-Propelled AA Guns 23 5
SAM Systems 95 87
Radars 23 51
EW Systems 25 1
Aircraft 74 59
Helicopter 78 30
UCAV 7 17
UAV 186 66
Naval Ships 12 25
Trucks, Tankers + Jeeps 2,302 517

Fact #4 : Chairman Mao Zedong Killed Millions Of Chinese Citizens

The article spoke highly of Chairman Mao, so it is incumbent upon me to remind everyone that Mao Zedong is responsible for the deaths of millions of Chinese citizens.

When Chairman Mao initiated land reforms and his Campaign to Suppress Counter-revolutionaries, millions of Chinese citizens were killed. Mao himself claimed that 700,000 people died as “counter-revolutionaries” from 1950-1952.

But nothing beat his Great Leap Forward, which killed approximately 15 to 55 million Chinese citizens from famine, and several million more would die from torture by CCP militia, or suicide.

If that’s not enough, Mao would go on to trigger the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which saw a million or so additional Chinese citizens killed. With glorious leaders like Mao Zedong, China does not need enemies.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens.

Here is just the latest dozen the other wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far:

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Western Ambassadors Evacuate Before Turkey Earthquake?!

Did Western countries collude to strike Turkey with an earthquake, and evacuated their embassies and ambassadors before it happened?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Turkey Earthquake!

Conspiracy theorists are claiming that Western countries colluded to strike Turkey with an earthquake, and evacuated their embassies and ambassadors before it happened!

UPDATED: List of the countries with leading ambassadors that left Turkey 24 hrs before the earthquakes struck.

1. USA
2 Canada
3. Britain
4. Germany
5. Belgium
6. Italy
7. Holland
8. France
9. Denmark
10. Australia

Even David “Avocado” Wolfe got in on this conspiracy theory :

List of countries that pulled their ambassadors out of Turkey 24 hours before the earthquake.

✓Canada
✓USA
✓Britain
✓Germany
✓Belgium
✓Italy
✓Holland
✓France

Nothing suspicious here
-Black Conspiracy Reality

Recommended : Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

 

No Evidence Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Turkey Earthquake!

This is just FAKE NEWS created by conspiracy theorists to capitalise on the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.

Fact #1 : No Evidence Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Earthquake

While conspiracy theorists confidently rattle off the list of eight countries, they did not actually provide any evidence that those countries evacuated their ambassadors.

There is no evidence, whether from credible media reports, or even social media posts, that any ambassador fled Turkey just before the earthquake hit.

Fact #2 : Six Of The Embassies Refuted The Claim

Reuters reached out to all eight embassies in Turkey about these claims that they were evacuated before the earthquake, and six responded.

Representatives of the embassies of Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherland, and France, told Reuters by email that the allegations are false. The US and Belgian embassies in Turkey have yet to respond.

Fact #3 : Western Ambassadors Seen In Turkey After Earthquake

Several Western ambassadors were seen in photos taken soon after the massive earthquake hit Turkey (here, here, here, here, here, and here).

Recommended : Did FedEx + Southwest Jets Almost Collide In Video?!

Fact #4 : Embassies Temporarily Closed Over Terror Threats

The viral claims are sometimes linked to an article by Arab News, which point to the closure of Western embassies three days before the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.

However, anyone who bothered to read the article would realise that those countries temporarily closed their embassies or issued travel warnings, following a series of far-right protests in Europe, which included several incidents of burning copies of the Quran.

That decision to temporarily close the embassies came right after Turkish police arrested 15 Daesh suspects who were accused of targeting consulates and non-Muslim houses of worship.

The closure of the embassies had nothing to do with the earthquake that came three days later. There is also no evidence that any ambassador or embassy employee was evacuated from Turkey over these security threats.

I should also point out that the US embassy in Turkey did not close over these perceived terror threats.

Fact #5 : Directed Energy Weapons Did Not Cause Earthquake

There is no evidence that Western countries used Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) to cause the earthquake on February 6, 2023.

Directed Energy Weapons is a “catch-all” term referring to weapons that use energy, instead of projectiles, like laser, microwave, particle beams, and sound beams.

While it sounds impressive, directed energy weapons are nowhere near powerful enough to cause earthquakes. Their power also decreases exponentially with range, so they can only be used at relatively close ranges.

Fact #6 : Only Turkey + Iran Claim To Have Directed Energy Weapons

Quite a number of countries are developing directed energy weapons, including China, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

However, only Turkey and Iran claim to have actually deployed such weapons, with Turkey claiming the first use of directed energy weapons in combat, when it used its ALKA directed-energy weapon to shoot down a Wing Loong II UAV in Libya in August 2019.

The ALKA directed energy weapon has a peak power output of 50 kW, and is designed to destroy drones using its laser at up to 500 m distance, and electromagnetic systems at up to 1 km distance.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Fact #7 : There Were Over 2,100 Aftershocks

The claim that there were “hardly any other aftershocks” is nonsense. A total of 2,109 aftershocks were recorded from 6 to 12 February. By 20 February, over 6,000 aftershocks were recorded.

On top of that, over 320 of those aftershocks had a magnitude of 4.0, with 25 of them recorded within six hours of the main tremor.

Fact #8 : Turkey Is Not Trying To Leave NATO

The claim that Turkey is trying to leave NATO is nonsense.

On January 23, 2023, a Turkish politician called Ethem Sancak said that Turkey might leave NATO in 5-6 months over provocative actions by other NATO members.

However, two days later, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, Omer Celik, refuted the claim:

We face such things in every election (calls for ending Turkey’s membership of NATO). These are not the things that we will worry about. Those who call for terminating Turkey’s membership of NATO do not talk sense.

This is out of the question. We are one of the founding countries of NATO. They have no right to say such things. What they say would be a luxury for NATO.

I should point out that leaving NATO would automatically open the door for Finland and Sweden to be accepted as a member state, as Turkey is the only country objecting to their ascension.

That is one of the many reasons why Turkey won’t be leaving NATO quite so soon, even if they are thinking about it – Turkey would lose its veto leverage over Finland and Sweden.

Recommended : Why US Shot Down Chinese Spy Balloon With Missile!

Fact #9 : Gas + Oil Pipelines Shut Down After Earthquake

The claim that gas and oil pipelines were shut down 15-20 minutes before the earthquake struck is false. Oil and gas pipelines were shut down after the earthquake, not before.

If they were shut down before the earthquake, that would imply that the Turkish government was in cahoots with the dastardly Western governments using directed energy weapons to punish them for wanting to leave NATO which would deprive Turkey of its ability to blackmail Finland and Sweden.

Can you now see how idiotic such a conspiracy theory sounds, when you lay out the trail of nonsense in the open?

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

Did Russia just destroy a NATO convoy of tanks, armoured vehicles, and other armaments destined for Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Russia Just Destroyed NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine!

People are sharing seven short video clips, which claim to show Russian forces quickly destroying a NATO convoy of tanks, armoured vehicles, and other armaments destined for Ukraine?!

The video clips are being shared with this message:

Russia attack arms aid by NATO to Ukraine 🇺🇦

Read more : Did Russia Shoot Down NATO Jets + Helicopters In Ukraine?!

 

Truth : Russia Did Not Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Russians, or the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and spread by pro-CCP and pro-Russian netizens and groups.

Fact #1 : That Video Was From A Video Game

The viral video clips do not show any actual combat in Ukraine. They are merely gameplay videos from the computer game, ArmA 3.

ArmA 3, which is also known as ArmA III or Armed Assault 3, is an open-world, military tactical shooter game by Bohemia Interactive.

I’ll admit – this wasn’t easy to confirm, as the viral video clips were small. Hunting down the original video took considerable time and effort, but with a little luck, I found it!

The seven video clips appear to be edited from a YouTube video called Ukrainian soldier Blow up a pontoon bridge with Russian Military Convoy – Arma 3 by USF WARRIOR.

Here is one example of the seven video clips, so you can see how realistic (or not) it looks.

Fact #2 : That Was An American TOW Missile

In the example video I posted above, you can see the outline of a missile launcher. That is not a Russian missile launcher, but the M220 launcher for the American TOW BGM-71E anti-tank missile.

In other words – the video does not show Russian forces destroying a NATO convoy of tanks and other armoured vehicles. It actually shows Ukrainian forces using American weapons to destroy a Russian convoy in the ArmA 3 game.

Here is a comparison of the screenshot of the viral video (right) and a screenshot of the same TOW missile launcher (left) in the ArmA 3 game.

Interesting fact : the screenshot on the left is actually from another fake ArmA 3 video created but the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Recommended : Did NATO Promise Not To Expand One Inch Further East?!

Fact #3 : Those Are Russian Mil Mi-17 Helicopters

Understandably, it’s not easy to locate the original video. But even if you are not able to confirm that this was an Arma 3 gameplay video, any military buff or gamer would have quickly realised how ridiculous the claims are.

For example, these are Russian Mil Mi-17 helicopters. Some NATO countries like Czechoslovakia, Lithuania and Latvia used to own and operate them, but they should have long been disposed of.

Fact #4 : Those Are Russian Mil Mi-28N Helicopters

While it may be plausible for NATO countries to source and perhaps supply Ukraine with old Mi-17 helicopters, it would be impossible for them to supply Ukraine with these Russian Mil Mi-28N “Havoc” helicopters!

Only four countries have access to these Havoc helicopters – Russia, Iraq, Algeria and Uganda. NATO countries, even those who were formerly part of the Soviet Union, do not have these helicopters.

So it would be impossible for NATO to provide Ukraine with Mil Mi-28N helicopters.

Fact #5 : Those Are Russian BTR-80 Armoured Personnel Carriers

Those are Russian BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers. Granted, they are rather ubiquitous, with many examples worldwide.

However, the only NATO member with an abundance of these armoured personnel carriers is Turkey, and Turkey has not announced giving Ukraine any BTR-80s.

So if you see BTR-80s in Ukraine, it’s either Ukrainian or Russian vehicles.

Fact #6 : That Is A Russian 76N6 Clam Shell Radar

That is a Russian 76N6 Clam Shell low altitude search and acquisition radar for the Russian SA-10A/B (S-300) Grumble surface-to-air (SAM) missile system.

