Tag Archives: Russia

Did Ukrainians Attack Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo?!

Did Ukrainian tourists attack a Russian woman with a Putin tattoo, only to end up getting beaten up instead?!

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

Claim : Ukrainians Attacked Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo!

Pro-Russian propagandists and supporters (vatniks) are promoting a video that claims to show Ukrainian tourists attacking a Russian woman because she had a tattoo of Vladimir Putin, only to get beaten up instead!

❗️A group of Ukrainian tourists attacked a Russian woman holidaying on a Turkish beach who had a tattoo of Vladimir Putin.

😂Unfortunately for the Ukrainians – the Russian woman was a master in combat sambo.

The video, which is about 1 minute and 45 seconds long, is also being shared by pro-CCP netizens, and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) on WhatsApp and Western social media platforms.

Claim : Ukrainians Did Not Attack Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to diminish support for Ukraine’s fight to defend itself against Russian aggression, and here are there reasons why..

Fact #1 : The Video Was Originally Released On Telegram

First, let me start by pointing out that the original video was released by the Telegram account @BadShofer at 8:40 PM on 25 July 2023.

Fact #2 : The Video Was Recorded In Vladivostok

The video was not recorded in a beach in Turkey, as the viral message claimed. According to @BadShofer, the video was recorded in Vladivostok (Владивосток).

Vladivostok is a Russian city located near China and North Korea, and where the headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet is located. Needless to say – you won’t find Ukrainian tourists in Vladivostok!

Fact #3 : The Video Was Edited

The original video was only 53 seconds long. The viral video is much longer, but actually stops playing after 53 seconds.

The original video also had a much taller 9:16 aspect ratio. The viral video was edited to crop out the watermark at the bottom, which makes it look more squarish. This was probably done to make it more difficult for fact checkers to trace the provenance of the video.

You can watch the original clip posted by @BadShofer below, with the watermark intact.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Vladivostok-fighting.mp4?_=1

Fact #4 : Table Umbrellas Have Russian Words

Just in case @BadShofer may be lying / mistaken, I took a closer look at the table umbrellas sponsored by Amstel, which have these Russian words printed on them:

C УВАЖЕНИЕМ К ДРУЖБЕ И [unreadable]
С 1870 ГОДА

WITH RESPECT FOR FRIENDSHIP AND [unreadable] SINCE 1870

A red Wall’s umbrella can also be seen with this Russian word:

МОРОЖеНОЕ!

ICE-CREAM!

They help to confirm that the location of this incident was not in Turkey, but in Russia.

Fact #5 : No Evidence Woman Had Putin Tattoo

The video itself shows no evidence that the woman had any Vladimir Putin tattoo. The only thing we can be certain of is that she has tattoos on both arms.

Since the incident occurred in Russia, if the lady was really attacked for having a Vladimir Putin tattoo, that must mean he’s really not very popular in Russia these days!

Regardless of the reason for this fight, it seems certain that no Ukrainian tourists were involved! It appears to be nothing more than a couple of Russian holidayers fighting with each other.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Russian Propaganda

Ultimately, the viral video is yet another example of Russian propaganda, which is shoddy as usual. However, it is being shared and promoted by Chinese netizens, and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:

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

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Did Russian Missiles Destroy Port Of Odessa In Ukraine?!

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Did Russian missiles hit British ships that exploded and destroyed the port of Odessa in Ukraine?!

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

Claim : Russian Missiles Destroyed Port Of Odessa In Ukraine!

Pro-Russian propagandists and supporters (vatniks) are promoting a video that claims to show Russian missiles hitting two British ships carrying explosives, trigging a massive explosion that destroyed the port of Odessa in Ukraine!

BULLSEYE ! 🎯.

The port of Odessa, Ukraine, was hit by four Russian missiles that hit two British cargo ships that were just below the ground, triggering a massive EXPLOSION.

Great shot. Brits ships carrying high explosives to Ukraine . . mischief tsk tsk ! 🤔🤨😱

The video, which is about 1 minute and 55 seconds long, is also being shared by Chinese netizens in the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), and by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) in WhatsApp and Western social media platforms.

Truth : Russian Missiles Did Not Destroy Odessa Or British Ships!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Those Videos Are Over 3 Years Old!

First, let me start by pointing out that this incident did not occur in 2023. The videos were actually recorded at approximately 6 PM on Tuesday, 4 August 2020.

The explosions not only occurred 18 months before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, they occurred almost 3 years ago!

Fact #2 : The Explosions Occurred In Beirut, Not Odessa

The massive explosions in the viral video did not occur in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, but literally – a thousand miles away, at the port city of Beirut, Lebanon.

On 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in Warehouse 12 at the port of Beirut. Warehouse 12 contained 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, as well as fireworks.

About 20 minutes later, the first explosion at the warehouse sent a large cloud of smoke billowing into the evening sky, with bright firework flashes.

Then 35 seconds later, the fire triggered a much larger explosion with a massive shock wave that rocked Beirut, and was felt as far away as Israel and Cyprus – more than 240 kilometres away!

The force of the explosion was estimated to be around 500 to 1,100 tons of TNT, with the US Geological Survey measuring the event as equivalent to a 3.3 magnitude earthquake!

Fact #3 : Russia Is Blockading Ukrainian Ports

Even though many Western countries have provided Ukraine with billions in dollars worth of military equipment and other forms of aid, they are not being delivered with ships. That’s because Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea.

Even though ships were allowed to enter the port of Odessa under the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, they were only allowed to transport grain and other food products, and fertiliser.

Ships involved in this initiative were inspected to ensure they would not be carrying unauthorised cargo or people. So it is impossible for any British ship to transport high explosives to the Port of Odessa.

Fact #4 : UK Aid Are Delivered By Land + Air

The United Kingdom provides billions of dollars worth of military equipment, including high explosives and ammunition to Ukraine. However, none of them are being delivered through ships due to the Russian naval blockade, as mentioned above.

Instead, the military equipment and other aid are being delivered through at least three NATO countries adjoining Ukraine. To avoid accusations that NATO is directly involved in the Ukraine War, the equipment are transported or flown to the Ukrainian border.

After that, Ukrainians either transport the equipment over the border, or take possession of them at the border.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Ukraine War Fake News

Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:

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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.

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Elton John Boycotts US Over Gay Rights?!

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Did Elton John just boycott the US over gay rights, while forgetting about his own past?!

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

Claim : Elton John Boycotts US Over Gay Rights!

People are sharing an OutKick article, claiming that Elton John has just boycotted the US over gay rights, while forgetting about his past! Here is an excerpt from that OutKick article:

Elton John Boycotts U.S. Over Gay Rights, Forgets Own Past

John’s road retirement may not last, but he’s certain he won’t play as much as a residency in the States moving forward. Why? He cites the new, “disgraceful” hate aimed at the LGBTQ+ community coursing through America’s veins.

He’s clearly conflating laws meant to protect children from life-altering surgery with the broader gay rights movement. In doing so, he’s following the media’s fuzzy narratives on the issues, meant to distract from the laws in question.

The same holds true for the false “don’t say gay” narrative describing Florida legislating protecting small children from sexually suggestive materials in the classroom. Gay activists pounced and seized on that false narrative with cover from mainstream journalists.

There’s another problem with John’s heartfelt stance.

His past.

The “Piano Man” is no stranger to playing in countries with terrible laws aimed at gay citizens. And he didn’t make a fuss about it at the time or refuse to hit a single key until said laws were stricken from the books.

John performed at a benefit concert in Dubai in 2017, no. 8 on Forbes’ list of most dangerous places for gay citizens to travel.

He nearly performed in Egypt in 2010 before powerful forces objected to both his lifestyle and for comments suggesting Jesus was gay.

The music legend also brought his greatest his catalog to Morocco, number 18 on the aforementioned Forbes list.

His new protestations against the U.S., though, hardly measure up to his greatest social achievements.

Show less

Truth : Elton John Did Not Boycott US Over Gay Rights!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about the LGBTQIA community, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Elton John Does Not Want Another US Residency

Let me just start by pointing out that Elton John never said that he will no longer perform in the United States, after his farewell tour ends.

In his interview with Radio Times, what Elton John said was that he still plans to continue performing after his three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour ends. He was interested in a residency – playing at a single venue, but not in the United States of America.

I said when I announced the farewell tour that maybe I would do a residency like Kate Bush did at Hammersmith [in 2014]. But not in America. I will not do it in America.

But that’s in the long term. I don’t want to think about the stage – I’ve been on it since I was 17.

In other words, Elton John does not intend to go back for a third Las Vegas residency. As his husband and manager, David Furnish explained:

Will Elton return as a live performer? I hope so! It’s in his blood…

I know for a fact he will not be touring in any capacity. What you’re going to see is the possibility of a special one-off or a small residency in one venue for a limited period of time.

I don’t think it will be Las Vegas. Elton feels he’s done the best he can in Las Vegas. He mounted two hugely successful residencies there.

When you’re an artist and something’s in your blood, you don’t want to shut the door completely.

Fact #2 : Elton John Dislikes Violence + Discrimination In America

Elton John has been outspoken about what he dislikes about America – violence and discriminatory laws. However, he did not say he was boycotting the US.

It is peculiar that the OutKick article should suggest that Elton John was “clearly conflating laws meant to protect children from life-altering surgery“, when Elton himself was explicit about what he disliked about that particular discriminatory Florida law.

It’s all going pear-shaped in America. There’s violence, [discriminatory] laws enacted in Florida, which are disgraceful. There’s a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you’re gay, which I find just unbelievable.

We seem to be going backwards. And that spreads. It’s like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering.

It seems clear to me that Elton was very clear about what he disliked about that particular Florida law!

Fact #3 : HB 1557 Is Don’t Say Gay Bill

The OutKick article then refers to House Bill 1557 (HB 1557 : Parental Rights in Education), which regulates public schools in Florida.

This is the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits public schools from discussing or teaching students about sexual orientation or gender identity, from kindergarten up to grade three.

Presumably, Florida lawmakers believe that teaching children about gender identity and sexual orientation is how children are groomed into accepting sexual abuse. As Christina Pushaw – the press secretary of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, explained:

The bill that liberals inaccurately call “Don’t Say Gay” would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill.

If you’re against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.

Fact #4 : Elton John Referred To SB 1580, Not HB 1557

Elton John never mentioned any Florida law concerning children, education, or public schools in his interview with Radio Times.

He only referred to a completely different Florida law – SB 1580 : Protections of Medical Conscience Bill, which allows healthcare providers and insurers to deny patient care based on religious, moral or ethical beliefs.

This SB 1580 law has absolutely nothing to do with children or their education, which is covered by the completely different HB 1557 law (see above).

So why did OutKick bring up HB 1557 (the so-called Don’t Say Gay Bill), which Elton John never mentioned in his interview? Misunderstanding? Misdirection? Misinterpretation? Misinformation?

Fact #5 : Elton John Rarely Performs In Anti-LGBT Countries

While Elton John has been outspoken about gay rights, he has not stopped performing in countries with laws that can be used to harass or persecute gay people. But they have been extremely rare in number – United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Russia.

What OutKick may not realise is that those countries do not matter financially to Elton John, who performs in many more concerts in LGBT-friendly countries, and can easily forego those countries. It seems more likely that Elton John only performed in those countries because he was allowed to.

Think on that – those anti-LGBT countries allowed Elton John – an openly gay performer – to sing and perform for his fans. That is not evidence of his hypocrisy. That shows the power of his music.

Fact #6 : Concerts Are Different From Residencies

Finally, I should point out that performing at one-off concerts in countries with restrictive, anti-LGBT laws is quite different from actually staying in those countries.

It’s one thing to try and change minds by performing in those countries for a show or two, it’s quite another thing to live in such countries.

So it isn’t hypocrisy if Elton John has no qualms performing in countries with restrictive, anti-LGBT laws, but chooses not to live for months or years in the US because he dislikes its violence and laws.

It’s no different from how staunchly conservative anti-LGBT activists have no problem holidaying in countries with progressive pro-LGBT laws.

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UK Storm Shadow vs. Russian SAM Battle Round 2!

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Another Russian SAM battery tried to take down another Storm Shadow missile on yet another missile vs missile battle in the Ukraine War!

Take a look at the viral video, and find out who won this round!

Claim : Russian SAM Brings Down Storm Shadow Missile!

After the recent dramatic failure of the Russian Pantsir-S1 short range air defence (SHORAD) system in hitting the Storm Shadow cruise missile, they decided to go for Round 2!

In a now-viral video, another Russian short range air defence (SHORAD) system fired multiple missiles at an incoming Storm Shadow stealth cruise missiles the United Kingdom supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

The video was shared by a pro-Russian Telegram user called Mikhail Solomin (Михаил Соломин), who claims that “another” Storm Shadow fell “like a stone” after being shot down by high quality surface-to-air missiles, before falling apart like the European Union after Brexit.

Очередная пiрiмiга, лягушатно-наглосаксонская вундервафля пошла камнем вниз после качественной работы расчетов Панцирей, и упала в чисто поле, развалившись как евросоюз после брексита. Поскольку прошлый подобный видос уперли все возможные и не возможные паблики , как то позабыв указать на первоисточник, вешаю плашку в полвидоса.

Another frog, the frog-arrogant Saxon prodigy went down like a stone after the high-quality work of the Shells’ calculations, and fell into an open field, falling apart like the European Union after Brexit. Since the last similar vidos was blocked by all possible and not possible publics, somehow forgetting to point to the source, I hang a die in half a vidos.

A Russian poet! But did the Russians finally bag the elusive Storm Shadow? Or did Anglo-French military technology win the day again for Ukraine? Take a look!

Storm Shadow vs. Russian SAM Battle Round 2!

The viral video appears to have been taken by the Russian military at possibly a frontline airfield, with a flat terrain and low buildings – all censored to hide any identifiable features.

When the 38-second video starts, you can see two long contrails, which suggest that two longer-ranged missiles had already been fired earlier.

Then you can hear five successive surface-to-air missiles (SAM) being launched from two different missile launchers, possibly Pantsir-S1 SHORAD systems like in the earlier video.

None of them were heard exploding. But just before the video cuts out, the Storm Shadow missile is seen diving towards the right side of the screen and exploding in a big fireball.

Mikhail Solomin claims that this is evidence that the Russian missiles successfully took out the Storm Shadow missile through “the high quality work of the shells’ calculations“, because it hit an empty space to no effect.

Можно сравнить масштаб ракеты, и масштабы зацензуренных фрагментов, нет там не Панциря, не складов с боеприпасами, нет ни какого крупного и интересного объекта. Она просто упала в пустое место.

You can compare the scale of the rocket, and the scale of the censored fragments, there is no Shell, no ammunition depots, no large and interesting object. She just fell into an empty space.

Mikhail also claimed that the Storm Shadow’s nose cone was intact during its dive – evidence that it was not functioning properly during its dive:

“Подъём на высоту предназначен для достижения наилучшей вероятности идентификации цели и её пробития. Во время подрыва носовой конус отбрасывается, чтобы позволить термографической камере высокого разрешения (инфракрасное наведение) наблюдать за районом поражения.” (инфа с вики)
А как видно на скришоте, обтекатель на месте, пiримига-недомога.

“Climbing to a height is designed to achieve the best probability of identifying the target and penetrating it. During the explosion, the nose cone is discarded to allow a high-resolution thermographic camera (infrared guidance) to observe the affected area.” (info from wiki)
And as you can see on the screenshot, the fairing is in place, the frog is unwell.

It is true that the Storm Shadow / SCALP missile has a nose cone that is ejected on reaching the target zone, to allow its high-resolution thermographic camera to scan for, and locate, the target. However, the nose cone that is ejected is only a small portion of the Storm Shadow missile’s nose.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to tell from the few frames in the video whether the Storm Shadow still has its nose cone attached. The image is just too pixelated.

What the video clearly shows though is that the Storm Shadow SCALP missile was intact, and diving down (as intended) during its terminal approach. You can even hear its turbojet engine running.

This suggests that the Storm Shadow missile was not damaged by any of the five to seven surface-to-air missiles the Russians sent to intercept it.

To avoid interception, the Storm Shadow cruise missile “hugs the terrain” at very low altitude, and only pops-up on reaching the target area. So you will only see it diving down like that at its target area.

This tells us that, whether it still has its nose cone or not, the Storm Shadow missile in this video had already reached its intended target area, and did not just fall out of the sky because it got shot at with 5-7 Russian missiles.

Due to the heavy pixelation of the terrain, it is impossible to tell if the Storm Shadow missile merely slammed into open ground, or actually hit some kind of target. If it hit nothing of significance, then one has to wonder – why did the Russians so heavily pixelate all that “empty ground”?

Besides, the Storm Shadow missile could have been targeting an underground bunker. Its BROACH warhead has an initial shaped charge that is designed to clear the topsoil and/or penetrate a bunker, before its main charge explodes inside.

However, it is impossible to know for certain, because the video was heavily censored. One has to wonder why the Russians would pixelate the video if it truly showed a malfunctioning Storm Shadow missile hitting an open field.

An uncensored video would potentially allow OSINT teams like Oryx or Bellingcat to geolocate the action, and confirm or verify that the Storm Shadow missile really hit nothing of consequence.

Ukrainian bloggers are claiming that this incident occurred near Berdyansk, and the Storm Shadow hit a Russian armoured car. However, we really cannot see any evidence of that. And frankly speaking – no one in the right mind would fire a $3.2 million long-range cruise missile at an armoured car… unless Vladimir Putin himself is inside!

Based on the current evidence, it is likely that the Storm Shadow missile at least hit its target area (if not its actual target), and this viral video is yet another example of Russian propaganda. Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:

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

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Did Pantsir-S1 Shoot Down Storm Shadow Missile?!

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Did the Russian Pantsir-S1 missile defence system successfully shoot down Storm Shadow stealth cruise missiles?!

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

Claim : Pantsir-S1 Shot Down Storm Shadow Stealth Missile!

Pro-Russian propagandists and supporters (vatniks) are sharing a video as evidence that the Pantsir-S1 missile defence system successfully shot down the Storm Shadow stealth cruise missiles the United Kingdom supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

⚡️Russian sources claim this footage shows a Storm Shadow Cruise missile getting shot down by the Pantsir-S1

Stormshadow missile shot down by #Russian Pantsir-S1.

Pantsir S1 shot down Storm Shadow

The 37-second video shows a tracking radar detecting the Storm Shadow missile in close proximity (appearing as a bright pink spot), before slewing to a second display showing it being tracked by the Pantsir-S1’s thermal imager, before two missiles are fired at it.

Truth : Pantsir-S1 Failed To Shoot Down Storm Shadow Missile!

The Russian government has done nothing but lie from before it invaded Ukraine until today, and this new video is no different.

The truth is – the video actually shows the Pantsir-S1 self-propelled air defence system shoot two 95YA6 surface-to-air missiles at the Storm Shadow, and both failed to hit the Storm Shadow missile which apparently hit its target in a large explosion.

In the first second of the video, a white dot appears on the radar screen. This is presumably the first Storm Shadow missile.

Then at 0:03, a small dot appears next to the white dot, and they both become large and bright pink spots at 0:04. Presumably two Storm Shadow missiles were detected by the Pantsir-S1’s radar. The video then slews to the thermal imaging display, which appears to be tracking one of the Storm Shadow missiles in flight.

At 0:10, the Pantsir-S1 fires the first 95YA6 missile resulting in a white flash-out on the thermal imaging display. The missile is seen rapidly closing in on the Storm Shadow missile before turning away. The thermal imager loses track of the Storm Shadow missile for a moment.

At 0:16, the Pantsir-S1 fires a second 95YA6 missile and the thermal display whites out again. The missile is seen flying off into the distance, while the Storm Shadow missile eventually disappears and a large explosion is seen on the ground, before the video cuts out.

What the video clearly shows is that the Pantsir-S1 is capable of detecting and locking onto the Storm Shadow cruise missile. It even had the opportunity to fire off not one, but two 95YA6 surface-to-air missiles at it.

The 95YA6 missile (export version is known as 57E6) has a maximum speed of 1,300 m/s (Mach 3.8) during its booster phase, with a terminal speed of 780 m/s (Mach 2.3) at its “guaranteed launch range of 18 km). It is said to have a kill probability of 70% to 90%.

The Storm Shadow cruise missile, on the other hand, flies on a pre-programmed path at just under the speed of sound – 0.95 Mach (323 m/s). So the 95YA6 missile is definitely more than capable of intercepting it.

But even with guidance data from the Pantsir-S1 radar, the two missiles (which lack their own seekers) just could not come close enough to the Storm Shadow cruise missile, to detonate their high-explosive warheads to take it down.

Graphics Credit : The Sun

According to the Ukrainian Defence Minister, all of the Storm Shadow missile launches were successful:

I can say that of the total number of Storm Shadow launches that have taken place, all 100% have reached the targets determined by the General Staff [of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – ed.]. 100 out of 100, absolutely impeccable.

While the Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have intercepted two Storm Shadow missiles, this video clearly demonstrates the poor performance of the Pantsir-S1 air defence system. This isn’t the first time the Pantsir-S1’s performance failed to live up to its reputation.

The UAE provided Russian Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name SA-22 Greyhound) systems to the Libyan National Army, where it initially performed well against slow-flying Bayraktar TB-2 drones. However, it was soon suppressed by Turkish electronic warfare systems, and some nine Pantsir systems were destroyed in drone strikes, while a tenth system was captured.

Ultimately, the viral video is yet another example of Russian propaganda, which is shoddy as usual. Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:

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

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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.

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Leopard Tanks Russia Destroyed Were Just Tractors!

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Russia proudly declared that its forces destroyed eight Leopard tanks, but guess what – they were apparently just farming tractors!

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

Russia : Our Troops Destroyed Eight Leopard Tanks!

On Tuesday, 6 June 2023, the Russian Defence Ministry proudly announced that its troops destroyed eight Leopard tanks while fighting off a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Russian Ministry of Defence released a video on Telegram, showing three of those Leopard tanks being destroyed as evidence.

Кадры уничтожения иностранной бронетехники, в том числе танков Leopard

Footage of the destruction of foreign armored vehicles, including Leopard tanks

The 47-second video shows missile strikes on two vehicles in the distance, from the gunner’s perspective.

While the Russian Ministry of Defence did not mention whether its troops destroyed the newer Leopard 2 tanks, or the much older Leopard 1 tanks, Ukraine has only received Leopard 2 tanks, so killing eight of them would be a tremendous coup.

https://youtu.be/FYOjjJIJXDM

Truth : Leopard Tanks Russia Destroyed Were Just Tractors!

The Russian government has done nothing but lie from before it invaded Ukraine until today, and this is no different.

Those Leopard tanks that it allegedly destroyed were really just farming equipment! That’s why they don’t appear to be moving in the video clip. Just sitting still in the open fields like sitting ducks.

Ironically, it was not the Ukrainians or Western government officials who exposed this new example of Russian government fake news, but pro-Russian military bloggers!

Just hours after the Russian Ministry of Defence triumphantly released its video showing at least two Leopard tanks being blown up, the video was thoroughly debunked by the pro-Russian Telegram channel, Military Informer.

These “Leopard tanks” were identified as John Deere 9000 and 700 series combine harvesters, which are commonly used in Ukraine.