While the S-300 SAM system is rather ubiquitous as well, only one NATO member has ever donated an S-300 battery to Ukraine, and that’s Slovakia, which donated its only battery in April 2022.

Since then, no other NATO member country has any operational S-300 systems left. So it would be impossible for NATO to supply these radars together with the SAM missile batteries to Ukraine.

Fact #7 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

NATO Allied Land Command confirmed that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

So the claim that NATO sent a convoy of tanks, armoured vehicles, and other armaments to Ukraine. Any military armaments supplied to Ukraine are transported into Ukraine by the Ukrainians, not NATO forces.

Even such convoys would never be close enough to the frontlines for Russian forces to attack.

Fact #8 : This Is Just Another Example of Pro-Russian Propaganda

This is yet another example of pro-Russian propaganda. Here are some other examples I fact checked in the past:

Please watch out for similar fake news created by Russia and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛)!

Help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and support our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Trump Just Avert World War III, With Putin’s Help?!

Did Donald Trump just prevent World War III, with Russian President Putin’s help?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!

 

Claim : Trump Just Averted World War III, With Putin’s Help!

On 16 November 2022, Michael Baxter (real name : Michael Tuffin) wrote an article claiming that Donald Trump just prevented World War III

It is really long and rambling, so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

It was President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday who urged the U.S. military to change its defense posture to Defcon-3 “Roundhouse” after hearing that Russian missiles splashed down in Poland and killed at least two people, but he rescinded that order after receiving an impassioned telephone call from Vladimir Putin and examining photographs of the wreckage.

 

Truth : Trump Did NOT Avert World War III, With Putin’s Help!

The truth is – this is just another FAKE STORY created by Real Raw News, just to generate page views and money.

Everything that Real Raw News posts must be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Fact #1 : Real Raw News Is A Fake News Website

Real Raw News is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.

To protect himself from legal repercussions, the owner and writer, Michael Baxter (real name – Michael Tuffin), claims that his articles are “humour, parody, and satire“.

This disclaimer, which is not clearly mentioned in his articles, lets him keep creating fake news that will go viral, and generate him money.

His articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from his website. Here are some of his fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:

Fact #2 : No Legitimate Report Of Trump Working With Putin To Avert War

Only Real Raw News has published this fantastical account of Donald Trump working with Russian president Vladimir Putin to avert World War 3. That’s because Michael Baxter / Tuffin made it up as usual.

In fact, everyone else reported that it was US President Joe Biden who calmed everyone down by stating that preliminary information suggested that the missile did not originate from Russia.

How likely is it for a one-man operation like Real Raw News to have a scoop on this “story” that never happened?

Read more : Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Arrested For Vaccine Fraud?

A March 2018 screenshot of Michael Tuffin, who goes by the pseudonym Michael Baxter

Fact #3 : DEFCON Level Is Controlled By Sitting US President

Michael Baxter / Tiffin is apparently unaware that the DEFCON level is primarily controlled by the sitting US President, and the current US Secretary of Defense.

That would be President Joe Biden, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Not former President Donald Trump.

Only in his fevered mind would the US military take orders from a former US President, especially an infamously erratic and ignorant one like Donald Trump.

Fact #4 : US Has Been At DEFCON 3 Since October 2022

Real Raw News falsely claimed that Donald Trump asked the US military to increase its defense posture to DEFCON 3, and then rescinded it, insinuating that the United States is now at DEFCON 4.

Michael Baxter / Tiffin is apparently unaware that the United States increased its defense posture from DEFCON 4 to DEFCON 3 in October 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. The US remains at DEFCON 3 today.

Fact #5 : Only US President Has Authority Over Use Of Nuclear Weapons

Real Raw News falsely claimed that Marine General David H. Berger has control of the nuclear launch codes.

Only the sitting US President has the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. That command though must be authenticated by another high-ranking official, like the Vice President or Secretary of Defense.

Once authenticated, the order goes to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and to the US Strategic Command, and so on.

In no scenario ever, do nuclear weapons come under the authority of a lowly general from the US Marine Corps.

US Strategic Command is, after all, a separate unified command under the direct control of the US Department of Defense.

Fact #6 : Donald Trump Claimed The Missile Originated From Russia

Real Raw News falsely claimed that Donald Trump worked with Vladimir Putin to ascertain that the missile came from Ukraine, thus averting World War III.

The truth is – it was President Biden who said that “preliminary information” suggested that the missile that hit Poland did not originate from Russia.

I don’t want to say that until we completely investigate. But it is … it’s unlikely, in the minds of the trajectory, that it was fired from Russia. But we’ll see. We’ll see.

Then minutes later, Donald Trump announced that he would be running for President in 2024, and immediately claimed that the missile came from Russia.

Even just today a missile was sent in probably by Russia to Poland, 15 miles into Poland.

If anyone averted a war between Russia and NATO, and possibly World War III, it was President Biden, not Donald Trump.

Fact #7 : Missile Landed In Poland, Not Russia

It is also hilarious that Real Raw News readers actually swallowed Michael Tuffin’s bullshit claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Donald Trump photos of the missile fragments.

Hello? The S-300 missile landed in Poland, not Russia! So the photos could not have originated from Putin or the Russians. They would have to be taken by the Polish authorities!

Fact #8 : US + Poland Confirmed Ukraine Origin Of Missile

US and Polish officials rushed to investigate the origin of the missile, and soon evaluated that it could only come from a Ukrainian missile battery that was trying to intercept a Russian missile.

From the information that we and our allies have, it was an S-300 rocket made in the Soviet Union, an old rocket and there is no evidence that it was launched by the Russian side. It is highly probable that it was fired by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense.
– Polish President Andrzej Duda

We have seen nothing that contradicts President Duda’s preliminary assessment that this explosion was most likely the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile that unfortunately landed in Poland.
– US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson

Donald Trump had ZERO INPUT into this. He not only did not defuse the situation, he inflamed it by insisting that the missile came from Russia.

The Russians, including President Vladimir Putin also had no involvement in the investigation.

Everything that Real Raw News posts should be regarded as FAKE NEWS.

Now that you know the facts, please SHARE THIS FACT CHECK out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Health | Fact CheckTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Canadian General Cadieu “Captured” By Russia Is OTW Back!

Canadian general Trevor Cadieu, who was allegedly captured by Russia, is on the way back to face sexual assault charges in Canada!

Find out what the heck is going on!

 

Claim : Russia Captured Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal!

Pro-Russian websites, Chinese netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) have claimed since May 2022 that Russia captured Canadian Lieutenant General Trevor John Cadieu when he tried to escape from the Azovstal metalworks in Mariupol, Ukraine.

General Trevor Cadieu (Trevor John Cadieu), captured by Russian troops while trying to escape from the cellars of Azovstal, was the commander of the Canadian Ground Forces, APA reports citing Mailbd.

Seated in the catacombs under the Mariupol steel plant “Azovstal” nationalists staged a provocation, trying to hide the Canadian general’s attempt to escape. After the capture of a high-ranking foreign soldier by units of the RF Armed Forces, it became clear why so many efforts were made to save him.

A high-ranking mercenary tried to break out of the encirclement at Azovstal several times. It was for this that the West insisted on humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians: among them, foreign specialists had to leave the catacombs.

This Chinese example even claimed that NATO lost 5-6 helicopters and a ship trying to get General Cadieu out of Azovstal.

A lot of rumors that Russia has captured a Canadian general trying to escape thru sewer tunnels. Could be a few more NATO military advisers still in the plant

They have spent losing 5 or 6 helicopters and 1 ship trying to get the VVIP out.

 

Canadian General Cadieu “Captured” By Russia Is OTW Back!

Despite debunking it several times, both Russian and Chinese supporters continue to push the claims, even after Azovstal fell on 16 May 2022, and General Cadieu was nowhere to be found.

Russian and Chinese propaganda shifted course, claiming that General Cadieu was likely being held by Moscow as a bargaining chip, or being interrogated for his knowledge of Ukrainian and NATO plans to invade Russia.

There are a couple of problems with those claims :

  1. In mid October 2021, Lieutenant General Trevor Cadieu was accused of sexual assault that he allegedly committed as a cadet in 1994.
  2. He resigned and left the Canadian armed forces on 5 April 2022, after his appointment to head the Canadian army was derailed by those sexual assault charges.
  3. He only left for Ukraine in April 2022 – weeks after Azovstal was surrounded by Russian forces. So it would have been impossible for him to be captured in Azovstal.

Read more : Did Russia Capture Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal?!

Now even their new claims are being proven false.

The months-long investigation into those sexual assault charges was completed, and he was formally charged with sexual assault on 15 June 2022.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, General Cadieu was informed of the charges, and he indicated in an email from Ukraine that he was “making arrangements to return to Canada from Ukraine“.

Yet again – Russian and Chinese propaganda have proven to be false.

Not only is former General Trevor Cadieu still not captured by Russian forces, he is arranging to return to Canada to face two sexual assault charges.

No NATO soldiers or generals were caught fighting in Ukraine, because there are no NATO soldiers or officers in Ukraine.

All NATO forces that were helping to train Ukrainian soldiers were pulled out before the Russian invasion began.

Read more : Did Russia Capture NATO Officers After Fall Of Azovstal?!

Russia is having trouble defeating Ukraine because it has a shitty army, not because thousands of NATO soldiers and officers are fighting with the Ukrainians.

No amount of fake news will change the fact that over 30 thousand Russian soldiers have been killed by the Ukrainians – twice as many Russia lost in their invasion of Afghanistan.

No amount of fake news will also change the fact that Russia lost over 1,500 tanks, and over 3,700 armoured fighting vehicles, as of 3 July 2022.

The Russian “special operation” is bogged down by tenacious Ukrainian defences, with nary a NATO soldier or officer in sight. Just a lot of NATO supplied weapons.

If NATO was truly involved, they would have rolled the piss-poor Russian army back into Russia. Instead, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has now stagnated into a slow artillery siege of the Donbas region.

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites and groups.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Azovstal Photos Show What’s Really Inside Its Bunkers!

Many people claim that Ukraine is hiding NATO’s biological warfare lab and headquarters in the bunkers under Azovstal.

Take a look at the real photos of Azovstal, and find out what’s really inside its bunkers!

 

Claim : Azovstal Has NATO Bio Warfare Lab + Officers!