And this “Leopard tank” was identified as a John Deere 4830 sprayer tractor. Also commonly used in Ukraine.

The Russian military military bloggers even highlighted the tractor’s wheels, which the Leopard tanks do not have.

A detailed comparison of the silhouettes of vehicles from the DoD video with agricultural vehicles, to which these silhouettes are most similar.

These are American combine harvesters John Deere 9000 and 700 series, as well as tractor-sprayer John Deere 4830. This equipment is quite popular in Ukraine.

Why it was necessary to give out frames with an erroneous defeat of agricultural equipment for an actual video of the defeat of the Leopards, we do not know.

It is unknown what ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) were used to destroy these farming machines of death (to wheat and insects), but those missiles likely cost more than the tractors that got blown up.

Just in case there’s any confusion, this is what the real Leopard 2 tank looks like, and its silhouette. As you can see, its 120mm Rheinmetall smoothbore cannon does not have a muzzle that bends downwards. Neither does it have four large wheels.

Another pro-Russian military channel also fumed about this ridiculous claim, “Why the fuck did they pass these off as Leopards?”

This pathetic propaganda effort notably comes after the same Russian Ministry of Defence announced that it “stopped” the Ukrainian counteroffensive, killing 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers and 109 armoured vehicles, including the eight Leopard tanks.

Wagner Group head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, even publicly called it “absurd science fiction“, and sarcastically suggested that this meant that “we [Russian forces] have already destroyed the entire planet five times over“.

Prigozhin also quipped that the war can now end because Russia has “no one left to fight“, and he would now get a tattoo of Defence Minister Sergei Shogun, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov “to mark this wonderful occasion“. What a burn!

Just in case you are wondering, this is not a photo of a Leopard 2 tank destroyed by Russian forces. It’s actually a Leopard 2A4 tank that was reportedly involved in a training accident somewhere in Poland. It apparently collided with another Leopard tank, causing a barrel strike that lifted the turret right off the chassis.

Ultimately, the viral video is just another example of Russian propaganda, which is shoddy as usual. Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:

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Is Ukraine Investigating Zelenskyy For High Treason?!

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Is the State Bureau of Investigation investigating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for High Treason against Ukraine?!

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

Claim : Ukraine SBI Is Investigating Zelenskyy For High Treason!

People are sharing an article by Scotland Today online, which claims that the Ukraine SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) is investigating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for High Treason!

Similar claims are also being made by pro-Russia (vatnik) websites and social media accounts. The article is long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Zelenskyy to be investigated for “High Treason,” by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation

The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv issued a ruling to oblige the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation to start a pre-trial investigation in connection with the possible treason of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former Verkhovna Rada deputy Geo Leros said on May 30 in his Telegram channel.

“Let me remind you that the pocket SBI refused to investigate Zelenskyy’s high treason when he appointed FSB agents to key positions in the SBU, but we were obliged by the court to enter information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations and begin a pre-trial investigation,” the former deputy said.

He cited a photograph of a copy of the ruling of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv, by which the court obliges the State Bureau of Investigation to conduct a pre-trial investigation at the request of Leros. In his message on the Telegram channel, the deputy clarified that the court ordered to initiate a criminal case “against Zelensky and co” under Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason).

According to Mr Leos, Zelenskyy himself, the head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak, his deputy Roman Mashovets, as well as the ex-chairman of the SBU Ivan Bakanov and the former deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ruslan Demchenko are the main defendants, thanks to whom FSB agents were allegedly appointed to the special services.

According to Mr Leros, these appointments have led to tens of thousands of dead Ukrainians. The MP demanded that the traitors be held accountable for serious crimes against the Ukrainian people.

Show less

Truth : Zelenskyy Pre-Trial Investigation Is Just Protocol

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS promoted by pro-Russia activists to diminish support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Geo Leros Is Accusing Zelenskyy Of High Treason

The accusation that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy committed high treason was not brought by the state of Ukraine itself, but by one of the former members of his own party, Geo Leros.

Geo Leros is a Ukrainian Member of Parliament, who was elected to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) as a member of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party. However, he soon turned against his colleagues, and started accusing Zelenskyy of violating election promises, and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, of corruption.

He was since expelled from the Servant of the People’s party, and has since been actively working to bring down the Zelenskyy administration. In March 2023, he accused the Ukrainian authorities of censoring TV broadcasts, and corruption – with over 20 million dollars transferred to TV oligarchs.

Now, Geo Leros is accusing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of committing high treason against the state of Ukraine, by appointing Russian FSB agents to key positions in the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine).

Committed to open a criminal case of Article 111 (treason) against Zelensky and co!

I remind you that the pocket SBR refused to investigate Zelensky’s treason when he appointed FSB agents to key positions in the SBU, but we were obliged by the court to report to the Yardr and start a pre-trial investigation.

Zelensky, Ermak, Mashovets, Bakanov, Demchenko should be questioned as the main figures of the appointment of FSB agents in the Security Service of Ukraine.

These freaks must show who and how much paid them for these appointments, because these appointments have led to tens of thousands of dead Ukrainians.

I will not allow these traitors to escape responsibility for serious crimes against the Ukrainian people!

Fact #2 : The Letter Appears To Be Genuine

The letter that Geo Leros posted on Instagram, and shared excitedly by pro-Russian websites and social media accounts, appears to be genuine. Here is a machine translation of the letter:

PECHERSKY DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF KYIV

Document No. 757/21124/23-k

RESOLVED IN THE NAME OF UKRAINE

On May 30, 2023, the Investigating Judge of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv – T.V. Ostapchuk, under the secretary – K.S. Lymar,
with:
complainant – Leros H.B.
representative of the complainant – lawyer Sayenko V.V.
Having considered in an open court session in the courtroom in Kyiv the proceedings on the complaint of Leros Geo Bagratovych about the inactivity of the investigator, regarding the failure to submit information to the EDPR according to the application No. 23d9/7-2023/88804 dated 04/26/2023, –

Guided by Part 2 of Art. 376 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, investigating judge, –

УХВАЛИВ:

Complaint of Leros Geo Bagratovych against the inaction of the investigator, regarding the failure to provide information
To the ERDR according to the request dated 04/26/2023 No. 23,9/7-2023/88804 – to satisfy.

Oblige authorized persons of the State Bureau of Investigation to enter information into the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations based on the application of Leros Geo Bagratovych dated 04/26/2023 No. 239/7-2023/88804 on the commission of a criminal offense and to start a pre-trial investigation, about which to inform the applicant.

Praise is not subject to appeal.

The full text of the resolution will be announced on June 2, 2023 at 1:50 p.m.

Fact #3 : The Court Order Did Not Order Criminal Investigation

While the letter is being framed as evidence that Geo Leros succeeded in opening a criminal investigation of High Treason against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other members of his administration, it is merely protocol.

In November 2012, a new Code of Criminal Procedure was introduced in Ukraine, in which Article 214 states that all reports of criminal offences must be registered for Pre-trial Investigations within 24 hours.

This is a standard procedure for all accusations or reports of criminal offences, regardless of whether they are genuine or not.

The investigator, interrogating officer, prosecutor immediately, but no later than 24 hours after filing an application, reporting a criminal offense or after independently identifying from any source circumstances that may indicate the commission of a criminal offense, is obliged to enter the relevant information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations to start investigation and, 24 hours after entering such information, provide the applicant with an extract from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations.

What the Pecherskyi district court ordered in the letter is merely to order that the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) comply with Article 214 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and file Geo Leros’ report of high treason for Pre-trial Investigation.

According to Article 2019 of the same code, the SBI has 18 months to conduct a Pre-trial Investigation of “grave and especially grave crimes”. After that, the SBI is obliged to either close the proceedings if it finds no evidence of a crime, or send an indictment to the court.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Ukraine

This is just another example of fake news created to reduce support for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Here are other examples you may have seen on social media:

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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.

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Did Pentagon Just Get Hit By A Large Explosion?!

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Was the Pentagon just hit by a large explosion?! Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Pentagon Was Just Hit By A Large Explosion!

A photo of an explosion at the Pentagon has gone viral on social media, with multiple “blue check” Twitter accounts, an Indian media outlet and Russian state media sharing it!

RT : Reports of an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington DC

Bloomberg Feed : Large Explosion near The Pentagon Complex in Washington D.C. – Initial Report

⚠️BREAKING – Initial Reports of a Large Explosion near The Pentagon Complex in Washington D.C.
A Fire is currently Burning at the Location of the Blast with Fire and Rescue Crews arriving On-Scene.

Initial Reports of a Large Explosion near The #Pentagon Complex in #Washington D.C.
A Fire is currently Burning at the Location of the Blast with Fire and Rescue Crews arriving On-Scene.

Truth : Pentagon Was Not Hit By A Large Explosion!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created using AI technology, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Was No Pentagon Explosion

First, let me just confirmed that there was no explosion at the Pentagon yesterday or today. The Pentagon did not come under attack, as many people have claimed.

For one thing – no legitimate media outlet has reported on such an explosion. No, propaganda outlets like Russia Today (RT) do not count.

This incident has shown just how unreliable RT really is – it was the only state media agency to post the fake photo. RT deleted the photo hours later, but did not appear to apologise for the “mistake”.

Furthermore, police and fire officials in Arlington, Virgina, have confirmed that the viral photo is fake, and that there was no incident at the Pentagon. No explosion. No fire. No smoke.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon.

There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

Fact #2 : That Is Not The Pentagon

Anyone who has seen the facade / side profile of the Pentagon will immediately realise that the photo does not show the famous building.

The fake building looks like like a university than the Pentagon, which has a flat, sloping roof without a triangular Gable roof.

The facade of the Pentagon is also almost flat and uniform, with uniform, same-sized windows throughout.

Fact #3 : The Photo Was AI Generated

The viral photo appears to be created using an AI image generator. If you look closely at the photo, you will see many discrepancies that suggest it was AI-generated:

The facade of the building is distorted, with some windows merging together.
The fence suddenly turns into crowd barriers, both of which have distortions with holes too.
The lamp post appears to be distorted and cut off from its base, literally floating sideways.

Not shown below, but the concrete walkway also gradually fades into grass, which is another sign it was AI-generated.

Fact #4 : Twitter Blue + Gold Accounts Helped Spread Fake Photo!

It is important to point out that while this viral photo tricked many people into thinking it was real, it was the new Twitter Blue and Twitter Gold accounts that helped it go viral.

The photo went viral because multiple Twitter Blue accounts shared the fake photo. Because many people still believe that blue check Twitter accounts are “verified” and therefore trustworthy, they shared it out too.

Elon Musk is responsible for this debacle, by allowing any Tom, Dick and Harry to purchase a blue check to masquerade as a “verified” Twitter account. That was how the fake Bloomberg Feed account was able to trick so many people to share this fake photo.

On top of that, Russian state media – RT (Russia Today) boosted the fake photo by reposting it on its Twitter Gold account, which is a paid and verified account. Even though RT finally deleted the tweet hours later, more than 38,000 people had already viewed the post, and many shared it because they believed RT verified the news.

Fact #5 : Indian News Channel Helped Spread Fake Photo

It also did not help that Republic TV – a right-wing, English language news channel in India, broadcasted a “Live & Breaking” news of the Pentagon explosion using nothing more than that fake photo!

To top it off, they even invited Professor Madhav Nalapat – “an international affairs expert” to opine on the fake explosion!

To be fair – Republic TV relied on RT to verify that news, with a chyron saying, “RT REPORTS EXPLOSION NEAR PENTAGON“. That ought to teach them for relying on Russian state media for facts…

Republic TV claims the Pentagon was just hit by a massive explosion! 😲🤔

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/GndMXdMr4I #TechARP #Pentagon #Explosion #Military #USDOD #UnitedStates #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #AIGenerated #AI #ArtificialIntelligence pic.twitter.com/XaqglBsV3T

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) May 24, 2023

Fact #6 : This Is Just AI-Generated Fake News!

This is yet another example of fake photos / videos / news created by artificial intelligence. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:

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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.

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Did US Send Nuclear AEGIS Missiles To Ukraine?!

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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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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Are Ukrainians Spending Western Money On Parties?!

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Are the Ukrainians are wasting money donated by Western countries on parties in Kyiv?!

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

Claim : Ukrainians Are Spending Western Money On Parties!

People are sharing a series of viral videos posted by RadioGenova, which claim to show Ukrainian nightclub parties, as evidence that Ukrainians are wasting money donated by Western countries on parties in Kyiv!

Meanwhile in Kiev nightclubs… Please donate more money!

Kiev 2023, Boho Yosai and Infinitum nightclubs. Please donate more money. The party must go on!

Infinitum nightclub in Kiev now. Please donate more money. The party must go on!

Are Ukrainians spending donated money on nightclub parties?! 😲🤨

Here are the facts : https://t.co/vI0ZurDQoC #TechARP #Ukraine #Russia #UkraineWar #Nightclub #Propaganda #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Dancing #Entertainment #Nightlife #Party #Controversy #Kyiv #Ukrainian pic.twitter.com/lurc2CfkTI

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) May 8, 2023

Truth : Ukrainians Are Not Spending Western Money On Parties!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by pro-Russia activists to diminish support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Videos Were Originally Posted In TikTok

There is no evidence that the viral videos were recorded by RadioGenova.

They were originally posted by a TikTok account called kievnight (@Kiev_night), and reposted (stolen? misappropriated?) by RadioGenova on its Twitter account.

Fact #2 : The Videos Were Recorded In 2021

RadioGenova falsely claimed that the videos were just recorded in 2023.

The TikTok account that posted the original videos, kievnight, stated that they were recorded in 2021 – before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Other videos clearly stated that it was recorded in 2021. For example, this kievnight posted this video on 2 September 2022, but was really recorded on 24 August, 2021 (24 серпня 2021 року).

kievnight also posted this TikTok video showing scenes from Kiev, before and after the Russian invasion.

@kievnight
#kiev 💔

♬ orijinal ses – Kiev_night

Fact #3 : Ukraine Still Has A Curfew

Although parts of Ukraine far from the frontlines are reopening, Ukraine still has a curfew which is stricter closer to the fighting, and more relaxed further away. In the Donetsk region, for example, curfew begins at 9 PM.

In the early days of the war, Kyiv had an early 5 PM curfew, with several nationwide lockdowns that lasted 3 days. But that was gradually loosened as the war improved in Ukraine’s favour.

Restaurants, clubs and bars were allowed to reopen, but had their closing times limited to between 8 PM and 9:30 PM. In March 2023, that was extended to 11 PM, which meant last orders would be around 10 PM, with a closing time of about 10:30 PM.

Night life may be returning in Ukraine, but that does not mean people are partying in the wee hours of the morning.

Fact #4 : Western Funds Are Not Going Into Nightclubs

Russian propaganda has traditionally been crude, and it’s no different from this one. Only simpletons would believe the spiel that these nightclubs and parties are being funded by Western countries.

These Ukrainian nightclubs and parties are private affairs, and have nothing to do with donations and funding provided by Western countries to aid in Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion.

The bulk of Western contributions to Ukraine are coming in the form of military hardware – guns, missiles, rockets, tanks, helicopters, and even fighter jets. None of which would be helpful in getting any party going.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake News About Ukraine War

This is just another example of fake news created about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Here are other examples you may have seen on social media:

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

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

Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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Did ICC Just Issue Arrest Warrant For Joe Biden?!

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Did the ICC (International Criminal Court) just issue an arrest warrant for President Joe Biden for attacking the Nord Stream pipelines?!

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

Claim : ICC Just Issued Arrest Warrant For President Joe Biden!

People are sharing a YouTube video which shows the ICC (International Criminal Court) issuing an arrest warrant for President Joe Biden for his role in the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines!

BREAKING NEWS!! Arrest Warrant Issued For President Biden For Nord Stream

How To Be A Hypocrite From AlienJacket Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together.

Truth : ICC Did Not Issue Arrest Warrant For President Joe Biden!

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

Fact #1 : This Video Was From July 2022

While this video is being presented as new – “Breaking News!!“, it is actually more than 9 months old.

I traced the video to the opening statement of ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan QC, which was recorded on July 14, 2022.

Fact #2 : ICC Called For Cooperation Into Ukraine War Crimes Probe

In the original video, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was speaking at the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague, where he called for “an overarching strategy” to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to justice.

The simple truth is that, as we speak, children, women and men, the young and the old, are living in terror.

Just in case you are wondering – the Ukraine Accountability Conference was held to coordinate efforts to create a coherent approach in ensuring accountability for war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Fact #3 : Viral Video Features A Fake “Satire” Voice-Over

The video is real, but the original audio was replaced by a fake “satire” voice-over. Karim Khan spoke English in the original video, so there was no need for a translator.

The fake video creator actually mentioned this in the video’s title, but intentionally made the extra long to reduce visibility of that disclaimer. The fake news creator also mentioned the use of a fake voice-over in the description:

BREAKING NEWS!! Arrest Warrant Issued For President Biden For Nord Stream (Satire Interpreter Voice)

How To Be A Hypocrite From AlienJacket Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together. Satire Interpreter Voice To Show What An Alternate Reality Would Look Like Or Prefer. Again, Satire Satire Satire!

This goes to show just how many people don’t bother to even read the title. Of course, when it comes to pro-Russia and pro-CCP netizens, who cares? If it is anti-America, it must be true.

Fact #4 : It Was Posted By A New “Parody” YouTube Account

The viral video was posted by a new YouTube account created on March 15, 2023. So far, this YouTube channel – AlienJacket, posted seven anti-Western videos – six of which are fake “parody” videos.

The only non-parody video is of Zambian politician Fred M’membe criticising the United States at China’s recent “democracy forum” – the the Second International Forum on Democracy.

Fact #5 : Unknown Who Destroyed Nord Stream 2 Pipelines

It is currently unknown who destroyed the Nord Stream 2 pipelines. 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 armchair experts may claim, there is simply no conclusive evidence YET that any of those countries are responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

Fact #6 : This Is Pro-Russia Propaganda

This is really nothing more than yet another example of pro-Russia propaganda, like these examples:

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Did Joe Biden Just Walk Away From Air Force Falcons?!

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Did US President Joe Biden bizarrely walk away from the Air Force Falcons, before the football team could present him with a helmet and signed ball?!

Claim : Joe Biden Bizarrely Walks Away From Air Force Falcons!

People are sharing a Twitter video and post that appears to show US President Joe Biden suddenly walking away from the Air Force Falcons, before the football team could present him with a helmet and signed ball.

Sinnaig : 🇷🇺😂🤨 This guy “runs” the world…
Biden hosted the US Air Force Academy football team “Falcons” at the White House.
He was supposed to be presented with a ball signed by the team, a helmet and a football jersey. He only took the sweater and suddenly turned around and left…😂

In the video, a female officer gestures to President Biden, who pauses before turning around to walk away from the team with a football jersey, while two officers appear to be waiting to hand him a football and a helmet.

Did Joe Biden bizarrely walk AWAY from the Air Force Falcons BEFORE they presented him with a football and helmet?! 😳😜

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/6NWBzpOv8S #TechARP #JoeBiden #AirForce #USAF #Football #Sports #Politics #Politician #Propaganda #Facts #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/YAHrI2JeLs

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) April 30, 2023

Why Joe Biden Walked Away From Air Force Falcons!

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

Fact #1 : President Joe Biden Presented CIC Trophy To Air Force Falcons

First, let me just give you some context on what’s going on.

The video was recorded at around 2:40 PM on Friday, April 28, 2023 at the White House where President Joe Biden presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Air Force Falcons.

Fact #2 : Air Force Falcons Presented Joe Biden With Ball + Helmet

Sinnaig falsely claimed that the President Joe Biden walked away before the Air Force Falcons presented him with a signed ball and a helmet, taking with him only a football jersey.

The truth is – the Air Force Falcons presented Joe Biden with all three items. This was specifically mentioned in the White House transcript of the event.

(The President is presented with an Air Force Falcons jersey, football, and helmet.)

Fact #3 : The Video Was Edited

The video is genuine, but edited to convey the impression that President Biden is a doddering old fool.

The fake news creator specifically cut out an earlier segment of the video so that it appears that Joe Biden walked away from the team before they presented him with the football and helmet.

In the original video (which I posted below), you can see Air Force Falcons coach Calhoun call on two Air Force captains to present the three items to President Biden.

Our two captains: Haaziq Daniels, quarterback, and — and running back Brad Roberts. And, sir, they have a couple of small items here for you.

Captain Haaziq Daniels first hands Biden the jersey, which he holds up for a photo, before he gives him the signed football. Biden then mocks an attempt to throw it, saying “Go down, out, and down” to laughter from the crowd.

After handing the football back to Captain Daniels, he says “Where I’m going tonight, I may need that helmet.“, and turns to take the helmet from Captain Brad Roberts.

Before walking off, he turns towards the team, and says something to them. It is inaudible, but according to the White House transcript, this was what he said:

Well, thank you very much. What a great, great honor. I appreciate it very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

After that, he turns around and walks out of the room, carrying only the jersey. It wouldn’t be possible for him to hold onto all three items after all.

The two Air Force captains then places the football and helmet on the table, before taking a photo with General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

This video shows Joe Biden receiving the helmet and football from the Air Force Falcons, which was edited OUT of the fake video!

What's going on : https://t.co/6NWBzpOv8S #TechARP #JoeBiden #AirForce #USAF #Football #Sports #Politics #Politician #Propaganda #Facts #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/mtcYFx0gZG

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) April 30, 2023

Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Joe Biden

This is just another example of political fake news created to smear Joe Biden, and here are other examples you may have seen on social media:

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Did CNN Hide Video Of Ukraine Attacking Donetsk?!

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Did CNN hide its video reporting on Ukraine attacking Donetsk and killing innocent civilians there?!

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

Claim : CNN Hid Video Of Ukraine Attacking Donetsk!

People are sharing a video on WhatsApp, TikTok, and Facebook, which apparently shows CNN hiding its video reporting on Ukraine attacking Donetsk.

In the viral video, former Fox News presenter, Clayton Morris, appears to say that CNN hid a video showing Ukraine killing civilians in Donetsk.

CNN does not want us to see this video. That’s why they’ve hidden it on their website. But thanks to the Internet, we’re going to show it to you now.

This is CNN covering Donetsk. The Donbass being attacked by Ukraine. Watch.

The video then shows a CNN news report, in which the CNN reporter states:

Petro Poroshenko will have a hard time winning back hearts and minds in this city, as the people of Donetsk sweep up the debris of their homes and livelihoods. They’re hardened against the president they say is killing his own people.

We are Ukrainian, but they kill us, this man says, so we probably need our own country. The people in Kiev, they’re not brothers for us.

The shells hit these homes days ago, but the tears are still fresh. Two people were killed outside this block of flats last Wednesday. One of them was a 50 year-old woman, the other a 34 year-old woman.

Her husband, who won’t talk to us says he’s in shock, managed to make it down the cellar with their little child, but she just didn’t have the time, and this is a story that repeats itself over and over in dozens of apartment blocks, with civilians being killed by the constant shelling around Donetsk.