Pro-Russian and pro-CCP websites and groups keep claiming that Azovstal conceals a NATO biological warfare lab, which is why the Ukrainians fought so hard to defend Azovstal – they simply cannot let Russia find out that NATO had been developing illegal biological weapons in the bunkers!

They even shared schematics of what they claimed was the NATO biological laboratory hidden under the massive Azovstal metallurgical plant.

If a biological weapons lab is not enough, they also claim that NATO also has a secret headquarters under Azovstal, hosting soldiers who would have attacked Russia…

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

 

Azovstal Photos Show What’s Really Inside Its Bunkers!

When Russia invaded Ukraine, one of the first cities they attacked was Mariupol, which they quickly surrounded in just 3 weeks.

Due to heavy attacks and bombardment, Ukrainian soldiers and civilians retreated to the massive Azovstal metallurgical plant, which had over 30 Soviet-era bunkers.

After almost 3 months of constant bombardment and attacks, civilians were evacuated and the Ukrainian defenders were ordered to surrender.

One Ukrainian soldier, Orest (Орест), had been documenting life at the Azovstal metallurgical plant throughout their ordeal.

On the day he left the massive complex (20 May 2022), he left his photos on a public Google Drive, with this message (and its English translation) :

Ну от і все. Дякую з прихисток Азовсталь – місце моєї смерті і мого життя.

Well, that’s all. Thank you from the shelters of Azovstal – the place of my death and my life.

Доречі, поки я буду в полоні, залишу вам фото в найкращій якості, відправляйте їх на всі журналістські премії і фотоконкурси, якщо щось виграю, після виходу буде дуже приємно. Дякую всім за підтримку. До зустрічі ❤️

By the way, while I am in captivity, I will leave you photos in the best quality, send them to all journalistic awards and photo contests, if I win something, it will be very nice after the release. Thank you all for your support. See ❤️

These 24 photos will show you what it was really like inside the tunnels and bunkers, and prove once and for all just how absurd and false those claims of NATO facilities under Azovstal really are.

The extent of the devastation is clear in this photo of a Ukrainian soldier standing inside one of the many Azovstal factory buildings.

The Soviet-era bunkers may have been hardened against a nuclear attack, but Russian forces cut electricity and water supply to the complex. So most of the bunkers were dark or lit only by lamps powered by car batteries.

Most of the bunkers were not only dark and damp, they were cold and heated by wood fire. Hardly what you would expect from a “NATO biological warfare lab”, right?

Go Back To > More Photos From The Azovstal Bunkers

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

More Photos From The Azovstal Bunkers!

Many of the photos show what the sheltering Ukrainian soldiers were doing while off-duty.

What’s notable is how dreary and low tech the bunkers look – all concrete, with dirt floors and minimal lighting.

It’s amazing that these soldiers and the civilians sheltering in these same bunkers managed to hold out for so long!

Many of the Ukrainian soldiers can also be seen with various injuries, or getting treated for their wounds.

But what’s obvious from these photos are the lack of medical supplies, sanitation or even proper light.

You have to wonder – is this how a NATO biological warfare laboratory looks like?

And where are the NATO officers that so many people claim were hiding in the bunkers?

Will people stop creating and spreading fake news about the Azovstal tunnels and bunkers? I seriously doubt it.

They will just jump to the next fake news… and the next Azovstal…

Despite their injuries, the Ukrainian soldiers seem to be in remarkably high spirits, for people who have had to endure daily bombardments and attempts by Russian soldiers to root them out from the Azovstal bunkers.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please support our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > First Page | Fact Check | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Was Canadian General Trevor Kadier Arrested At Azovstal?!

Was Canadian General Trevor Kadier just arrested while trying to escape the Azovstal factory in Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Canadian General Trevor Kadier Was Arrested At Azovstal!

People are claiming that Canadian General Trevor Kadier was just arrested trying to escape the Azovstal factory in Ukraine!

Here are two examples, with a photo used to prove that he was arrested by Russian forces at Azovstal :

A Canadian high-ranking officer tried to escape from the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol.

General Trevor Kadier was arrested by Russian military personnel, media reported. According to information, the general led the First Biolab, where 18 people worked on the creation of a deadly virus.

The general has already been taken to Moscow, media reports.

In social networks, they suggest testing new medications on the Canadian general as punishment.

Everything happened after the messages that on metallurgical plant was foreign general in contact with Zelensky.

Earlier, information appeared in the Western media that General Trevor Kadier was accused of sexual harassment and harassment in Canada, and is now on the territory of Ukraine.

Canadian General Trevor Kadier was arrested as he tried to leave the AzovStal factory.

Canadian General Trevor Kadier, who was in the territory of Mariupol, was arrested while trying to leave the territory of the surrounded AzovStal metallurgical plant. Earlier, the civilians who left the enterprise confirmed the information that a certain general of the mercenaries was on the territory of the plant, however, evidence of the capture of the general appeared only now.

According to the 360 TV channel, the general, while in Ukraine, could manage one of the biological laboratories.

“Canadian General Trevor Kadier was arrested while trying to escape from Azovstal territory to Mariupol. Messages about it appeared in the media and social networks. According to numerous reports, the general was in charge of biolaboratory No. 1, where 18 people worked with deadly viruses. Kadia was taken to Moscow, where he will be tried,” reports the 360 television channel.

 

No Evidence Canadian General Trevor Kadier Was Arrested At Azovstal!

Bearing in mind that it is impossible to prove that something does not exist (Russell’s teapot), I can safely say that there is NO EVIDENCE that Canadian general Trevor Kadier was arrested at Azovstal.

In fact, here are the reasons why it is virtually impossible for Russia to have captured General Trevor Kadier at all…

Fact #1 : There Is No General Trevor Kadier

There is no Canadian general called Trevor Kadier.

There is, however, a Lieutenant General Trevor Cadieu, who retired from the Canadian Armed Forces on 5 April 2022.

Fact #2 : That Is Photo Of Ukrainian Soldier

The photo that has gone viral does not show General Trevor Cadieu, but a Ukrainian soldier who appears to be much younger.

The photo is actually a screenshot of a video that shows Ukrainian soldiers who were arrested by Donetsk People’s Republic forces.

Fact #3 : Photo Was Taken In Donetsk Months Ago

The video was recorded on 24 February 2022, at a village in the Donetsk Oblast called Petrovsky, not at Azovstal.

That was almost two months before Russian forces took control of most of the city on 21 April 2022, and almost 3 months before Ukrainian forces at Azovstal started surrendering on 16 May 2022.

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

Fact #4 : Cadieu Volunteered In Ukraine As A Private Citizen

After his retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), several defence sources say that Cadieu travelled to Ukraine to volunteer against the Russian invasion.

This was in his personal capacity, as he had already retired from the CAF, and was now a private citizen, as Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier explained in a statement :

There has been no CAF support, material or otherwise, given to Cadieu since his departure as it pertains to his personal endeavours.

As he is now a private citizen, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on his personal plans.

Fact #5 : Russia Surrounded Mariupol Since 2 March 2022

While no one really knows where Cadieu is right now, it would be quite impossible for him to enter Mariupol, after his retirement on 5 April 2022.

That’s because Mariupol was amongst the first Ukrainian cities to be attacked by Russian forces that completely surrounded it three weeks into the war.

There was no way for Ukrainian civilians and soldiers to leave Mariupol, and no way for anyone to get into the city after it was completely surrounded on 2 March 2022.

By the time Cadieu resigned, the Russians had already captured most of Mariupol, except the massive Azovstal steel plant. It would literally take a miracle for Cadieu to get into the Azovstal plant.

Read more : Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Mariupol?!

Fact #6 : Cadieu Would Be Useless In Mariupol

Even if it was possible to smuggle him into Mariupol in early April, it would also be illogical to insert Cadieu into a besieged city where he can do little good.

Cadieu is a retired general whose days of firing guns from the trenches are long past. In fact, he would be more of an impediment in the defence of the Azovstal steel plant.

He would be far more useful strategising Ukraine’s defence, or acting as a military liaison with the Canadian government.

Fact #7 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

NATO Allied Land Command also confirmed that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

So the claim that NATO officers were also captured is false. If any NATO officer was captured, again – you can be sure that the Russians would have paraded them on TV.

Fact #8 : Russians Would Have Paraded Captured Cadieu

If Russian forces did indeed capture Cadieu, they would have paraded him on Russian TV, just like they did with two British volunteers they captured – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Yet the Russians did no such thing. In fact, the only “sources” of these claims are no-name blogs in Russia and China, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram groups, and random people on Twitter and Facebook.

There is simply no evidence of Cadieu being captured by Russian forces. Not even a picture.

Read more : Is Hunter Biden Trapped In Azovstal With NATO Generals?!

Fact #9 : DPR Rep Confirmed Cadieu Not Arrested

Official Russian news agency, TASS, reported on 28 April 2022 that Cadieu “may be holed up” in the Azovstal steel plant.

Their source was Eduard Basurin, the spokesman for the People’s Militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), who gave no evidence for his claim.

In fact, Basurin appeared to be making up that claim based on the Canadian Defense Ministry announcing that Cadieu had resigned.

Information appeared now and then that one of former Canadian army generals may be holed up there [in the Azovstal steel complex].

He first seemed to get out of sight and then the Canadian Defense Ministry issued a statement that this general gave a notice that he was resigning from the army and moving to Ukraine. Perhaps, it [the UN] is trying to rescue him.

As I pointed out earlier, it would be impossible for Cadieu to be present in Azovstal, unless he went AWOL from the Canadian Armed Forces and entered Mariupol before 17 March 2022.

Also, there were several ceasefires during which civilians managed to escape. Cadieu was not amongst them.

More importantly, Basurin confirmed that Russian forces did not capture Cadieu.

Fact #10 : All Captured NATO Officer Claims Proven False

This fake story is part of the false NATO forces narrative that have proven to be false at every instance :

IMHO, Russia is pushing this narrative to shift the blame for losing thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles, and almost 30,000 soldiers to the much smaller Ukrainian army.

It could not have been the Ukrainian army that did this to the much vaunted Russian army. It must have been NATO!

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites and groups.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Russia Capture NATO Officers After Fall Of Azovstal?!

Did Russian forces just capture several NATO officers after the fall of Azovstal in Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Russia Captured NATO Officers After Fall Of Azovstal!

People are sharing a photo allegedly of high-ranking NATO officers that Russian forces captured after the fall of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

Here is a sample of claims that are circulating with the viral photo :

BREAKING NEWS AZOVSTAL :
SURRENDERED: in Azovstal:
US General Eric Olson, British Lieutenant Colonel John Bailey and 4 NATO military instructors.

4 fish big fishes caught and identified in #Azovstal
– US General Lieutenant Roger Cloutier
– The Canadian General Trevor Cadieu
– The American Admiral Eric Olson
– British
Lieutenant Colonel John Bailey

Boris Johnson’s lad, British Lieutenant Colonel, John Bailey — and four NATO military instructors — #also_surrendered to the Russian troops Sunday past from the depths of the Neo-Nazi tunnels beneath Azov Steel ( #Azovstal).

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

 

No Evidence Russia Captured Any NATO Officers In Azovstal!

Bearing in mind that it is impossible to prove that something does not exist (Russell’s teapot), I can safely say that there is NO EVIDENCE that Russian forces actually captured any NATO officers in Azovstal.

In fact, here are the reasons why it is virtually impossible for Russia to have captured any NATO officer in the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Ukraine.

Fact #1 : Photo Does Not Show NATO Officers

The photo that has gone viral is not a photo of NATO officers captured by Russian soldiers amongst Ukrainian soldiers who started surrendering on Monday, 16 May 2022.

They are actually Ukrainian prisoners of war captured more than a month earlier in Luhansk – about 300 km away from the Azovstal steel plant.

Alexey Maishev who took the photo on 14 April 2022 identified them as Ukrainian prisoners of war who were forced to attend a memorial event for people who were killed in Luhansk in 2014.

Read more : Did Russia Capture US Admiral Eric Olson In Azovstal?!

Fact #2 : British Lt. Col. John Bailey Does Not Seem To Exist

There does not appear to be any Lieutenant Colonel John Bailey in the British Army.

There is a Lieutenant Colonel John Bailey, but he is a Division Head of Security Operations for the US Navy, based in Virginia.

Fact #3 : Russia Never Claim To Capture Any NATO Officer

I should point out that Russian authorities themselves have never claimed to have captured any NATO officer in Ukraine.

Such extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and so far, there is ZERO evidence any NATO officer is present in Ukraine, never mind captured by Russian forces.

Fact #4 : Russians Would Have Paraded NATO Officers

If Russian forces did indeed capture NATO officers, they would have paraded them on Russian TV, just like they did with two British volunteers they captured – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Heck, Russia has been releasing photos and videos of the Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at Azovstal. So why not release photos and videos of captured NATO officers?

Yet the Russians did no such thing. In fact, the only “sources” of these claims are conspiracy theory websites, and random people on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp.

There is simply no evidence of any NATO officer being captured by Russian forces. Don’t bother asking for a video, they don’t even have an actual photo!

Read more : Did Russia Capture Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal?!

Fact #5 : NATO Withdrew Military Trainers Before Russian Invasion

To avoid being embroiled in any potential war with Russia, NATO forces evacuated all of their military trainers before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The United States, for example, evacuated about 150 members of the Florida National Guard who were training Ukrainian soldiers on 12 February 2022.

The United Kingdom also pulled out about 130 troops who were training Ukrainian soldiers on the same day.

Even if these NATO officers were somehow present in Ukraine when Russia invaded on 24 February 2022, they would have been immediately evacuated.

This was not just to avoid their capture by Russia. It was critical for NATO to avoid any direct confrontation with Russia.

Fact #6 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

NATO Allied Land Command also confirmed that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

So the claim that NATO officers were also captured is false. If any NATO officer was captured, again – you can be sure that the Russians would have paraded them on TV.

Read more : Did NATO Promise Not To Expand One Inch Further East?!

Fact #7 : All Captured NATO Officer Claims Proven False

This fake story is part of the false NATO forces narrative that have proven to be false at every instance :

IMHO, Russia is pushing this narrative to shift the blame for losing thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles, and almost 30,000 soldiers to the much smaller Ukrainian army.

It could not have been the Ukrainian army that did this to the much vaunted Russian army. It must have been NATO!

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Military | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Russia Capture US Admiral Eric Olson In Azovstal?!

Did Russian forces just capture former US special ops commander, Admiral Eric Olson in Azovstal, Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Russia Captured US Admiral Eric Olson In Azovstal!

People are sharing pictures of US Admiral Eric Olson, purportedly showing him being captured by Russian soldiers in the Azovstal steelworks in Ukraine.

Here is a sample of claims that are circulating with these pictures :

US Admiral Eric Olson (Highly decorated special ops commander) born in #Tacoma , Wa USA captured in #Azovstal #Mariupol #BREAKING

Over the past 24 hours, more than 250 militant soldiers barricaded in the Azovstal factory in Mariupol have laid down their arms and surrendered. This was announced by Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenko .

Read more : Did Russia Capture NATO Officers After Fall Of Azovstal?!

 

No Evidence Russia Captured US Admiral Eric Olson In Azovstal!

Bearing in mind that it is impossible to prove that something does not exist (Russell’s teapot), I can safely say that there is NO EVIDENCE that Russian forces actually captured US Admiral Eric Olson in Azovstal.

In fact, here are the reasons why it is virtually impossible for Russia to have captured him in the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Ukraine.

Fact #1 : Admiral Olson Retired More Than A Decade Ago

Admiral Eric Thor Olson retired as the eight commander of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on August 22, 2011.

He has an impressive military record, graduating as a Navy SEAL in 1974 before working his way up to becoming the first SEAL to ever be appointed Admiral, and the first naval officer to head USSOCOM.

However, his days of picking up a gun to fight in the tunnels beneath the Azovstal steelworks is long past. It would be absurd to claim that he took up arms to defend Azovstal.

Born on 24 January 1952, he is just over 70 years old, and had already retired from active duty for more than a decade. He is currently the President and Managing Member of ETO Group, LLC.

Fact #2 : Photo Does Not Show Admiral Olson

The photo that has gone viral does not show Admiral Eric Olson amongst 264 Ukrainian soldiers who were evacuated on Monday, 16 May 2022.

That was a photo taken by Alexey Maishev of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Luhansk, with the caption :

Ukrainian prisoners of war attend an event in memory of those killed in Luhansk People’s Republic as a result of shelling in 2014, in Luhansk, LPR.

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

Fact #3 : Photo Was Taken In Luhansk One Month Earlier

The photo was taken in Luhansk, not Azovstal. Luhansk is about 300 km away from the Azovstal steel plant.

Even if this is a photo of captured NATO officers (it’s not), they would have been held in Donetsk, which is much closer at 113 km.

Maishev also took the photo on 14 April 2022 – more than a month before the first batch of Ukrainian soldiers were evacuated from Azovstal.

Fact #4 : Russia Surrounded Mariupol Since 2 March 2022

While no one really knows where Admiral Eric Olson is right now, it would be quite impossible for him to enter Mariupol as it was one of the first Ukrainian cities to be attacked by Russian forces.

Even if he was “consulting” the Ukrainians, he would have been evacuated in the first few days of the Russian invasion, if not earlier.

Mariupol was completely surrounded by 2 March 2022 – 7 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, making it impossible for anyone to leave, or get into the city.

Fact #5 : Russians Would Have Paraded Olson

If Russian forces did indeed capture Admiral Olson, they would have paraded him on Russian TV, just like they did with two British volunteers they captured – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Yet the Russians did no such thing. In fact, the only “sources” of these claims are a French blog, and random people on Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp.

There is simply no evidence of Admiral Olson being captured by Russian forces. Never mind a video clip, they don’t even have an actual photo.

Read more : Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Mariupol?!

Fact #6 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

NATO Allied Land Command told BBC reporter Alistair Coleman that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

So the claim that NATO officers were also captured is false. If any NATO officer was captured, again – you can be sure that the Russians would have paraded them on TV.

Fact #7 : Russia Never Captured Any NATO Officer

I should also point out that Russian authorities did not claim to have captured any NATO officer in Ukraine.

Such extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and so far, there is ZERO evidence any NATO officer is present in Ukraine, never mind captured by Russian forces.

In fact, this fake story is part of the false NATO forces narrative that have proven to be false at every instance :

IMHO, Russia is pushing this narrative to shift the blame for losing thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles, and almost 30,000 soldiers to the much smaller Ukrainian army.

It could not have been the Ukrainian army that did this to the much vaunted Russian army. It must have been NATO!

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Was Captured Canadian General In Charge Of NATO Biolab?!

Was captured Canadian general Trevor Cadieu helping NATO run their Biolab No. 1 in Azovstal, Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Captured Canadian General Cadieu Was In Charge In NATO Biolab!

The Expose and pro-Russian websites are claiming that captured Canadian general Trevor Cadieu was in charge of a NATO biological warfare lab under the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine.

The article is very long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Russian armed forces arrested disgraced Canadian General Trevor Cadieu in Mariupol. Russian sources often refer to Trevor Cadieu as Trevor Kadier or Trevor Cadier. At the beginning of this month, Russians said they captured Cadieu at the Azovstal iron and steel factory during the Siege of Mariupol. He is currently in Moscow awaiting trial.

Cadieu was apparently not on a mission for his government but was in charge of a bio laboratory, Biolab No.1, with 18 staff working under his command.

Biolab No.1 is reportedly managed by US company Metabiota. The company Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, and Christopher Heinz, John Kerry’s son-in-law, had organised subcontracting arrangements for Ukrainian research laboratories through their firm Rosemont Capital, on behalf of the Pentagon’s Defence Threat Reduction Agency (“DTRA”).

Who Is Trevor Cadieu?

Trevor John Cadieu is a Canadian military officer who reached the rank of lieutenant general but retired after allegations of sexual misconduct. He then travelled to Ukraine, to join the fight against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Cadieu left the Canadian military on 5 April and travelled to Ukraine shortly after with the intention to volunteer for that country’s military against Russian forces, multiple defence sources confirmed to Global News.

On 21 April, the Canadian Department of National Defence confirmed that lieutenant-general Trevor Cadieu retired on April 5 after more than 30 years in uniform, even as military police continued their investigation into his conduct.