The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, are also promoting the video, with comments like:

With 14,000 casualties, among them, 3,500 women and children in the Donbas Region of Ukraine, between 2014 and February 2022, the MSM gave news black out to the war in Ukraine until Russia intervened in February 2022.
To many people around the world, the war in Ukraine started in 2022. In reality, it started in 2014.

Did CNN hide their video on Ukraine killing civilians in Donetsk?! 😲🤨

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/VY2iImITRz #TechARP #CNN #Ukraine #UkraineWar #Donetsk #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #TikTok #Propaganda #Russia #Russian #War #Military #Video pic.twitter.com/ziTJP0jPeW

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) April 15, 2023

Truth : CNN Did Not Hide Video Of Ukraine Attacking Donetsk!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Original Clayton Morris Video Cannot Be Located

First, I need to point out that I am unable to locate the original Clayton Morris video, and so cannot verify if it was edited or not.

The examples shared on WhatsApp and Facebook appear to originate from a TikTok account called crazyballheads2, which posted it on 12 April 2023.

Fact #2 : CNN Video + Report Was Never Hidden

It took me less than 5 minutes to locate the original CNN video, and the accompanying news report, that was posted by Diana Magnay and Laura Smith-Spark on September 2, 2014.

Misery in Ukraine as deadly conflict drives civilians from homes

Donetsk, Ukraine CNN — In the city of Donetsk, the devastation wrought by weeks of fighting between pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian forces is all too apparent.

And as the civilians caught in the crossfire sweep up the debris of their homes and livelihoods, they are hardened against a president they say is killing his own people.

So the claim that CNN hid the video on their website is nonsense. It is easily accessible by anyone on the CNN website.

Fact #3 : Ukraine Was Trying To Regain Donetsk From Rebels

The Ukrainian army was attacking Donetsk because Russian-backed rebel forces took control of the Donbass region, after Russia annexed Crimea. For those who forget their history, here’s a quick recap:

In February 2014, Ukrainian protestors ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from office. In retaliation, Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, before supporting an armed insurgency in the Donbass region.

By April 2014, Russian-backed rebels seized government buildings in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces (oblasts), and proclaimed the creation of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. That started the armed conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and the Russian-backed rebels.

At first, Russia quietly supplied and helped the rebels with armaments and irregular troops. That led to the downing of MH17 by DPR forces using a Buk missile launcher that just arrived from Russia that day, and was quickly moved back across the border after that. The Buk missile launcher was later traced to Russia’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade.

By August 2014, Russia dispensed with the pretence, and Russian forces actively participated in the conflict, helping to capture more Ukrainian territory.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Ukraine War

This is just another example of fake news created about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Here are other examples you may have seen on social media:

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Did Pavel Krotov Die Suddenly From Vaccine Stroke?!

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Did world champion skier Pavel Krotov die suddenly from a brain haemorrhage caused by the COVID-19 vaccine?!

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

Claim : Pavel Krotov Died Suddenly From Stroke Caused By Vaccine!

Right after news broke that Pavel Krotov died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage in his sleep, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the world champion freestyle skier was killed by the COVID-19 vaccine!

🚨🚨 New #repentinitis sports: world champion skier Pavel Krotov dies‼️

💔 A blood vessel burst while he was sleeping, the new normal

Climate change always lurking 😷🐑

💉 Surely the vaccines have had nothing to do with it

Encore un sportif “mort mystérieusement”💉?
Mort de Pavel Krotov : le champion du monde de ski freestyle est décédé dans son sommeil…

Another “mysteriously dead” athlete 💉?
Death of Pavel Krotov: the freestyle ski world champion died in his sleep…

World skiing champion Pavel Krotov dies suddenly of a brain haemorrhage. 💉💉💉💉

Truth : Pavel Krotov Did Not Die From Stroke Caused By Vaccine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Pavel Krotov Died From A Brain Haemorrhage

Pavel Krotov (born pavel Vadimovich Krotov / Павел Вадимович Кротов on 24 April 1992) was a Russian freestyle skier who won the 2021 FIS Freestyle Ski Aerials World Championship.

Sometime at night on Saturday, 25 March 2023, Pavel Krotov died after suffering a brain haemorrhage during his sleep.

The Russian national team head coach, Alexander Pongilsky, confirmed Pavel Krotov’s cause of death on Monday, 27 March 2023:

Doctors reported that Pavel Krotov died due to a brain hemorrhage. A vessel burst in his sleep.

Pavel Krotov was 20 years old when he died. His funeral took place on Tuesday, March 28 in Yaroslavl.

Fact #2 : Unknown If Pavel Krotov Was Vaccinated

Pavel Krotov has never publicly revealed his vaccination status, so it is unknown if he ever received the COVID-19 vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory globally, and many people like Kris Jordan, Aaron Carter, Kirstie Alley and Stephan Bonnar who “died suddenly” were never vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccination is also low in Russia, with just over 50% of the population fully-vaccinated as of 31 March 2023. So it is possible that Pavel Krotov was never vaccinated against COVID-19.

Until and unless his family reveals his vaccination status, anyone who tells you that Pavel Krotov suffered a vaccine side effect is likely lying to you.

Fact #4 : Brain Haemorrhage Can Happen In Young People

While some people claim that it is impossible or rare for young people to suffer from a brain haemorrhage, that’s not true.

According to a 2018 study published in the journal Nature, the incidence of non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (brain haemorrhage not caused by trauma) for young adults is about 5 cases per 100,000 individuals per year.

With a young adult population of approximately 60.33 million as of January 1, 2022, we should expect about 3,016 cases of young adults in Russia to develop brain haemorrhage in one year.

In young people, non-traumatic brain haemorrhage is often caused by these risk factors:

hypertension and vascular abnormalities are the predominant causes
other causes include drug abuse and pregnancy

While we do not yet know what caused Pavel Krotov’s brain haemorrhage, the takeaway is this – it is not rare for young adults to suffer from one.

Fact #5 : COVID-19 Vaccines Cannot Prevent Other Illnesses

COVID-19 vaccines are designed to protect us against severe illness and death from COVID-19, by teaching our own immune system how to create antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

They, however, cannot protect us against other causes of death, whether it’s pneumonia, cardiac arrest or even other viruses. Hence, fully-vaccinated people can and will suffer from other illnesses.

Even assuming Pavel Krotov was fully-vaccinated, it is ludicrous for anti-vaccination activists to blame his brain haemorrhage on the vaccine. Did they really expect the COVID-19 vaccine to be an elixir of immortality? Please grow up.

Fact #6 : Claims Of Athletes Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing athlete deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, claims of athlete deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance. Here is the latest dozen that I looked into:

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next athlete tragedy…

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

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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Does Viral Video Show France Pension Riot Damage?!

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Does this viral video show the massive damage caused by riots over the 2023 pension reforms in France?!

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

Claim : Viral Video Shows Pension Riot Damage In France!

People are sharing a video which purportedly shows the massive damage caused by riots over the 2023 pension reforms in France!

Wide Awake Media : The streets of Ukraine look like a complete warzone.

Actually no, it’s France.

#BeMoreFrench #FranceProtests #FrenchProtests #MacronDemission

This is not Ukraine …it is France. Looking like a warzone

France looks more of a war zone than Ukraine.

No green screen trickery here 👊.

Have a look at Ukraine…I mean France!

Truth : Viral Video Does NOT Show Pension Riot Damage In France!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS shared on WhatsApp, Telegram and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video

First, let me just point out that the viral video clip was recorded in Paris, but is not new.

The original video was recorded on Saturday, 24 December 2022, and is therefore unrelated to the 2023 protests over pension reforms in France.

It appears to have been recorded and posted by Rémy Buisine, a French journalist.

Fact #2 : The Riot Occurred After Attack On Kurdish Cultural Center

The riot captured in the video video occurred one day after a man opened fired at the Ahmet-Kaya centre – a Kurdish cultural centre on Rue d’Enghien in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The gunman also fired at a hairdresser’s and a restaurant on that street. One woman and two men were killed, and at least three other people were seriously injured.

The gunman was a 69 year-old retired train driver who has been described as a “white supremacist” who had recently been released from detention while awaiting trial for a sabre attack on two Sudanese refugees at a refugee camp in Paris a year ago.

In response, the Kurdish Democratic Council in France (CDK-F) called for people to gather at the Republic Square for a protest. Protesters later clashed with riot police near the scene of the shootings.

Does this video show damage caused by protest over 2023 pension reforms in France?! 🤔

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/MytKlffRwk #TechARP #France #Paris #Pension #Protest #Riot #Police #Viral #Video #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #Propaganda #Macron pic.twitter.com/5Ja3GKEavG

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) March 28, 2023

Fact #3 : This Riot Was Much Smaller Than 2023 Pension Reform Protests

This December 2022 riot appears to be very violent, with several cars overturned and at least one car on fire. However, it was a short-lived riot, and involved only hundreds of Kurds near the location of the shooting in Paris.

The 2023 pension reform protests are much larger, involving over a million strikers and demonstrators all over France, and has been ongoing since January 19. While they set fire to garbage and damaged some storefronts, there appears to be less violence and damage.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Another Example Of Pro-Russia Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of fake news created to mock France for its support of Ukraine, and mislead people about the carnage Russia is 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:

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

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Did Vladimir Putin Kneel Before Xi Jinping?!

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Did Russian President Vladimir Putin kneel before Chinese President Xi Jinping, to kiss his hand?!

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

Claim : Vladimir Putin Was Forced To Kneel Before Xi Jinping!

People are claiming on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, that Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced to kneel before Chinese President Xi Jinping, and kiss his hand!

…Slava Ukraini…braveness of Ukraine soldiers has led the cruest current dictator Putin to kneel before China Xi jinping…Putin can’t believe the strongness of Ukrainians… Slava Ukraini

#putin gives #xi a kiss and kneels

We all wonder does Putin need to go on his knees in order to get Weapons from China?

Back in the old day Leaders often Visited Leaders and needed to kneel down while requesting support.
#leaders #china #russia #Criminals

#Russian propaganda loved to spread the slogan “Russians won’t kneel.”

#XiJinping #putin
#UkraineRussianWar

Truth : Vladimir Putin Did Not Kneel Before Xi Jinping!

This is yet an example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by pro-Ukrainian groups to mock Russia and China, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported This

No legitimate Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese or international media outlet reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced to, or voluntarily chose to, kneel before Xi Jinping during the Chinese President’s state visit to Russia.

The very act of a Russian head of state kneeling before his Chinese counterpart would have caused massive outrage in Russia, and shock in Ukraine, the West and even in China.

Yet no legitimate media outlet reported on it? That’s because it never happened.

Fact #2 : Photo Appears To Be AI-Generated

A closer examination of the photo shows several artifacts that suggest that it was AI-generated.

The man on the left appears to lack thumbs, and his two hands appear to melt together.
The nose and left ear on Xi Jinping’s head appears to be misplaced.
Vladimir Putin’s head is overly large in proportion to his body, and his ear is strangely misplaced.
Vladimir Putin’s legs appear to be distorted with the right leg appearing much larger than the left leg.
Vladimir Putin’s right knee mysteriously appears behind the heel of his left leg.

Based on those anomalies, this photo is very likely generated by a text-to-image generator.

Fact #3 : Photo Originated In A Ukrainian Telegram Group

This viral photo of Vladimir Putin kneeling before Xi Jinping to kiss his hand appears to have originated in a Ukrainian Telegram group called УНИАН – новости Украины (UNIAN – news of Ukraine).

Fact #4 : OP Indicated The Photo Was Edited / Generated

The person who originally posted the photo in the Ukrainian Telegram group, indicated that it was Photoshopped.

Хейтеры скажут, что фотошоп, но мы-то знаем, что х*йло давно хотел облобызать нефритовый стержень товарища Си 😅

Haters will say it’s photoshopped, but we know that x*ylo wanted to kiss Comrade Xi’s jade rod for a long time 😅

Fact #5 : Background Do Not Match Actual Meeting Room

The furniture and walls in the viral photo also do not appear to match the official photos of the room where Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met.

Instead of a dark green and white columns, the actual meeting room has a light green wall with gold trims and white columns.

The chairs in the viral photo are dark brown with beige cushions, while the real chairs are white, with off-white cushions. The actual table is also white, while the table in the viral photo is dark brown.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Ukraine War Fake News

This is yet another example of fake news created around the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and here are other examples:

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Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

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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! !

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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Was BBC Journalist Pretending To Be In Danger?!

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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!

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.

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

Here are the facts : https://t.co/ezMSDQa7KJ #TechARP #BBC #JeremyBowen #Journalist #News #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Ukraine #UkraineWar #Russia #China #Propaganda #Fake #FakeNews #Wumao pic.twitter.com/82GbYCWo6f

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) March 11, 2023

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:

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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.

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Does CGTN Video Prove US Blew Up Nord Stream?!

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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.

119 days prior to the Nord Stream explosions, several members of the task force, allegedly led by U.S. President National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, flew to Norway to find a suitable place to plant explosives under the pipeline.

116 days prior to the Nord Stream explosions, a U.S. aircraft carrier has arrived in the Baltic Sea to participate in NATO’s annual naval exercise Baltops-22.

113 days prior to the Nord Stream explosions, the Baltops-22 military exercise has begun. The manoeuvres continued in the Baltic Sea for 13 days.

During the exercise, the U.S. planes regularly circled over the sites of future gas pipeline explosions. The minimum flight altitude was less than 600 meters.

Underwater explosive placement training was performed during the military drills in the water area near the gas pipelines.

103 days prior to the Nord Stream explosions, presumably, a group of Americans in plain clothes arrived at the exercise site by helicopter, and met with the Vice Admiral of the Sixth Fleet of the U.S. Navy, as well as a group of men in plain clothes.

The Americans then went on a deep dive. They placed the C4 explosive on pipes with a protective concrete coating. The operation lasted six hours.

24 days prior to the Nord Stream explosions, U.S. Navy helicopters circled the sites of future pipeline explosions.

On the day of the explosions, a P8 reconnaissance plane allegedly flew over the Baltic Sea and dropped a hydroacoustic buoy that detonated C4 explosives on the gas pipelines.

The explosive destroyed three out of the four gas pipelines. Methane from the pipelines began to spread across the surface of the water. The operator of Nord Streams [sic] estimates that the repair work will cost more than $500 million and take at least a year.

However, due to the U.S. and Western sanctions, the repair of the Nord Streams [sic] is not yet possible. The longer the repairs are delayed, the more difficult they will be.

4 days after the explosions at Nord Streams, Anthony [sic] Blinken said, “This is also a great opportunity to end Europe’s energy dependence on Russia once and for all.

148 days after the explosions at Nord Streams, on February 21, 2023, at Russia’s request, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the North [sic] Streams explosions where a heated debate about the incident and its investigations erupted.

Show less

Here is Part 2 of the CGTN video that claims to show HOW the United States blew up the Nord Stream pipelines!

Read my fact check : https://t.co/d0GHPsm2tM #TechARP #CGTN #China #Russia #Ukraine #UkraineWar #NordStream #SeymourHersh #Conspiracy #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/PJ86b2aYvn

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) March 10, 2023

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.

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.

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.

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!

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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.

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Did Russia Destroy NATO Jets, Helicopters In Ukraine?!

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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!“.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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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.

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Did Mossad Just Admit NATO Is Losing Ukraine War?!

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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.

234 NATO officers, trainers, and agents died (US, UK)

2458 NATO soldiers died (Poland, Germany, Lithuania…)
A total of 5360 mercenaries died.

The war between Russia and Ukraine made us have to care about international affairs after retirement. In this war between Russia and Ukraine, the victory or defeat of Russia will definitely affect the way of life and living conditions of us and future generations! Judging from the current battle situation, our current prediction results are all wild guesses.

But there are a few signs that have been exposed. It can be seen that this battle: the United States was defeated, the EU was fooled, NATO was stunned, Ukraine was smashed, public officials were silenced, and the third world was awakened.
It has made private property unholy, free speech, science and art have borders, cats and dogs have original sins, Switzerland is no longer neutral, and the hegemony of the US dollar is no longer stable. The Americans found that the third brother was disobedient.
The Germans discovered that no matter how high the GDP is, it cannot keep warm. The Chinese discovered that no matter how loud the speech is, it is not as good as having more nuclear weapons.

I don’t know how this battle will end, but the above results are a large class of realism education, which makes us realize more deeply how far-sighted our great leader Chairman Mao was.
Under such difficult and difficult conditions, he developed two A wise decision to bomb one star! This battle will cause the brainwashing and rhetoric techniques that the West has painstakingly worked on for a hundred years to collapse and be destroyed in one battle.
This battle has awakened the Chinese people. The country is rich, the people are strong and the army is stronger. If you have ammunition in your hands, you must have food. The real economy and the public ownership system play a leading role.
This battle further shows that peace depends on nuclear weapons and military strength! Peace is really made!

We should also soberly remember that Chairman Mao once said, “We must support whatever the enemy opposes, and we must oppose whatever the enemy supports.”
In recent decades, some wealthy and government officials have not only deposited money in American banks, Swiss banks, and European Union banks, but also sent their wives and children to live in these countries.
Now these people are restless and regretful! This is like putting meat next to a wolf’s mouth, and sooner or later, the wolf will eat the meat into its stomach!

The above article is reposted, it is really well written!

Show less

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.

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.

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.

Support Tech ARP!

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

Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

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Are Nazis from Japan fighting for Ukraine against Russia?!

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

Claim : Nazis From Japan Are Fighting For Ukraine Against Russia!

The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are sharing photos of what they suggest are Nazis from Japan in Ukraine, helping to fight against Russia!

Japanese Nazis are fighting in Ukraine

Team Japanese in Ukraine

Anarchy is alive and in Ukraine

Note : I placed the misleading overlay to prevent the photos from being further abused.

Truth : Nazis From Japan Are Not Fighting For Ukraine Against Russia!

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 : Photos Are Unrelated

After investigating the viral screenshot, I was able to confirm that they consist of two sets of photos that are unrelated.

The first set of photos, which show four soldiers in Ukraine, was posted by @rattionyade on February 10, 2023.

The second photo is completely unrelated to the first set of photos, and was posted by @xenovampiro (as well as other people) on February 12, 2023.

Fact #2 : Rising Sun Flag Is Not Japanese Nazi Flag

The Rising Sun flag is not the Japanese version of Germany’s Nazi flag. This is actually the Imperial Japanese Navy ensign called Jyūrokujō-Kyokujitsu-ki (十六条旭日旗) that was adopted on May 15, 1870 – over 150 years ago!

The Imperial Japanese Navy used it until the end of World War 2 in 1945. However, it was readopted and has been used by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force on all its ships since June 30, 1954.

Fact #3 : Japanese Nazi Flag Photo Was From 2014

The photo showing men carrying Japanese Rising Sun and Nazi Germany flags was not taken recently, or even in Ukraine.

It is unknown who took this photo, but it was possibly a photographer from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, as the photo was posted by Asahi Shimbun editorial board member Itaru Tominaga (@tanutinn) on Twitter on August 2, 2015, with the description:

東京での日本の国家主義者のデモンストレーション。
彼らは安倍首相と彼の保守的な政治を支持している。

Japanese nationalist demonstration in Tokyo. They are supporting PM Abe and his conservative administration.

On further investigation, I found out that Tominaga deleted the tweet because it was misleading when he posted it – it was taken almost a year ago, on April 20, 2014 – the 125th anniversary of the birth of Adolf Hitler.

On that day, about 40 Japanese protestors marched through the busy entertainment area of the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo, bellowing racist chants about South Korea and China. While the Asahi Shimbun article is no longer available online, you can download a copy here.

In short – this viral photo was taken in Tokyo, Japan, on 20 April 2014, and had nothing to do with Ukraine or the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fact #4 : Ukraine Has Foreign Volunteer Battalions Since 2014

Informal volunteer military groups were formed in spring 2014, from local militias and paramilitary groups, in response to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine.

The Ukraine Ministry of Defence later formed 32 volunteer battalions called “Territorial Defence Battalions”, and the Ukrainian parliament voted on 6 October 2014 to allow foreign fighters to join the military. In December 2014, President Petro Poroshenko promising Ukrainian citizenship to foreign fighters who signed up to fight.

Ironically, volunteers from Russia formed the largest group of foreign fighters in Ukraine! Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, about 3,000 Russian citizens signed up to fight for Ukraine.

Fact #5 : Volunteers From 60 Countries Now Fighting For Ukraine

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian government established the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine.

By 6 March 2022, more than 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries signed up to fight for Ukraine against the Russian invasion. So it would not be surprising to find volunteers from Japan fighting for Ukraine.

@rattionyade, who posted the viral photo on the left, appears to be one of the Japanese volunteers fighting for Ukraine, as he often posts about his life in Ukraine.

Back in November 2022, it was revealed that volunteers from 60 countries are now fighting for Ukraine. Here are some of the units that were formed from those volunteers:

Canadian Brigade : Ukrainian-Canadian volunteers, including former servicemen from Canada
Norman Brigade : veterans from Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa, and Poland.
Freedom of Russia Legion : former servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as other Russian and Belarusian volunteers.
Russian Volunteer Corps : formed from Russian volunteers who have been fighting for Ukraine since 2014.
Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion : Mostly Chechen volunteers who fought in the First Chechen War and Second Chechen War against Russia.
Pahonia Regiment : Belarusian volunteers

Fact #6 : Russia Also Has Foreign Volunteer Forces

Foreigners have also signed up to fight on the Russian side, either as members of the Russian diaspora, for ideological reasons, or as mercenaries hired by the Russian government.

Serbian foreign fighters : International Brigade, Seventh Brigade, Serbian-Hussar Regiment, Ural Unit, First Slavic Unit, Batman Unit, Rezanj Unit, Jovan Šević Detachment
Spanish foreign fighters : Carlos Palomino International Brigade, DKO (Volunteer Communist Unit), Interunit
White nationalists, neo-Nazis, fascists and Christian extremists from Europe and North America : Continental Unity, Orthodox Dawn Battalion, Legion of Saint Istvan.
Syrian Arab Army : 25th Special Mission Forces Division

Fact #7 : 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:

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

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Did Russia Destroy NATO Arms Convoy To Ukraine?!

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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 🇺🇦

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.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Russia-destroy-NATO-arms-convoy-fake-video-example.mp4?_=2

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).

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)!

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

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Did Turkey Earthquake Cause Nuclear Plant Explosion?!

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Did the massive Turkey earthquake cause an atomic explosion at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant?!

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

Claim : Turkey Earthquake Caused Nuclear Plant Explosion!

People are sharing a video of a shocking explosion that allegedly happened at a nuclear power plant, after the massive Turkey earthquake.

☢️ Shocking Atomic explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey

Atomic explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey.

Due to the last earthquake produced in Turkey, the massive explosion of a nuclear power plant is reported. At the moment, more information about the event is unknown or if it has caused fatalities. But judging by the images, it is very possible that there were deaths and injuries in the areas near the explosion. We will keep reporting.

Truth : Turkey Earthquake Did Not Cause Nuclear Plant Explosion!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by a YouTube channel to generate money, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Is Still Under Construction

Turkey does not have any operational nuclear power plants, and only one under construction – the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Büyükeceli, in the Mersin Province.

The first reactor is only scheduled to be completed later in 2023, but it may be delayed by sanctions placed on Rosatom – the Russian company building the nuclear power plant.