Cadieu, in a statement to CBC, portrayed his decision to retire from the Canadian military as being for the best. “I have opted to release [from the Canadian military] and am exploring other opportunities to contribute to the greater good,” he noted.

Senior Canadian military leaders were briefed about Cadieu’s decision to travel to Ukraine, according to Ottawa Citizen’s sources.

Defence Department spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said Cadieu’s release from the military followed proper procedures, “as he is now a private citizen, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on his personal plans.”

“There has been no CAF [Canadian Armed Forces] support, material or otherwise, given to Cadieu since his departure as it pertains to his personal endeavours,” Le Bouthillier said.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service released a statement noting that the “member’s release has no bearing on investigative work, nor does their personal travel. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”

Cadieu’s LinkedIn page is still showing he is employed by CAF.

The Arrest of Trevor Cadieu

Russian online newspaper Vzglyad reported that Russian troops arrested Cadieu on 1 May while he was trying to escape from Azovstal. It was first reported on Russian TV channel 360° however we were unable to find the original report and John Goss confirms the same on his blog: “[this] report appears now to have disappeared.”

It is alleged that the West and Kiev authorities came up with the idea of civilian humanitarian corridors from Azovstal to enable the “evacuation” of Cadieu, New Eastern Outlook (“NEO”) wrote. Confirmation of this can be found in a report by the Azerbaijan Press Agency which stated: “[Cadieu] tried to break out of the encirclement at Azovstal several times. It was for this that the West insisted on humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians: among them, foreign specialists had to leave the catacombs.”

NEO continued:

“[This plan] involved French President Macron and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan, as well as the UN Secretary-General. The idea was that under the guise of ‘refugees’, Cadieu, [along] with a number of other senior NATO officials, could leave the Russian-controlled war zone in Donbass and avoid not only shameful captivity but also a show trial by Moscow. It is noticeable that, according to reports circulating, Cadieu was in charge of Azovstal’s underground bunkers, including Biolab No.1, where 18 people worked with deadly viruses.”

Reports of Cadieu’s arrest seem to be based on the initial 360° channel report and internet leaks, John Goss wrote, Svetlana Nikolaevna gave the most thorough account but was unable to reveal her source, only saying that it was from somebody on the front line and that no official statement had been made.

 

No Evidence Canadian General Cadieu Was In Charge Of Any Biolab!

This is yet more FAKE NEWS from the notorious fake news website, The Expose, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : A Person’s Name Does Not Change With Travel

A noteworthy element of most fake news is that they are based on “secret” sources that are often fake, or made-up (non-existent).

One of the hallmark of such fake sources is they often get the name of the persons wrong. The Expose tries to pass it off as a translation thing, but that’s just plain stupid.

Trevor Cadieu’s name remains Trevor Cadieu no matter where he is in the world. Just like how Vladimir Putin is called Vladimir Putin all around the world.

Claiming that the Russians call the general “Trevor Kadier” or “Trevor Cadier” is as asinine as claiming that Americans call the Russian President “Vlad Pootin“.

Fact #2 : Trevor Cadieu Did Not Update His LinkedIn Profile

The Expose presented Cadieu’s LinkedIn profile as evidence that he is still employed by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), even though Cadieu and CAF has publicly and separately announced his retirement.

What The Expose (intentionally?) left out is that Trevor Cadieu last used his LinkedIn account more than 3 years ago, when he Liked someone’s comment.

For the benefit of the writer, Rhoda Wilson, the LinkedIn user must manually update his/her employment record before the change is reflected.

It does NOT magically get updated by itself. And before you ask, Rhoda, no – the CAF cannot do it for him.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Cadieu Was Arrested In Azovstal

Cadieu left for Ukraine sometime after retiring from the CAF, to volunteer against the Russian invasion.

To date, there has been no evidence he was arrested by Russian forces while trying to escape from Azovstal on 1 May 2022.

The source for The Expose’s sensational claim does not exist. The writer, Rhoda Wilson, claimed that the 360° report had “disappeared”, even though there was no evidence it even existed in the first place!

Read more : Did Russia Capture Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal?!

Fact #4 : Vzglyad Is A Russian Propaganda Website

The Expose based their sensational claim on two sentences in a Russian propaganda website called Vzglyad. Now, I don’t call Vzglyad a propaganda website out of bias.

Its own former editor-in-chief, Alexander Shmelev admitted it, “it was through us that the toughest propaganda materials passed, as a result of which the word “Vzglyad” itself became negative in blogs and social networks“.

He also shared that articles posted on the Vzglyad website were supervised by Alexei Chesnakov, the deputy head of the internal policy department of the Russian President.

Finally, Vzglyad was placed under the control of the Russian presidency, first through the Institute for Socio-Economic and Political Studies (ISEPI) and then the Expert Institute for Social Research.

Fact #5 : Cadieu Was Promoted To Head Canadian Army

Trevor Cadieu is a Lieutenant-General who was originally slated to take command of the Canadian army in September 2021.

His appointment was suspended amidst “historical allegations” of sexual misconduct, but Cadieu was the top-ranking officer in the Canadian army until his retirement.

It is absurd to claim that he actually heads a small NATO biological lab under the Azovstal steel plant. Think about how stupid it sounds.

Why on Earth would Cadieu go from running the Canadian army of over 100,000 soldiers to managing just 18 scientists in an underground bunker??

Fact #6 : Russia Surrounded Mariupol Since 2 March 2022

While no one really knows where Cadieu is right now, it would be quite impossible for him to enter Mariupol after his retirement on 5 April 2022.

That’s because Mariupol was amongst the first Ukrainian cities to be attacked by Russian forces that completely surrounded it three weeks into the war.

There was no way for Ukrainian civilians and soldiers to leave Mariupol, and no way for anyone to get into the city after it was completely surrounded on 2 March 2022.

By the time Cadieu resigned, the Russians had already captured most of Mariupol, except the massive Azovstal steel plant. It would literally take a miracle for Cadieu to get into the Azovstal plant.

Read more : Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Azovstal?!

How Russian forces besieged Mariupol. Credit : BBC

Fact #7 : Cadieu Would Be Useless In Azovstal

Even if it was possible to smuggle him into the Azovstal steel plant in early April, it would be illogical to do so.

What can he do? Pick up a gun and shoot at Russian soldiers like Rambo in the movies?

Take over a biological lab under a steel plant that was being bombarded on a daily basis?

Oh wait – maybe his job was to run into Azovstal, so he can try to escape and get caught by the Russians??

Fact #8 : Civilian Were Evacuated During Several Ceasefires

There were several ceasefires during which small numbers of civilians managed to escape. Cadieu was not amongst them.

It would have been easy for the Russians to pick Cadieu out from the Ukrainian civilians they allowed to leave.

After all, every one of those civilians who were evacuated from the Azovstal bunkers were thoroughly vetted by Russian forces.

Fact #9 : Russians Would Have Paraded Captured Cadieu

If Russian forces did indeed capture Cadieu, they would have paraded him on Russian TV, just like they did with two British volunteers they captured – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Yet the Russians did no such thing. In fact, the only “sources” of these claims are no-name blogs in Russia, China and Azerbaijan, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram groups.

There is simply no evidence of Cadieu being captured by Russian forces, not even a picture.

Heck, Putin didn’t even mention any captured NATO officer during his May 9 speech, even though it would have greatly helped him prove his narrative that Russia was really fighting against NATO.

Fact #10 : DPR Rep Confirmed Cadieu Not Arrested

Official Russian news agency, TASS, reported on 28 April 2022 that Cadieu “may be holed up” in the Azovstal steel plant.

Their source was Eduard Basurin, the spokesman for the People’s Militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), who gave no evidence for his claim.

In fact, Basurin appeared to be making up that claim based on the Canadian Defense Ministry announcing that Cadieu had resigned.

Information appeared now and then that one of former Canadian army generals may be holed up there [in the Azovstal steel complex].

He first seemed to get out of sight and then the Canadian Defense Ministry issued a statement that this general gave a notice that he was resigning from the army and moving to Ukraine. Perhaps, it [the UN] is trying to rescue him.

As I pointed out earlier, it would be impossible for Cadieu to be present in Azovstal, unless he went AWOL from the Canadian Armed Forces and entered Mariupol before 17 March 2022.

More importantly, Basurin confirmed that Russian forces did not capture Cadieu.

Fact #11 : No Evidence Of NATO Facility Under Azovstal

There is no evidence that any NATO facility called PIT-404, pit_40 or Biolab 1 exists, or ever existed.

These claims were created out of thin air by Russian conspiracy theorists… and a board game called Blackout: Journey into Darkness.

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

And please STOP sharing anything from The Expose! It’s all fake news!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Military | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Was Azov Battalion Caught Executing Civilians In Viral Video?!

Was the Ukrainian Azov Battalion caught executing civilians and dumping them in mass graves?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Azov Battalion Caught Executing Civilians In Viral Video!

People are sharing a video showing a few soldiers executing blindfolded civilians with their hands tied behind their backs, and dumping their bodies into a mass grave.

The video is accompanied by this message, which claims that it shows the Ukrainian Azov battalion executing innocent civilians :

🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦UKRAINE.. Bloody, cruel and brutal, the Ukrainian Azov Battalion killed civilians dump them in mass graves. 🤦🏻‍♂️Russia & the World must destroy the Ukrainian Azov battalion. 👊🏼

Suddenly, US, UK, EU, NATO, international human rights organizations have all keeping quiet and disappeared. 😠 😡 🤬 🤬 🤬

 

Truth : Azov Battalion Did Not Execute Those Civilians In Viral Video!

This is yet another example of pro-Russia FAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded In Syria In 2013

Anyone who watched the video would have immediately realised that neither the soldiers nor the civilians look like Ukrainians.

That’s because the video was not recorded in Ukraine in 2022, but in Tadamon, Syria on 16 April 2013 – 9 years ago!

The video was recently leaked to the Guardian by a Syrian militia recruit, who stole it from a laptop belonging to the Syrian government.

Fact #2 : al-Assad Government Committed That Atrocity

The video actually shows Syrian soldiers kicking civilians who were blindfolded and tied up into a pit filled with tyres, before shooting them.

In the end, at least 41 men lay dead in that mass grave in the Damascus suburb of Tadamon, Syria.