Fact #2 : Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Was Undamaged By Earthquake

On Monday, February 6, 2023, a major magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria.

Fortunately, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was only hit by magnitude 3 tremors, and was not damaged.

Earth tremors of about magnitude 3 were felt here… but our specialists have not revealed any damage to building structures, cranes and equipment.

Nevertheless, we are carrying out extensive diagnostic measures to make sure that construction and installation operations can continue safely.

– Anastasia Zoteeva, Rosatom spokesperson

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concurred, stating that there was “no impact” from the earthquakes in Turkey, and the nuclear power plant under construction was “unaffected“.

As of now, no impact from earthquakes on nuclear safety & security in Türkiye, its Nuclear Regulatory Authority told IAEA; no issues so far related to radiological safety & security of radioactive sources, & the country's under construction nuclear power plant is unaffected.

— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) February 6, 2023

Fact #3 : No Report Of Explosion In Mainstream Media

A nuclear power plant explosion would have been big news, and yet, there is no mention of such an explosion in any media outlet. Not CNN, not BBC, not even RT in Russia or CCTV in China.

That’s because this Turkey nuclear power plant explosion never happened. It’s a hoax. Fake news!

Fact #4 : Photo Was From Stock Photography Website

I traced the cover photo of the Turkey nuclear explosion to a stock photography website called Pixabay.

The YouTube video creator, Hide World, used the photo called “Nuclear Explosion Apocalypse” to trick you into believing that there was a nuclear power plant explosion in Turkey.

The image was created by by CristianIS, and posted to the Pixabay website on March 12, 2020.

Fact #5 : Video Showed 2020 Port of Beirut Explosion

The shocking explosion shown in the video created by Hide World was misappropriated from the 2020 Beirut explosion in Lebanon.

On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut exploded, killing at least 218 people and devastating the port and its surrounding areas.

The video that Hide World used was taken by a witness at a restaurant, and showed the second explosion at the Port of Beirut.

You can see the original video (here) posted by Al Arabiya English on 9 August 2020. If you compare that to the Hide World video (below), you can see that they are exactly the same.

Hide World used the Beirut port explosion from 2.5 years ago, to trick you into believing that it’s a video of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant explosion in Turkey.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/☢️-Shocking-Atomic-explosion-at-a-nuclear-power-plant-in-Turkey.mp4?_=3

Fact #6 : This Is Another Example Of Fake YouTube Videos

This is just another example of fake videos created by YouTubers who want to generate more views to build up their channel, or to generate ad money.

Here are some examples of fake YouTube videos that I fact checked in the past:

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

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Fact Check : Babo The Amazing Blind Figure Skater!

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Does a viral dance video show Babo, a blind figure skater who lost his eyesight and mother in a fire many years ago?!

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

Claim : Babo Becomes A Figure Skater After Becoming Blind!

A video has gone viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, showing a pair of male and female dancers, together with these descriptions:

👆This is not one of the ice skating videos.

It’s one of the most amazing performance in the history of skating, which brought tears to the 10,000 spectators present.

Babo, the male dancer, has been blind since childhood. In a fire accident, his mother held him tightly in her arms and jumped from the 7th floor. His mother died, the little Babo became blind due to hemorrhage in his eyes and survived multiple bone fracture.

His mother was an ice skater and Babo inherited that gene. Although he couldn’t see anything, he still pursued his passion enthusiastically.

Here he is doing the famous tango “La Cumparsita” with his partner at the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki!👆

His ears could measure the surrounding sound and distance like a bat. His female dancing partner is equally amazing. She danced with him so elegantly giving the sense of orientation and movements to her partner as if through telepathy so that even the most difficult synchronised movements kept perfect rhythm.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

这是场被称为美国精神的惊艳表演，男舞者Babo从小双目失明，因家中一场大火。母亲为了保护他，把他紧紧抱在怀里从7楼跳下，导致母亲丧生，小babo双目失明。

女舞者非常了不起，长期陪他跳舞及带领他，有谁想到在他身上有22处骨折，凭着惊人毅力，他练就比正常人还要优异的动作，令人叹为观止。

This is a stunning performance known as the American spirit. The male dancer Babo was blind in both eyes due to a fire in his home. In order to protect him, his mother hugged him tightly and jumped from the 7th floor, resulting in the death of his mother and the blindness of little Babo.

The female dancer is amazing. She danced with him and led him for a long time. Who would have thought that he had 22 fractures on his body. With amazing perseverance, he practiced better movements than normal people, which is amazing.

Show less

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Babo-blind-dancer-video.mp4?_=4

Truth : That Is Not Babo, And He Is Not A Blind Figure Skater!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are there reasons why, and what we know about the video…

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded In 2017

While many people think that this is a recent video, the video was actually recorded at the 2017 International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championship, that was held in Helsinki, Finland.

The original video is very long – lasting almost 4 hours. The video clip that went viral on WhatsApp and social media, was edited from this video, starting at the 02:03:28 mark.

Fact #2 : Video Shows Russian Ice Dancers

The video does not show a blind American dancer called Babo, and his female partner. It shows Russian ice dancers Ivan Bukin, and Alexandra Stepanova.

While Ivan Bukin (born Ivan Andreyevich Bukin on 16 September 1993) closed his eyes for a moment before they started skating, he is not blind.

Just in case you are wondering – Alexandra Stepanova (born Alexandra Nikolayevna Stepanova on 19 August 1995) is also not blind.

Fact #3 : Ivan Bukin’s Mother Did Not Die In A Fire

Ivan Bukin is the son of 1988 Olympic ice dancing champion Andrei Bukin, and ice dancer Elena Vasiuk.

Elena Vasiuk did not die in a fire when Ivan Bukin was a child. No one jumped from the 7th floor of any building in a fire, at least not in his family!

In July 2018, Bukin mentioned that both of his parents came to watch him dance to a new Tango Romantica dance routine. So we know that his parents are still alive and well in 2018.

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

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Did Russia Just Destroy 4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles In Ukraine?!

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Did Russia just destroy four Bradley Fighting Vehicles in Ukraine?!

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

Claim : Russia Just Destroyed 4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles In Ukraine!

People are sharing a video of Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov claiming that Russian forces destroyed four Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) in Ukraine!

Here is the accompanying message, which I machine-translated into English.

💥 За сутки боевых действий на данном направлении противник потерял 11 танков, 17 боевых машин пехоты, в том числе четыре БМП «Брэдли» производства США, 10 других боевых бронированных машин, 5 пикапов с крупнокалиберными пулеметами и более 150 военнослужащих.

💥 During the day of hostilities in this direction, the enemy lost 11 tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, including four US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 10 other armored combat vehicles, 5 pickup trucks with heavy machine guns and more than 150 military personnel.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Russias-Ministry-of-Defense-spokesman-Igor-Konashenkov-says-Russia-has-already-destroyed-4-Bradley-vehicles.mp4?_=5

Truth : Russia Did Not Destroy 4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles In Ukraine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS spread by pro-Russian netizens and groups.

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded On 4 September 2022

The video is genuine, but it isn’t new. It was actually posted on the official Russian Ministry of Defence’s Telegram group on 4 September 2022.

In that longer video, Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov was giving a report on the state of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

⚡️ Сводка Министерства обороны Российской Федерации о ходе проведения специальной военной операции на территории Украины (04.09.2022 г.)

⚡️ Report of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine (04.09.2022)

Fact #2 : Bradley Fighting Vehicle Donation Only Announced In January 2023

President Joe Biden only announced that the US government would be sending Ukraine about 50 Bradley M2A2 ODS Fighting Vehicles on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

That’s exactly four months after Russia claimed to have destroyed four of them!

Fact #3 : There Are Still No Bradley Fighting Vehicles In Ukraine

Even today, it is impossible for Russian military forces to have destroyed four Bradley Fighting Vehicles in Ukraine, because the Ukrainian army still does not not have any!

Yes, President Biden announced a new $2.8 billion weapons package on January 4, 2023 that would include about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, but those vehicles will take months to deliver.

As Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder announced on January 5, 2023 – the Bradley Fighting Vehicles have not been delivered to Ukraine.

You will see when Bradleys arrive on the battlefield. Let Ukraine announce it.

Fact #4 : Ukrainians Need To Train On Bradley Fighting Vehicles First!

Logistically, the US Army has about 4,000 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and can easily deliver the 50 vehicles to Ukraine in weeks, if not days.

However, Bradley Fighting Vehicles are complex vehicles, and it will take several weeks for each vehicle and maintenance crew to learn how to use and maintain them. And that is expedited training.

In fact, the Ukrainians will only start training on the Bradley M2 vehicles this week in Germany, as announced by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder in a briefing last week.

Training will mostly start next week in Germany. We expect this training to last weeks, not months.

Regardless of when the US government sends the Bradley M2 vehicles to Ukraine, they will only appear on the battlefield after there are trained Ukrainian crews.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Pro-Russia Propaganda

This is nothing more than old but official Russian propaganda that is being used by pro-CCP and pro-Russia netizens and groups to promote the perception that the United States is wasting resources in Ukraine.

Be wary of such claims, because there are plenty spreading on WhatsApp, Telegram and social media platforms. Here is a selection of similar Russian propaganda that I fact checked in the past:

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

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Olga Taran Refutes Kremlin + Crypto Links To Husband’s Death!

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Olga Taran refutes claims of Kremlin and crypto ties to her Russian billionaire husband, Vyacheslav Taran, who died in a helicopter crash!

Earlier : Russian Billionaire Vyacheslav Taran Dies In Helicopter Crash!

Russian billionaire Vyacheslav Taran died in a helicopter crash in rather mysterious circumstances on Friday, November 25, 2022.

On that fateful day, he was flying from Lausanne, Switzerland in a single-engined H130 helicopter back to his home in Monaco, when it crashed near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer in good, clear weather.

He was supposed to be travelling with another unidentified passenger on this flight, but that passenger cancelled at the last minute.

Both Vyacheslav Taran, 53, and the 35 year-old French helicopter pilot were killed in the crash.

The deputy public prosecutor of Nice who visited the crash scene, said that the fault of a third party could not yet be ruled out.

Vyacheslav Taran is the co-founder of the trading and investment platform, Libertex, as well as the founder and CEO of the Forex Club group of companies.

As I noted earlier, Taran’s unexpected death will likely spur conspiracy theories, coming just two days after Tiantian Kullander died in his sleep, and just weeks after Nikolas Mushegian apparently drowned after tweeting about an alleged plot by the CIA and Mossad to murder him.

It also seems to be a dangerous time for Russian businessmen, who are dying in mysterious circumstances both in Russia, and overseas. Just in September alone:

28 September 2022 : Pavel Pchelnikov allegedly shot himself on the balcony of his Moscow apartment.
21 September 2022 : Anatoly Gerashchenko died after falling down a flight of stairs in Moscow.
10 September 2022 : Ivan Pechorin fell from his boat and drowned at Cape Ignatyev in Vladivostok.
1 September 2022 : Ravil Maganov – the chairman of Lukoil, “fell out of a window” in the Kremlin Hospital.

Olga Taran Refutes Kremlin + Crypto Links To Husband’s Death!

Vyacheslav Taran’s wife – Olga Taran – who is the Editor-in-Chief of HelloMonaco, spoke out just days after the accident against the allegations that her husband was involved with the Kremlin, or was a Russian spy.

She also pointed out that Vyacheslav left Russia in 2008, and supported Ukrainian charities since 2014.

As you know, Viacheslav Taran died in a tragic helicopter crash last week. I have lost a loving husband and a father of three of our children. It is intolerably painful for me to realize that we will never see him again. But, it is even more difficult to stay silent when someone is spreading lies about my beloved Viacheslav.