After the Guardian broke the story and released the video on 27 April 2022, the US State Department strongly condemned the Tadamon massacre on 29 April 2022 :

We strongly condemn the atrocities depicted in a recently released video, which appears to show blindfolded, unarmed civilians being shot point-blank by an Assad regime official before falling into a mass grave in Tadamon, Syria, during a 2013 massacre that reportedly killed hundreds of Syrian civilians. The video, which suggests additional evidence of war crimes committed by the Assad regime, is yet another harrowing example of the horrors that the Syrian people have endured for more than a decade.

Credit : The Guardian

Fact #3 : Killer Was Identified As Syrian Major Youssuf

That war crime was eventually traced to Branch 227 of the Syrian military intelligence service under the al-Assad regime, by a Syrian activist who called herself “Anna Sh”.

Amjad (Amgd) Youssuf – a major in Branch 227 – admitted to Anna Sh that he was the man seen in the video executing those civilians.

I killed a lot. I took revenge.

Fact #4 : Russia Actively Supports al-Assad Government

I should point out that the Russian government not only provides the al-Assad government with military support, they actively provide air support to the Syrian military, which includes launching airstrikes on Syrian civilians.

The Russian government has also notably declined to condemn the al-Assad government for their role in executing Syrian civilians in the Tadamon massacre.

It is likely that the creator of this fake news is attempting to cover up Russian complicity in that atrocity, by falsely pinning the recently-leaked video on the Azov battalion.

Fact #5 : Russians Were Caught Executing Civilians

This is not the first time fake news was created to cover up the fact that Russian forces were caught executing Ukrainian civilians, the most notable of which was the Bucha massacre.

After the Ukrainians evicted Russian forces from the town of Bucha, they found bodies of civilians who appeared to have been executed in cold blood and left on the road.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Russian Ministry of Defense immediately claimed that the footage of the bodies was “staged” by Ukrainians who placed them there after Russian forces left Bucha.

Unfortunately for the Russians, satellite photos taken weeks before their withdrawal showed that the Russians executed those civilians while they were in full control of the town.

A satellite image from Maxar showed that the bodies were already there as early as 11 March, with this clearer picture taken on 19 March. The Russians only left Bucha on 30 March.

Russian forces was also caught on satellite creating massive graves at Bucha, which were later found to contain bodies of hundreds of Ukrainian civilians.

So it is likely that they left these bodies on the streets of Bucha as a warning to the town residents, much like how Nazis in World War 2 would sometimes hang bodies in the streets of the towns they conquered.

Read more : How Did Ukrainian Windows Remain Intact After Explosion?!

Fact #6 : Azov Battalion Is Small

Pro-Russian netizens are incessantly harping about the right-wing, neo-Nazi Azov battalion, as if they are the Ukrainian version of Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS.

The truth is – the Azov battalion has always been few in numbers, with a disproportionate reputation to its size.

The Azov battalion was formed as a volunteer group in May 2014, by members of the right-wing Patriot of Ukraine and neo-Nazi Social National Assembly (SNA) political parties, to fight against pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk.

With only about 500 members, the Azov battalion helped the Ukrainian armed forces recapture the city of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists.

After that success, they were integrated into the Ukrainian National Guard, and reorganised as a regiment on 11 November 2014 with about 2,500 members.

Not only does the Azov regiment constitute a very small proportion of the Ukrainian National Guard, only about 10% to 20% of its members identify themselves as Nazis, according to Andriy Diachenko, the Azov Brigade spokesperson.

According to Anton Shekhovtsov, a Vienna-based Ukrainian expert on Russia’s connections to Europe’s far-right :

Azov’s history is rooted in a volunteer battalion formed by the leadership of a neo-Nazi group. But it is certain that Azov has depoliticised itself. Its history linked to the far-right movement is pretty irrelevant today.

Many pro-Russian and pro-CCP netizens are sharing the video and fake message on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter and Facebook.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Military | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Hunter Biden Trapped In Azovstal With NATO Generals?!

Is Hunter Biden trapped in the bunkers under the Azovstal steel plant, together with several NATO generals?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Hunter Biden Is Trapped In Azovstal With NATO Generals!

People are sharing an article by a Singaporean blogger Chua Chin Leng, who calls himself redbean and claims that Hunter Biden is trapped in the Azovstal bunkers together with several NATO generals.

His article is long and rambling, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Mariupol is a top secret American facility in Ukraine, housing bioweapon labs and all the top brass of Nato, planning and command HQ for Nato troops to attack Russia. It once housed something like 6,000 secretive soldiers in it.

Trump actually knew about this and was trying to expose it to bring down Biden and his son, who is the key member and owner of this project and facility. Trump could not say it out himself but needed the investigators to expose it against Biden.

 

Truth : Hunter Biden Is NOT Trapped In Azovstal With NATO Generals!

This is yet another example of pro-Russia FAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Mariupol Is A City

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) is apparently unaware that Mariupol is a city, not an American facility.

If he was referring to Azovstal, that is a steel manufacturing complex built in Mariupol by the Soviet Union in the 1930s.

Fact #2 : Azovstal Bunkers Were Built By Soviet Union

The bunkers and tunnels under the Azovstal plant complex were built during the Cold War by the Soviet Union, to “safeguard the steel plant’s 40,000 workers in the event of a nuclear attack”.

These bunkers are not special. There are plenty of similar bunkers across Ukraine, and other ex-Soviet countries, and of course, Russia.

Fact #3 : Trump Did Not know About Azovstal

If there was truly a top secret American facility housing 6,000 NATO troops under Azovstal, Trump would have known about it while he was President.

But there is ZERO EVIDENCE he even heard of Azovstal or Mariupol, and absolutely NO EVIDENCE that there is such a facility housing NATO troops, or serving as its headquarters.

There is nothing for Trump to “expose” either. If there was any evidence, he would have exposed it all while he was US President, just to prevent Biden from winning the election.

Read more : Can Donald Trump Really Blame Iran For Rocket Attack?

Fact #4 : Mariupol Is Very Close To Russian Territory

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) laughably claimed that the top secret American facility housed 6,000 soldiers, and is the planning and command HQ for NATO troops planning to attack Russia.

It would be idiotic for NATO to establish their headquarters so close to Russian territory and occupied Crimea, well within range of artillery and airstrikes.

In fact, Mariupol was one of the first cities to be attacked in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and completely surrounded after less than 3 weeks.

Fact #5 : Ukraine Is Not Part Of NATO

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) is apparently unaware that Ukraine is not a NATO member. That is precisely why why NATO cannot send its troops to help defend Ukraine.

While NATO has helped Ukraine train its soldiers as a partner nation, it does not have bases or facilities in Ukraine.

Fact #6 : There Are No NATO Troops In Ukraine

NATO has confirmed on several occasions there there are no NATO soldiers or leaders in Ukraine. Even those who were sent to advise or train Ukrainian troops were evacuated when Russia invaded Ukraine.

LANDCOM Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Major Brian Andries, recently confirmed this again :

While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

Read more : Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Mariupol?!

Fact #7 : There Are No NATO Personnel Trapped In Azovstal

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) laughably claimed that there are “many top military, scientific and political personalitiestrapped inside this “top secret fortress“.

He even called it the “biggest and most valuable catch” for the Russians and “a trump card that Putin can use to skin the Americans slowly“.

That’s nothing more than a fantasy that has been circulating amongst the pro-Russia and pro-CCP blogs and groups, with ZERO EVIDENCE.

As of 6 May 2022, there are perhaps 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and a few hundred civilians trapped in the tunnels and bunkers under the Azovstal steelworks.

Fact #8 : There Was Plenty Of Time To Evacuate NATO Personnel

Even if there were NATO personnel in Azovstal (there were not), they would have had 2-3 weeks to escape Mariupol before the Russians surrounded the city.

It would be illogical for Western military, scientific and politicians to stay in Mariupol, never mind hunker down in the Azovstal bunkers. Whatever for?

There were also several occasions in which civilians were allowed to evacuate the city and the Azovstal steelworks. No NATO personnel were spotted amongst them.

Fact #9 : No Helicopters Were Shot Down During Rescue Attempts

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) falsely claimed (intentionally?) that NATO lost several helicopters trying to rescue Hunter Biden and top NATO generals who were trapped under Azovstal.

The truth is – NATO sent no helicopters to rescue anyone from the Azovstal steel plant. They certainly did not lose any helicopters during the non-existent rescue operation.

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

Credit : Daily Mail UK

Fact #10 : Ukrainian Soldiers Refused To Surrender

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) falsely claimed (intentionally?) that NATO tried to rescue “the top brass of the neo Nazi anti Jew Azov regiment”.

The truth is the Ukrainian soldiers holed up in the Azovstal steel plant has repeatedly refused to surrender, or leave Mariupol even when it was possible to do so.

The commander and deputy commander of the Azov regiment publicly refused on many occasions to leave Mariupol, stating that as long as they are still there, “Mariupol remains under control of Ukraine”.

Fact #11 : Hunter Biden Is Not In Ukraine

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) laughably and falsely claimed (intentionally?)  that Hunter Biden could be one of those trapped in the Azovstal bunkers.

Hunter Biden was publicly seen at the White House Easter Egg Roll on 18 April 2022 – more than 2 weeks before Chuan Chin Leng posted his article.

That would mean Chua Chin Leng is either incredibly ignorant, or he is intentionally trying to mislead you.

Let me be clear – Hunter Biden is not trapped in a bunker under the Azovstal steel plant. He is still in the United States.

There isn’t even a logical reason for Hunter Biden to go to Ukraine, much less Mariupol or the Azovstal steel plant.

Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, is seen during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on April 18, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Fact #12 : Canadian General Cadieu Is Not In Azovstal Either

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) also claimed, without evidence, that Canada’s top army general is also trapped in the Azovstal bunkers.

That is quite impossible because former Lieutenant-General Trevor Cadieu only left for Ukraine after he resigned from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

By the time he was able to leave for Ukraine, the city of Mariupol had already been surrounded by Russian forces for about 3 weeks.

Not only would it be impossible for Cadieu to get into Mariupol, it would be pointless. What use would a general be in the tunnels under Azovstal?

Read more : Did Russia Capture Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal?!

Fact #13 : NATO Did Not Plan To Invade Russia

Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) also falsely claimed (intentionally?) that NATO intended to attack Russia from Mariupol.