The Ukrainian news website UNIAN.net published a story that my husband allegedly was a billionaire and was involved in money laundering for Russian elites and on top of that they claimed him to be a Russian spy. All of this is outrageous and manifests an absolute and utter lie. My husband never had any connections to the Russian government or any political affiliations. He left Russia to pursue and focus on his business interests back in 2008.

Moreover, since 2014 my late husband has constantly supported charitable foundation Changeonelife.ua and since the very first days, when the war broke down, Viacheslav with his friends created Pristaniste.me a charitable foundation for Ukrainian refugees in Montenegro which accepted first refugees on 5th of March, 2022 and still is actively helping the Ukrainians in need.

This attack is unfair to Viacheslav who always actively supported supported Ukrainian people through his charity foundations, especially children who lost their parents.

Furthermore, I urge all Western journalists who cite UNIAN.net to stop spreading the lies (Will Steward and Rachael Bunyan from Daily Mail, Aliki Kraterou from The Sun). My children have already been bullied because of these accusations and I am concerned for their safety.

I understand that you do not know Viacheslav personally and reading these cynical articles one may consider them to be true, but everyone who knows Viacheslav, including the entire Monaco community knows it to be an absolute lie.

Please do not tarnish his good name and memory. We still have not received Viacheslav’s body due to the investigation and each day brings unbearable pain.

Olga Taran

Olga Taran later issued another statement, refuting that her husband’s death was anything “mysterious”, or related to the recent deaths of crypto entrepreneurs like Tiantian Kullander and Nikolai Mushegian.

She pointed out that cryptocurrency was simply one of the markets he invested in, and that he was not a “crypto billionaire” because he invested more into blockchain and cryptocurrency than he ever got out of it.

Following the tragic death of Vyacheslav Taran, a devoted husband and loving father of three, we have been greatly distressed by the publication of false and inaccurate information that has tarnished his name and we would like to set the record straight.

Vyacheslav Taran was a successful businessman and serial entrepreneur, who was also an investor in various fintech startups, including some that worked with cryptocurrencies. He was definitely not a “crypto billionaire” and one might argue that he invested more in blockchain and crypto technology than he ever got out of it.

We categorically deny that he was involved in any way with the Russian Intelligence services or the Russian government in any capacity and we also categorically deny that he was involved in money laundering for Russian “elites” or in any other illegal activity. These are completely unfounded fabrications and outright lies, which have compounded our grief at this very difficult time.

Vyacheslav Taran was born in Russia but had lived and worked overseas since 2008, before settling in Monaco with his family more than a decade ago.

The circumstances surrounding the accident are still being investigated, mainly because of the nature of the accident. It is obviously a lengthy process, as is any investigation into accidents involving any type of aircraft. There is nothing “mysterious” about it and everyone should wait until the investigation is fully completed before jumping to conclusions or speculating about crazy conspiracy theories. We fully support the authorities in their investigation and eagerly await their findings being made public in due course.

Our beloved Vyacheslav was also a great philanthropist, having contributed to numerous charity organisations and was the co-founder of the Change One Life Foundation, which to this day has helped more than 30,000 orphaned children find families and live fulfilling lives.

Above all, he was a loyal and supportive friend, husband and father and we would politely request that his memory is not dishonoured by false information or baseless speculation.

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Russian Billionaire Vyacheslav Taran Dies In Crash!

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Russian crypto billionaire Vyacheslav Taran has died after his helicopter crashed near Monaco!

Russian Crypto Billionaire Vyacheslav Taran Dies In Helicopter Crash!

Russian billionaire Vyacheslav Taran is now the third cryptocurrency entrepreneur to die under mysterious circumstances in recent weeks.

Vyacheslav Taran is the co-founder of the trading and investment platform, Libertex, as well as the founder and CEO of the Forex Club group of companies..

On Friday, 25 November 2022, he flew from Lausanne, Switzerland in a single-engined H130 helicopter back to his home in Monaco, when it crashed near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer in good, clear weather.

He was supposed to be travelling with another unidentified passenger on this flight, but that passenger cancelled at the last minute.

Both Vyacheslav Taran, 53, and the 35 year-old French helicopter pilot were killed in the crash.

The deputy public prosecutor of Nice who visited the crash scene, said that the fault of a third party could not yet be ruled out.

Taran’s unexpected death will likely spur conspiracy theories, coming just two days after Tiantian Kullander died in his sleep, and just weeks after Nikolas Mushegian apparently drowned after tweeting about an alleged plot by the CIA and Mossad to murder him.

It also seems to be a dangerous time for Russian businessmen, who are dying in mysterious circumstances both in Russia, and overseas. Just in September alone:

28 September 2022 : Pavel Pchelnikov allegedly shot himself on the balcony of his Moscow apartment.
21 September 2022 : Anatoly Gerashchenko died after falling down a flight of stairs in Moscow.
10 September 2022 : Ivan Pechorin fell from his boat and drowned at Cape Ignatyev in Vladivostok.
1 September 2022 : Ravil Maganov – the chairman of Lukoil, “fell out of a window” in the Kremlin Hospital.

Libertex Group On Death Of Co-Founder, Vyacheslav Taran

In an official statement, the Libertex Group confirmed its co-founder’s death, and described Taran as “kind-hearted, polite and humble”.

It is with great sadness that Libertex Group confirms the death of its co-founder and Chairman of Board of Directors, Vyacheslav Taran, after a helicopter crash that took place en route to Monaco on Friday, 25 November 2022.

The Board of Directors of Libertex Group and company employees extend their most heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the Taran family. Vyacheslav is survived by his wife Olga and three children.

Vyacheslav Taran was a fintech entrepreneur and a published author, with long-standing experience in the financial industry. In 1997, he co-founded what was to eventually become the trading and investing platform Libertex.

A well-known and highly respected businessman, described as kind-hearted, polite and humble by everyone who was fortunate enough to know him, Taran was a true visionary. His vision and direction have made Libertex what it is today: his “dream company to work for” that he often described to colleagues in speeches and internal memos as “a company whose services and products I use myself and am willing to recommend to my relatives and friends.”

Taran was also devoted to giving back to the community and always rushed to help those in need, particularly children. He co-founded Change One Life, a charitable foundation helping children from orphanages and child-care institutions to find families and live fulfilling lives. To this day, Change One Life has helped more than 30,000 orphaned children.

Vyacheslav Taran will be missed more than words can express, and everyone at Libertex will eternally be grateful for what he has accomplished.

We kindly ask that during this difficult and extremely painful time, the family’s privacy is respected.

Libertex Group would also like to extend its condolences to the family of the pilot.

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

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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.

When news of the attack, or accident, broke, Trump at once reached out to Marine Corps General David H. Berger, who, in accordance with the Insurrection Act of 1807, took charge of the nation’s nuclear command codes when Trump ceded provisional authority of the country to the military prior to departing Washington in January 2021. As Real Raw News has previously reported, White Hats, not the Biden regime, have sole access to the codes controlling the country’s nuclear triad, and sources say this still holds true; otherwise, Biden would have already sparked nuclear Armageddon.

Mar-a-Lago sources told RRN that although Trump immediately suspected a False Flag, he asked Gen. Berger to raise the nation’s alert level, just in case.

Minutes after speaking to Gen. Berger, Trump received a call from none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin, who insisted that any ordnance that might have struck Poland were not of Russian origin and were not launched from Russian soil.

Real Raw News reported last February, March, April, and May that Trump and Putin have kept an open line of communication since the latter began his “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine. The reason Putin speaks to Trump and not Biden is that Putin still acknowledges Trump as the lawful President of the United States.

Putin sent Trump images of the damage, including a picture of what appeared to be a metal fragment of the missile. He admitted it was a Russian-built S-300 air defense missile, which was developed by the Soviet Union and later exported to foreign countries, including Ukraine, and pointed out that mangled remnants had been stamped with Ukrainian writing, which would not be present on any of Russia’s current stockpile.

Putin suggested two possibilities: Either a Ukrainian-owned S-300 accidentally hit Poland, or Ukraine fired on Poland to trigger a False Flag war.

A beleaguered President Trump, exhausted from months of campaigning for midterm candidates, handling daughter Tiffany’s wedding, and preparing his own presidential announcement speech, had his military advisors evaluate images and video of the missile strike. They affirmed Putin’s assertions—the missile indeed belonged to Ukraine.

Trump then phoned Gen. Berger and told him to stand down, deescalating the nation’s defense condition and preventing the globe from being enveloped in a cloud of radioactive ash.

“White Hats are working to ascertain if this was an accident or an attempt to ignite a nuclear war,” our source said. “This really could have gone sideways, had cool heads not prevailed.”

Show less

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?

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!

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

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Ukraine : 70K Russian Soldiers + 2.6K Tanks Killed!

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The Ukrainian Army claimed to have killed 70,000 Russian soldiers, together with over 2,600 tanks, as it prepares to liberate Kherson!

The retreat of the Russian army in multiple areas of Ukraine has even made it difficult for the Kremlin to decide on the exact borders of the regions it annexed!

Ukraine : 70K Russian Soldiers + 2.6K Tanks Killed!

On Saturday, October 29 2022, the Ukrainian Army (UA) announced that its forces destroyed 19 Russian tanks and 23 armoured vehicles, and killed another 550 Russian soldiers in a single day.

This brings the total of Russian dead to over 70,000, with over 2,650 tanks and over 5,400 armoured combat vehicles destroyed in just 8 months of the Ukraine War.

Ukraine’s lightning counteroffensives to the east and south have slowed in the autumn rain and mud that have stymied Napoleon in 1812, and Hitler in 1941.

But the Ukrainians continue to make progress against Russian forces, as they try to recover the city of Kreiminna in Luhansk, and Kherson in the south.

The only place where Russian forces appear to still be attacking is the city of Bakhmut. Even so, they failed to gain significant ground despite repeated attacks and heavy bombardment.

"Wasted."
GTA

Total combat losses of the enemy from Feb 24 to Oct 29: pic.twitter.com/l4RkwbF0vC

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 29, 2022

More Trouble For Russian Soldiers : US + Canada Approves More Aid!

Russia has mobilised 300,000 reservists, and deployed at least 41,000 of them to Ukraine so far, but they will likely end up as nothing more than cannon fodder.

That’s because the US and Canadian governments just announced additional aid for Ukraine.

On October 28, the Biden Administration announced it will be sending up to $275 million worth of military hardware to Ukraine, consisting of:

Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds;
2,000 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems;
More than 1,300 anti-armor systems;
125 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);
Small arms and more than 2,750,000 rounds of small arms ammunition; and
Four satellite communications antennas.

With this latest allocation, the United States will have committed to supply Ukraine with more than $18.5 billion worth of military assistance.

The additional allocation of HIMARS rockets will be most welcomed by the Ukrainians, as they have been instrumental in surgically targeting and destroying Russian command centres and supply dumps far from the frontlines.

While this MItsubishin L200 with a rocket launcher (cannibalised from a Russian BM-21 MLRS) looks impressive, it is nothing compared to HIMARS.

On the same day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new and additional measures to help Ukraine fight against the Russian invasion.

Canada will offer government-backed Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds, which Canadians can purchase at major banks to support the Ukrainian government and people.
Canada will impose sanctions on 35 senior officials of energy entities, and six energy sector entities; as well as members of the Russian justice and security sectors.
$55 million to help Ukrainians prepare for the winter, including shelter, blankets, clothing and heating appliances.
$15 million for equipment and help to de-mine Ukrainian territory.

In total, Canada will have committed $2 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine, most of which have already been disbursed.

He also shared that the 39 armed combat support vehicles (ACSVs) that Canada promised Ukraine in June has arrived, and Ukrainian forces are being trained on them.

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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.

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