NATO did not plan to invade Russia. Not even Russia dare to claim that as a reason for invading Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine, ostensibly to “denazify the country”, not because NATO was preparing to invade Russia.

Fact #14 : You Can’t Invade Russia With 6,000 Soldiers

Laughably, Chua Chin Leng (aka redbean) claimed that NATO inserted 6,000 soldiers into their Mariupol base to invade Russia.

Think about how ridiculous that is. What could those 6,000 troops do against Russia, which has over a million active duty military personnel?

We should note that Russia deployed no less than 130,000 troops to invade Ukraine, and even they were forced to retreat from Kyiv!

Chua Chin Leng should spend his time drinking red bean soup, and leave geopolitics and the military to people who actually know something about either.

Unfortunately, many pro-Russian and pro-CCP groups are sharing his stupid article on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter and Facebook.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Russia Capture Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal?!

Did Russian forces capture Canadian Lieutenant General Trevor Cadieu in the cellars of Azovstal, in Mariupol, Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Russia Captured Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal!

Pro-Russian websites, Chinese netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are claiming that Russia just captured a high-ranking Canadian general.

According to “rumours”, Lieutenant General Trevor John Cadieu was captured while he was trying to escape from the besieged Azovstal metalworks in Mariupol, Ukraine.

General Trevor Cadieu (Trevor John Cadieu), captured by Russian troops while trying to escape from the cellars of Azovstal, was the commander of the Canadian Ground Forces, APA reports citing Mailbd.

Seated in the catacombs under the Mariupol steel plant “Azovstal” nationalists staged a provocation, trying to hide the Canadian general’s attempt to escape. After the capture of a high-ranking foreign soldier by units of the RF Armed Forces, it became clear why so many efforts were made to save him.

A high-ranking mercenary tried to break out of the encirclement at Azovstal several times. It was for this that the West insisted on humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians: among them, foreign specialists had to leave the catacombs.

This Chinese example even claimed that NATO lost 5-6 helicopters and a ship trying to get General Cadieu out of Azovstal.

A lot of rumors that Russia has captured a Canadian general trying to escape thru sewer tunnels. Could be a few more NATO military advisers still in the plant

They have spent losing 5 or 6 helicopters and 1 ship trying to get the VVIP out.

 

No Evidence Russia Captured Canadian General Cadieu In Azovstal!

Bearing in mind that it is impossible to prove that something does not exist (Russell’s teapot), I can safely say that there is NO EVIDENCE that Russian forces actually captured Canadian general Trevor Cadieu in Azovstal.

In fact, here are the reasons why it is virtually impossible for Russia to have captured him in the Azovstal metalworks in the besieged city of Mariupol.

Fact #1 : Trevor Cadieu Retired From Canadian Armed Forces

Trevor Cadieu was originally slated to take command of the Canadian army in September 2021, but his appointment was suspended amidst “historical allegations” of sexual misconduct at the Royal Military College in 1994.

He then resigned and left the Canadian armed forces on 5 April 2022, stating :

I have opted to release (from the Canadian military) and am exploring other opportunities to contribute to the greater good.

Fact #2 : He Volunteered In Ukraine As A Private Citizen

After his retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), several defence sources say that Cadieu travelled to Ukraine to volunteer against the Russian invasion.

This was in his personal capacity, as he had already retired from the CAF, and was now a private citizen.

Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said, in a statement :

There has been no CAF support, material or otherwise, given to Cadieu since his departure as it pertains to his personal endeavours.

As he is now a private citizen, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further on his personal plans.

Read more : Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Mariupol?!

Warrant Officer Terry Vandenberghe discusses observation and reporting positions with Brigadier-General Trevor Cadieu (right) in Williams Lake, B.C., during Operation LENTUS 17-04 on August 3, 2017. (Photo: Master Corporal Malcolm Byers, Wainwright Garrison Imaging)

Fact #3 : Russia Surrounded Mariupol Since 2 March 2022

While no one really knows where Cadieu is right now, it would be quite impossible for him to enter Mariupol, after his retirement on 5 April 2022.

That’s because Mariupol was amongst the first Ukrainian cities to be attacked by Russian forces that completely surrounded it three weeks into the war.

There was no way for Ukrainian civilians and soldiers to leave Mariupol, and no way for anyone to get into the city after it was completely surrounded on 2 March 2022.

By the time Cadieu resigned, the Russians had already captured most of Mariupol, except the massive Azovstal steel plant. It would literally take a miracle for Cadieu to get into the Azovstal plant.

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

How Russian forces besieged Mariupol. Credit : BBC

Fact #4 : Cadieu Would Be Useless In Mariupol

Even if it was possible to smuggle him into Mariupol in early April, it would also be illogical to insert Cadieu into a besieged city where he can do little good.

Cadieu is a retired general whose days of firing guns from the trenches are long past. In fact, he would be more of an impediment in the defence of the Azovstal steel plant.

He would be far more useful strategising Ukraine’s defence, or acting as a military liaison with the Canadian government.

Fact #5 : Russians Would Have Paraded Captured Cadieu

If Russian forces did indeed capture Cadieu, they would have paraded him on Russian TV, just like they did with two British volunteers they captured – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Yet the Russians did no such thing. In fact, the only “sources” of these claims are no-name blogs in Russia, China and Azerbaijan, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram groups.

There is simply no evidence of Cadieu being captured by Russian forces, not even a picture.

Fact #6 : DPR Rep Confirmed Cadieu Not Arrested

Official Russian news agency, TASS, reported on 28 April 2022 that Cadieu “may be holed up” in the Azovstal steel plant.

Their source was Eduard Basurin, the spokesman for the People’s Militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), who gave no evidence for his claim.

In fact, Basurin appeared to be making up that claim based on the Canadian Defense Ministry announcing that Cadieu had resigned.

Information appeared now and then that one of former Canadian army generals may be holed up there [in the Azovstal steel complex].

He first seemed to get out of sight and then the Canadian Defense Ministry issued a statement that this general gave a notice that he was resigning from the army and moving to Ukraine. Perhaps, it [the UN] is trying to rescue him.

As I pointed out earlier, it would be impossible for Cadieu to be present in Azovstal, unless he went AWOL from the Canadian Armed Forces and entered Mariupol before 17 March 2022.

Also, there were several ceasefires during which civilians managed to escape. Cadieu was not amongst them.

More importantly, Basurin confirmed that Russian forces did not capture Cadieu.

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites and groups.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Azovstal?!

Did Russian forces just capture US general Roger Cloutier in the besieged Azovstal steel plant?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Russia Captured US General Roger Cloutier In Azovstal!

People are claiming that Russia just captured US general Roger L. Cloutier at the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

This is sometimes mentioned as part of the Azovstal NATO headquarters story, or separately like these examples :

The rumours going around that a US Major General Roger L. Cloutier has been captured by Russian army at Azovstal in Mariupol. It would be within the Russians’ right to execute this officer as nothing more than a common criminal. Not kidding. Legally by all laws.

The Russian army captured the US Major General Roger L. Cloutier Jr., the US Africa Command HQ Chief of Staff in the besieged Ukrainian Azov camp in Mariupol. The Pentagon wanted to contact Putin.

Read more : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

 

Truth : Russia Did NOT Capture US General Roger Cloutier At All!

The truth is – this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and shared by pro-Russia activists, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Fact #1 : Roger Cloutier Is A Lieutenant General

First of all, Roger L. Cloutier holds the rank of a Lieutenant General (O-9), and is a three-star general officer.

He is not a Major General (O-8), which is a two-star general officer rank.

Fact #2 : Roger Cloutier Heads NATO Allied Land Command

Secondly, Lt. General Cloutier is not the Chief of Staff for US Africa Command.

He has been the Command of the NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) in Izmir, Turkey, for the last 1.5 years – since August 2020.

Fact #3 : General Cloutier Appeared On 14 April 2022

Two weeks after these claims started circulating amongst pro-Russian and pro-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) groups, Lt. General Cloutier posted a video on 14 April 2022.

It showed him greeting the commander of the NATO Multinational Corps (South East), Major General Dragoş-Dumitru Iacob at the LANDCOM headquarters.

Fact #4 : NATO Confirmed That It’s Fake News

NATO has described the viral news as “completely fake news”, and confirmed that :

LTG Cloutier has NOT been captured and is currently with his command in Izmir.

LANDCOM Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Major Brian Andries also confirmed that his boss is still very much in Turkey :

These rumors are completely false. Our commander is currently commanding NATO Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, and has not been to Ukraine since the Land Staff Talks we conducted in July of 2021. While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

Fact #5 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

Allied Land Command told BBC reporter Alistair Coleman that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

Major Brian Andries from LANDCOM also pointed out that that Cloutier was last in Ukraine in July 2021, and photos from that visit was used to “prove” the fake news :

Photos from this event have been used as proof as recent visit to Ukraine which never occurred. No NATO forces are in Ukraine, let alone a United States Army three-star general.

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

Does NATO have a secret headquarters under the Azovstal plant in Ukraine, where they produce biological weapons?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed!

People are sharing schematics of a secret NATO headquarters under the Azovstal plant, where they claim biological weapons are being produced in Ukraine.

It was actively promoted by Russian political scientist, Sergei Markov, Russia Today, and several Italian TV channels including PiazzaPulita on La7 and Rai 1, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Online posts often included this long story, which is rather long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts.

What is the secret of Azovstal? In Mariupel there is a secret building with a depth of 30 m underground and on multiple floors.

This building is located under the Azovstal plant, which includes the secret headquarters of the North Atlantic, with the code number (pit_404). For the production of biological weapons, within a highly fortified and protected system, in which 240 foreign scientists of different nationalities are present.

 

Truth : There Is No Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and shared by not only pro-Russia activists, but also the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Here are the facts behind the two viral schematics, and why this is just fake news…

Fact #1 : Azovstal Plant Complex Was Created By Soviet Union

The massive Azovstal plant complex was created in the 1930s, as a priority construction project by the Soviet Union.

They spent 292 million rubles to create the massive steel plant complex that would be capable of producing 4 million tons of pig iron a year.

That target was partly demanded by Soviet leaders to beat the Americans whose Gary steel plant was “only” capable of smelting 3 million tons a year.

Fact #2 : Azovstal Bunkers Were Built By Soviet Union

The fake news creators used this infographic from the Daily Mail UK as “evidence” that the Azovstal tunnels were created by NATO.

Ironically, the infographic specifically pointed out that the bunkers and tunnels under the Azovstal plant complex were built by the Soviet Union, to “safeguard the steel plant’s 40,000 workers in the event of a nuclear attack”.

These bunkers and tunnels were built many decades earlier by the Soviet Union, not NATO.

Credit : Daily Mail UK

Fact #3 : No Evidence Of NATO Facility Called PIT-404

There is no evidence of any NATO facility called PIT-404 ever existed.

The fabulous fact checkers at MythDetector.ge did a great job of tracing the origin of this PIT-404 claim to an April 4, 2022 post in the Russian forum, strategium.ru.

In that post, a user called sojnyshkotanya claimed that there is a bio-laboratory under Azovstal, and mentioned PIT several times in reference to Azovstal.

sojnyshkotanya also noted that the best route for the evacuation of Western officials from that facility is from Mariupol to Samsun – a distance of 404 miles.

That was the most likely origin of the name and story of the mysterious PIT-404 underground NATO facility that produces biological weapons.

Fact #4 : PIT-404 Schematic Was From A Board Game!

The image that people are sharing as the PIT-404 NATO facility schematic was actually taken from a board game called Blackout: Journey into Darkness by Richard T. Boardwater.

This board game was pitched on Kickstarter in 2016 as a game for 1-4 people who try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by monsters, where humans now have to survive in bunkers.

You can see its bunker graphic under the Beneath The Surface section of their Kickstarter pitch), with the following description :

Beneath the crumbling cities, a vast network of subterranean pathways exists. These vast underground chambers are vital to the Brood’s survival. With these tunnels, The Brood emerged to feed on mankind after the great fall. It is these same tunnels they continue to thrive unmolested. Many of the nomadic Unification kill teams have attempted to cleanse these zones but all have been unsuccessful, for the network beneath the surface is vast.

Doesn’t sound like a NATO facility, does it?

The game ultimately didn’t achieve its fundraising goal and was not greenlit, but its bunker design has now found everlasting fame as the (non-existent) PIT-404 NATO facility in the fevered dreams of Russian and Chinese conspiracy theorists.

Fact #5 : PiazzaPulita Admitted Their Mistake

On 22 April 2022, PiazzaPulita admitted that they were wrong to claim that the Blackout bunker schematic was of the Azovstal steel factory bunkers.

As far as I can tell, Sergei Markov – the Russian political scientist and former Putin advisor – has yet to admit his mistake

Fact #6 : Metabiota Is Not Owned By Hunter Biden Or Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The fake story claimed that “this headquarters is run by the Metabiota Corporation of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his direct partner, Volodymyr Zelensky“. That’s utter nonsense.

Metabiota is a private company owned by 21 venture capitalist companies, one of which is Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners – a private equity firm partly owned by Hunter Biden.

So no, Metabiota is not owned by Hunter Biden. Neither is it owned by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The fact that the fake news creators got the name Volodymyr wrong, suggests that they are not Russian. Quite likely, this fake news was created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Fact #7 : French General Eric Vidaud Failed To Predict Russian Invasion

French General Eric Vidaud was fired at the end of March 2022 for failing to predict Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – in sharp contrast with other Western Allies.

Vidaud, who led the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DRM) was asked to step down, after an internal defence ministry investigation criticised “insufficient briefings” and “failure to master the issues”.

The fact that the fake news creators got the name Vidaud wrong, suggests that they are not Russian. Quite likely, this fake news was created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Left : Gen. Eric Vidaud | Right : Lt. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier

Fact #8 : US General Roger Cloutier Jr. Was Not Captured

US Lieutenant General Roger L. Cloutier Jr. was not shot down in his helicopter, and captured by Russian forces in Mariupol.

A NATO spokesperson, Brian Andries said that Cloutier is currently commanding NATO Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey and has not been to Ukraine since July 2021.

The fact that the fake news creators got the name Cloutier wrong, suggests that they are not Russian. Quite likely, this fake news was created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Ukrainians Just Protest Against US Interference In Kyiv?!

Did hundreds of Ukrainians just come out to protest against US interference at their embassy in Kyiv?

Take a look at the viral photos, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Ukrainians Just Protested Against US Interference In Kyiv!

People are sharing four photos of Ukrainians protesting against US interference outside their Kyiv embassy, with the message “A Kiev Protest You Won’t See On CNN – A rally in front of the US Embassy

The photos show them carrying three large banners with the protest messages like :

You Came To These Countries To Kill! USA Is A Country Of War, Not Democracy!

USA Is The Enemy Of Ukrainian People! Go To Washington And Never Come Back!

 

Truth : It Was A Staged Protest At US Embassy In Kyiv Before Invasion

This is yet another example of pro-Russian fake news that was created to mislead people about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Protest Took Place On 9 February 2022

This protest did not just happen recently. It took place in Kyiv on 9 February 2022 – 15 days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

That’s almost a month before people started sharing the photos, which were taken by Christopher Miller, a BuzzFeed News correspondent in Ukraine.

Fact #2 : US Embassy Moved To Lviv, And Then To Poland

This is for the trolls who have the cheek to demand, “How do you know he didn’t lie?

Simple – I know he didn’t lie because the US moved their embassy from Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine on 14 February 2022 – 5 days after that protest.

Then on 24 February 2022, the US Embassy officially suspended its Ukrainian operations, and moved from Lviv to Poland.

Fact #3 : Kyiv Is Under Russian Attack

Kyiv has been under heavy Russian attack since the invasion began. Who in the right mind would be standing outside the US Embassy while Kyiv is under bombardment?

Fact #4 : US Spent Jan-Feb 2022 Warning Of Russian Invasion

The US spent the first two months of 2022 only warning the world of the impending Russian invasion. So the suggestion that they were interfering in Ukraine is ludicrous.

At that time, they still refused to send more weapons to the Ukrainians, for fear of triggering a Russian response.

It was other NATO countries that stepped up to bolster Ukrainian defences with ammunition, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, etc.

Fact #5 : US Embassy Protest Was Staged

Fortunately, Christopher was able to investigate the protest, and discovered that the protest was staged :

🧐 ~200 people at @USEmbassyKyiv protesting the United States’ involvement in current Russia-Ukraine crisis. But nobody I asked could explain exactly what they’re against. They said they came because “Natasha called us.” Natasha told me this is a “NGO” but wouldn’t name it.

Natasha, seen in the green coat, has been keeping people in line, literally. She scolded a man for wandering away briefly. Every person here seems to be a pensioner. When I asked how they afforded the expensive, brand new banners, they said someone gifted them.

These type of “actions,” as folks here are referring to this, are known colloquially as rent-a-crowds. Usually they are offered 200-500 UAH to stand in place for some hours. Then they are paid and bused away. FWIW, ppl say they aren’t paid. Although one woman said “not yet.”

These are the guys running this “protest.” They didn’t want to be interviewed but I spoke to them. One named Andriy (who said when I asked his last name, “let’s say Kovalenko”), not pictured, said they are a civic group called “No Corruption.” They have no website or biz cards.

Several “protesters” said they were called yesterday to come here. When they arrived, this group of men gave them the posters they are holding.

The event’s speaker, Maksym Plakhtyenko, said he didn’t know anything about the organizers. Just that they called him to speak because he knows English and has a “principled position” against war. The US, he said, is provoking war. The people there repeated his words verbatim.

Fact #6 : No One Was Arrested Or Beaten

Pro-Russian trolls are using these photos as “evidence” that the Ukrainian people are anti-America and anti-NATO.

What these pictures really show is a fundamental difference between a democratic country like Ukraine, and an autocratic country like Russia – free speech.

These “protestors” were not arrested or beaten. They were allowed to peacefully protest in front of the US Embassy in Kyiv.

In contrast, Russia arrested thousands of people for protesting against its invasion of Ukraine, including Yelena Osipova – a 76 year-old survivor of the Siege of Leningrad in World War 2.

Now that you know the truth, please help us fight fake news by sharing this fact check article with your family and friends!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did NATO Promise Russia Never To Expand East?!

Did NATO break their promise to Russia, never to expand a single inch east?

Take a look at the claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : NATO Promised Not To Expand A Single Inch East!

Did NATO promise Russia not to expand a single inch east, into former Warsaw Pact countries like Poland, or former Soviet Union countries like Ukraine?!

Did NATO break that promise? That is what Russian President Vladimir Putin has been claiming since 2007, and is the basis for why he chose to attack Ukraine.

People have also been sharing a video of Putin making those claims, to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Recommended : Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

 

Truth : NATO Never Promised Not To Expand A Single Inch East!

This is an old Vladimir Putin fabrication that he keeps repeating to justify his military actions, even though it is complete nonsense, and has been debunked many times.

Fact #1 : Warsaw Pact + Soviet Union Dissolved In 1991

For context, I need to point out that both the Warsaw Pact military alliance, and the Soviet Union, were dissolved way back in 1991.

From 1989 to 1991, Communist governments in Eastern Europe were falling like ninepins, getting overthrown by public discontent.

On 25 February 1991, the remaining Warsaw Pact countries met in Hungary and agreed to disband the military alliance.

The Warsaw Pact alliance was formally dissolved on 1 July 1991 by Czechoslovak President Václav Havel in Prague.

That was followed by the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR) on 8 December 1991, when the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed the Belavezha Accords.

Fact #2 : Vladimir Putin First Made That Claim In 2007

The dissolution of both Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union happened in 1991, but Russian President Vladimir Putin only started making this claim in 2007.

In his February 2007 speech to the 43rd Munich Security Conference, he claimed that the West violated their “guarantees” :

And we have the right to ask: against whom is this [NATO] expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our Western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact?

… I would like to quote the speech of NATO General Secretary Mr. Woerner in Brussels on 17 May 1990. He said at the time that: ‘the fact that we are ready not to place a NATO army outside of German territory gives the Soviet Union a firm security guarantee.” Where are these guarantees?

Recommended : Did Trump Just Avert World War III, With Putin’s Help?!

Fact #3 : Annexation Of Crimea Was Based On That Claim

Putin then used the same false claim to justify Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea :