Tag Archives: Ukraine War

Did Putin vow to shut down adrenochrome supply chain?!

Did Vladimir Putin just vow to shut down the Hollywood adrenochrome supply chain in Ukraine?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Putin Vows To Shut Down Adrenochrome Supply Chain!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin just vowed to shut down the Hollywood adrenochrome supply chain in Ukraine!

Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Putin Vows To Shut Down Hollywood Adrenochrome Supply Chain

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to shut down the adrenochrome supply chain servicing Hollywood after Russian forces made a series of horrifying discoveries in Ukraine in recent days.

Putin has enlisted Hollywood insiders including Mel Gibson and Steven Seagal to put all the chess pieces together so he can make his move.

The elites in Tinseltown are already feeling the effects of Putin shutting down child factory farms in Ukraine, and according to reports on the ground they have begun moving their operations elsewhere – including with in the United States and Mexico.

However, Putin has a plan to save those children as well and it involves enlisting the help of those who are intimately acquainted with the sick Hollywood system.

According to CIA sources, eight million children go missing in the world each and every year, the vast majority of them lost into a system of pedophilia and adrenochrome blood trafficking, while mainstream media downplay the gravity of the situation out of fear of angering their overlords.

Children are now a more valuable commodity than drugs to the criminal class, and in Hollywood, children operate as a unit of currency, according to Mel Gibson, who warns that entertainment industry elites, including many household name celebrities, regularly “feast on the blood of children.”

Russian forces claim that Ukraine is a hub for child trafficking and organ harvesting. These crimes are not limited to the criminal underworld; the lucrative nature of these activities has attracted the involvement of the Ukrainian elite, who have dominated the market.

Ukraine’s former Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Mykhailo Zagreychuk and ten other surgeons were arrested for illegal organ trafficking with Europe and the US.

Meanwhile, children are being smuggled out of Ukraine and sold to the highest bidder, regularly changing hands for tens of thousands of dollars.

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Truth : Putin Did Not Vow To Shut Down Adrenochrome Supply Chain!

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

Fact #1 : Putin Did Not Vow To Shut Down Adrenochrome Supply Chain

This is silly but it has to be said – Russian President Vladimir Putin did not vow to shut down the Hollywood adrenochrome supply chain in Ukraine!

If he actually made such a vow, it would have been reported widely across the world, not only by the Russian media. Yet, that never happened… because it was all made up!

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

Fact #2 : There Are No Child Factory Farms In Ukraine

The People’s Voice article claimed that Vladimir Putin was “shutting down child factory farms in Ukraine“. That’s also utter nonsense.

There are no child factory farms in Ukraine. What are child factory farms anyway? It’s all made-up nonsense.

Yet again, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence to back up its suggestion that “child factory farms” exist in Ukraine.

Fact #3 : No One Is Harvesting Children For Adrenochrome

The People’s Voice article is based on a far-right conspiracy theory about adrenochrome being harvested from children’s blood or adrenal gland, and used as a drug or elixir of youth.

Truth be told – that’s a really silly conspiracy theory, as there is currently no medical use for adrenochrome, and it can be synthesized in a laboratory. So there is absolutely no need to kill any child to produce adrenochrome.

Fact #4 : Putin Wanted For Abducting Children From Ukraine!

It is ludicrous for The People’s Voice to suggest that Vladimir Putin would want to do anything to save children. After all, he has sacrificed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young Russian boys and men in his invasion of Ukraine.

But even more ironically, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March 2023, for abducting children from Ukraine!

Today, 17 March 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) issued warrants of arrest for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022.

There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility (article 28(b) of the Rome Statute).

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

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

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

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

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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 Shoot Down US Drone Over Black Sea?!

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Did Russia just shoot down a US drone flying over the Black Sea?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Russia Just Shot Down US Drone Over Black Sea!

People are claiming that Russia just shot down a US drone flying over the Black Sea!

US Civil Defense News : 🚨We reported it first! Before it happened!! Now Russia just shot down a US Drone over the Black Sea!!

US Civil Defense News : 🚨🚨🚨Update: Russian revenge!! Reports are coming out that Russian air defense forces shot down an American RQ-4 Global Hawk, a $100 million dollar drone over the Black Sea!!! 🔥🔥🔥

US Civil Defense News : 🚨Update: Report that a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet shot down the US RQ-4B Global Hawk over the Black Sea near Crimea where the US surveillance drone was providing targeting information to NATO missiles in Ukraine!!

SilencedSirs : ⚡️BREAKING: An American drone has been shot down over the Black Sea by Russia – Fighterbomber (linked to Russian Air Force). 🇷🇺 🇺🇸

Russia said there will be consequences for the US after ATACMS hit Crimea. #Russia #USA #BlackSea #Drone #Crimea #ATACMS #Geopolitics

Russian Market : #BREAKING US DRONE SHOT DOWN IN THE BLACK SEA – UNCONFIRMED

⚡️Waiting for confirmation ⚠️

❗️Military bloggers hint at the destruction of an American drone over the Black Sea by the Russian Aerospace Forces

A start. Congratulations to everyone involved. Handsome guys! We are expecting OK from the Pindos about “unprofessional actions.” There is now increased turbulence in the Black Sea. Let’s see whether it’s on an ongoing basis or whether it was a one-time event.

There have been no official statements at this time. It could probably be an RQ-4 Global Hawk.

No Evidence Russia Just Shot Down US Drone Over Black Sea!

This appears to be just more misinformation / Russian propaganda circulating online, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Evidence Russia Shot Down US Drone

Let me start by pointing out that there is no evidence that Russia just shot down a US drone flying over the Black Sea.

These claims appear to be made by pro-Russian social media accounts. There has not been any official confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense, or even official Russian media outlets.

Needless to say – none of those people making these claims actually provided any evidence that a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet shot down a US drone over the Black Sea.

Fact #2 : US Military Said There Was No Incident Over Black Sea

A US military official told Idress Ali of Reuters, that no incident had been reported over the Black Sea.

Idrees Ali : A U.S. military official says no incident has been reported over the Black Sea.

Fact #3 : US Drone Apparently Landed Safely

In addition, WarZone – News (Telegram) and other analysts (example) pointed out the US drone which Russia allegedly shot down apparently landed safely at around 2 AM Moscow time, on 24 June 24, 2024 at the Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, Italy.

The RQ-4B Global Hawk strategic reconnaissance drone with callsign Forte 10, operating yesterday off the coast of Crimea, which the Russians said they had shot down, returned “safely” to the Sigonella base in Italy on or around June 24, 2024 to 2:00 Moscow time.

Fact #4 : US Drones Are Flying In International Airspace

The US Air Force has been conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions using RQ-4B Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton drones in the Black Sea to monitor Russian military movements in Crimea.

Russia has threatened to take stronger actions against US and NATO drones flying in the Black Sea. However, those drones are flying in international airspace, and Russia cannot simply shoot them down. That would have been considered a “casus belli“.

While Russia sometimes intercepts and monitors such drone flights, it has rarely attacked them, because it would have caused an international incident. That was what happened in March 2023, when a Russian Su-27 fighter jet damaged an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.

On 14 March 2023, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a USAF MQ-9 Reaper drone on the way to a reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea. The Russian planes repeatedly flew past the drone to dump fuel on it. It was likely one of these attempts that damaged the drone’s propeller, forcing it to ditch in the Black Sea.

That incident was strongly condemned by the White House and the Pentagon. The Russian Defense Ministry made it a point to state that its fighter jets did not fire any weapons or make contact with the drone.

The Russian fighters did not use their airborne weapons, did not make contact with the drone, and returned safely to their home airfield.

Regardless of what Russia thinks of these drone flights, it would not dare to shoot down any US drone, especially if it’s flying in international airspace.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bridgen explained on GB News that British intelligence service agents have warned him about the plot to embroil the world in the Ukraine war with Russia and spark World World 3.

An “attack” by Russia on any NATO country in Europe would result in Article 5 being triggered, requiring the United States and all NATO members to declare war on Russia. A false flag by NATO, pinned on Russia, could perform the same function. Watch:

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization holds that “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.”

NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has been desperate to bring more parties into the war in Ukraine, citing Russia as an expansionist threat, despite the fact Russian forces have remained stationed within Russian territory for decades, while NATO forces have been steadily encroaching closer to Russian borders.

The outgoing secretary-general used a recent interview with NPR to stress the importance of Article 5 and call for the US to re-commit to defending Europe in the event of an attack.

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https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Andrew-Bridgen-NATO-dirty-bomb-video.mp4?_=1

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #2 : Andrew Bridgen Never Mentioned NATO

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #3 : No Dirty Bomb Has Exploded In Donbas

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

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

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

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

Fact #4 : Ukraine Is Not A NATO Country

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

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

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

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

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

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

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Did Germany expel Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi symbols?!

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Were seven Ukrainian soldiers expelled from exercises in Germany for wearing Nazi symbols?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Germany Expelled Ukrainian Soldiers Wearing Nazi Symbols!

The Russian media, and pro-Russia supporters, are claiming that Germany just admitted it expelled Ukrainian soldiers who were found wearing Nazi symbols.

RT : Germany admits to expelling Ukrainian soldiers over Nazi symbols

Russian Market : Meanwhile in Germany:

Seven soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were expelled from exercises in Germany for wearing Nazi symbols.

“Their training was immediately terminated, and the servicemen were sent back to their homeland,” stated in a report by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wearing Nazi symbols in Germany carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

Michael Weingardt : 🇩🇪🇺🇦- Germany expelled seven Ukrainian soldiers undergoing training in the country on Thursday due to their display of Nazi symbols, as reported by Kommersant. The training was abruptly stopped after the discovery of some soldiers wearing Nazi symbols.

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Truth : Germany Expelled Only Seven Ukrainian Soldiers Wearing Nazi Symbols!

Here is what you need to know about Germany expelling Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi symbols!

Fact #1 : Germany Expelled Only 7 Ukrainian Soldiers For Wearing Nazi Symbols

First, let me point out that Germany did indeed expel Ukrainian soldiers after they wore “right-wing extremist symbols” while undergoing training by the Bundeswehr.

The German government revealed this in response (full PDF) to a question from the AfD (Aktion für Deutschland / Alternative for Germany) party, which is ironically a far-right populist party that was embroiled in a Neo-Nazi scandal in 2017!

AfD : Have right-wing extremist symbols (tattoos, items of clothing, etc.) been found on the Ukrainian soldiers trained in Germany, and if so, how many cases are there and what, if any, has the federal government done about it?

German Federal Government : Seven such cases were identified during training conducted by the Bundeswehr for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The training of the affected Ukrainian soldiers was immediately completed in coordination with the Ukrainian armed forces and the affected persons were returned to Ukraine. German soldiers who deal with members of the Ukrainian armed forces as part of the training support would be regularly taught and sensitized about right-wing extremist symbols. Ukrainian soldiers went through an instruction on Nazi symbolism after their arrival in Germany.

As you can see – Germany has a zero tolerance policy for Nazi symbols, immediately ending the training of those seven Ukrainian soldiers, and returning them to Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldier throwing away the Donetsk Republic flag in Lyman.

Fact #2 : Only 7 Soldiers Expelled Since 2022

However, this does not appear to a recent development, but cumulative through the last 1.5 years.

The EUMAM UA (European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine) was established on 15 November 2022 to train Ukrainian soldiers in Germany.

The German federal government did not state when those soldiers were identified – whether it happened recently, or when EUMAM UA first started, or anytime in between.

Fact #3 : Over 10,000 Ukrainian Soldiers Were Trained In Germany

While it is “shocking” that seven Ukrainian soldiers were caught wearing “right-wing extremist symbols”, they are an extremely minuscule minority. After all, over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers were trained in Germany since EUMAM UA was established!

In 2023 alone, 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers were trained in Germany in more than 260 training sessions. Even if we only take into account the 2023 numbers alone, those seven soldiers account for only 0.07% of AFU forces training in Germany.

Fact #4 : Russia Itself Has Lots Of Neo-Nazis

What pro-Russia supporters won’t tell you is that Russia itself has lots of neo-Nazis, with a long history of neo-Nazism in Putin’s Russia. Unlike Germany, Russia does not appear to have any zero tolerance policy for neo-Nazis.

In fact, Russia has many neo-Nazis fighting in its invasion of Ukraine, as well as many soldiers wearing the same or similar right-wing extremist symbols or Nazi symbols!

If Russia wishes to rid the world of neo-Nazis, it should start in its own backyard…

Fact #5 : Russia Colluded With Nazi Germany In World War 2

It is also important to remember that Russia colluded with Nazi Germany, until Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.

Multiple commercial agreements provided Nazi Germany with desperately needed raw materials, including oil.
The Soviet Union invaded Poland in partnership with Nazi Germany.
The Soviet Union invaded Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, just after Germany invaded France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
The Soviet Union tried to join the Axis Pact, which consisted of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy.

If Hitler did not make the mistake of invading the Soviet Union, it was likely that Europe would have been divided between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany as per the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

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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 NATO + Russian Forces Engage In Battle In Ukraine?!

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

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

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

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

SilencedSirs : 🇺🇦🇷🇺🇫🇷🇩🇪 BREAKING: French and German forces have engaged in a fierce battle near Chasov Yar against Russian paratroopers. Unlike earlier reports of uncommitted mercenaries, these are highly trained, motivated #NATO troops. Initial encounters indicate they are likely from the French Foreign Legion, with reports suggesting their first casualties number up to 7. This deployment comes as part of France’s covert operations to bolster Ukrainian defenses, with plans to send approximately 1,500 legionnaires. #Ukraine #NATO #French

Lukyluke31 (translated) : 🇫🇷🇩🇪⚡️🇷🇺 French and German mercenaries engaged in combat with units of the 98th 🇷🇺 Div. near Chasov Yar
▶️ Except that they are *NOT* the usual mercenaries, but professional soldiers from NATO countries
– Colonelcassad source

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #3 : Claim Based On Single Russian Source

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

French and German mercenaries entered the battle near the Chasov Yar

It is reported from the ground that in the forestry area, on the southern approaches to Chasov Yar, in a shooting battle, the paratroopers encountered groups of mercenaries. However, now these are no longer the same tik-tok soldiers of foreign countries who came to Ukraine to earn money and, at the first threat to their lives, fled from their positions, packed their bags and went back. Now trained, highly motivated and ideological fighters, in other words, professional military personnel of NATO countries, are entering the battle.

The first reports (based on radio interceptions) about the arrival of foreign mercenaries in Chasov Yar arrived about a month ago, but then it was completely unclear what kind of units they were. We dare to assume that the paratroopers met with representatives of the French Foreign Legion, who, according to Military Chronicle, had previously been transferred to Slavyansk. Apparently, the unit, which was originally planned to be used in the defense of Slavyansk (in the event of a front breakthrough), is now involved in the defense of Chasov Yar, where the situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is worsening every day.

If this is indeed the case, then yesterday the French Foreign Legion suffered its first losses (up to 7 people)!

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

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

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

Fact #5 : French Foreign Legion Soldiers Were Allegedly Deployed

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #6 : French Troops Were Allegedly Only Military Advisors

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

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

Fact #7 : No Germans Troops Were Allegedly Deployed

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

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

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

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

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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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Is Ukraine now drafting soldiers with Down syndrome?!

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Is Ukraine now forced to draft soldiers with Down syndrome?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Ukraine is drafting soldiers with Down syndrome!

People are sharing videos of what they claim or suggest is a Ukrainian soldier with Down syndrome, in a trench being abused by his fellow Ukrainians. In another video, the same Down syndrome soldier is seen almost dropping a bomb upside down a mortar tube!

Ian Miles Cheong : There are multiple videos of Ukrainian men with obvious physical and intellectual disabilities being press-ganged, “mobilized” and forced to be on the front lines—some of whom are rescued by women who no longer want to lose their men to fight Zelensky’s war. This video of an intellectually disabled man is one such example. How much longer must this go on?

Alex Jones : I have seen dozens of videos posted by the Ukrainian soldiers torturing this man. The first time I saw it 6 months ago I thought it must be fake. Then I investigated and determined it is real. The other videos are so evil I can make myself post them. My question is, what is wrong with the military in Ukraine to do stuff like this and post it? How could you be proud of this?

Alex Jones : Yesterday I posted another video of this disabled man who has been conscripted in to the Ukrainian army to fight their lost NATO sponsored war with Russia. A lot of pro Zelenskyy sickos thought it was funny to watch him be abused. Others think it is fake. The truth is Ukraine has been forcing children as young as 14 and men as old as 65 in to service. We are sleep walking in to WW3 and people need to wake up.

Joey Mannarino : Zelenskyy is sending men with Downs Syndrome to fight for Ukraine now. America should refuse to fund this.

The People’s Voice : Ukraine Resorts To Drafting Physically & Mentally Disabled Men

Jackson Hinkle : 🚨🇺🇦 UKRAINE has run out of soldiers, so they are FORCING 25 YEAR OLDS with DOWN SYNDROME to fight WALL STREET’S WAR!

SpetsnaZ 007 : 🇺🇦 This is Vokha, a Ukrainian soldier with Down syndrome getting harassed and beat up by his “comrade”.

What a sick world we live in. Fк Zelensky.

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https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ukrainian-down-syndrome-soldier-01.mp4?_=2

Truth : Ukraine is not drafting soldiers with Down syndrome!

This appears to be yet another example of Russian propaganda and/or fake news, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Down syndrome Man Does Not Appear To Be AFU Soldier

Let me start by pointing out that there is no evidence that the soldier with Down syndrome is actually part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). In fact, there is no evidence he is even a soldier!

If you look carefully at the two videos (another below), you will notice a few problems with claims that the Down syndrome man is an AFU soldier:

His uniform lacks any unit patch or identification
He’s wearing rubber boots, even though it’s winter
While you may think he’s wearing a bulletproof vest, he’s just wearing an empty plate carrier, without any actual armour plate.
He also lacks a helmet and a weapon of any kind, even though the videos claim / suggest that he’s on the frontline.

Unsurprisingly, none of those sharing these videos actually provided any evidence that the man, who is apparently called Vokha, is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ukrainian-down-syndrome-soldier-02.mp4?_=3

Fact #2 : It Was Likely Recorded Far From Any Frontline

The videos lack any features that allow for geolocation, so it could easily be recorded in Russia, or Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, using a Ukrainian man with Down syndrome.

In fact, it was likely recorded far away from any frontline as his abuser / cameraman was very loud. Such shouting would have attracted the attention of the opposing side, resulting in artillery fire or a drone attack.

In addition, there was a distinct lack of background sound – no booming of artillery, not even gunshots in the distance. It literally sounds like the videos were taken in a safe environment, far from any fighting.

Fact #3 : AFU Does Not Accept Soldiers With Disabilities

I should also point out that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) does not accept soldiers with such significant disabilities.

As the AFU’s Regulation on Military Medical Examination decreed (archive), people with significant congenital or chromosomal abnormalities are ineligible for military service, even if they wish to voluntarily join the AFU!

Fact #4 : He Would Have Endangered His Fellow Soldiers

Frankly, it would not make sense for Ukraine to deploy soldiers with Down syndrome on the frontlines, even if they are desperate, because they would pose even more danger to their fellow soldiers.

People with Down syndrome not only have some intellectual impairment, they also have health problems. If they are ever drafted to serve in the military, they would be serving in the rear, and never on the frontlines.

Fact #5 : This Is Likely Just Russian Propaganda

This is likely just Russian, or pro-Russia, propaganda / fake news, just like these examples that I fact checked earlier:

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Was “Dead” Ukrainian Crisis Actor Caught Waking Up?!

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Was a “dead” Ukrainian crisis actor caught waking up on TV, during a live video of civilian casualties?!

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

Updated @ 2024-04-07 : Added new video
Originally published @ 2022-03-14

Claim : “Dead” Ukrainian Crisis Actor Caught Waking Up On TV!

People are sharing a video which they claimed is evidence of Ukrainian fake news.

It shows a reporter speaking, with rows of black body bags behind him – supposedly civilian casualties in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

One of the “dead” Ukrainian crisis actor is seen fiddling with his body bag that was blowing in the wind, before a lady goes to help cover him up!

Ukraine live TV supposedly filming dead TV persons killed during the invasion. But during filming one of dead woke up. 🤣🤣🤣

What nonsense!!!

Truth : “Dead” Crisis Actor Was NOT Caught Waking Up On Ukrainian TV!

This is yet another example of anti-Ukrainian fake news, apparently created and distributed by pro-China activists.

Fact #1 : TV Broadcast Was In German

The video has the chyron, WIEN: DEMO GEGEN KLIMAPOLITIK, with one individual holding a sign that said “Aktuell Klimapolitik Nicht“.

Those are German words, not Ukrainian or Russian; and the reporter was speaking in German.

This is one of the reasons why I believe this to be a Chinese effort at misinformation, rather than Russian.

Russians would not waste their time with this video, because they know that most Europeans would be able to identify the German language even if they don’t understand it.

Fact #2 : oe24TV Is Austrian, Not Ukrainian

The video identifies the reporter as Marvin Bergauer of oe24TV – a TV channel that belongs to Österreich.

Österreich, which literally means Austria, is an Austrian newspaper that publishes in the German language.

Fact #3 : Video Was About A Climate Change Protest

The video was actually about a climate change protest in Vienna, as these English translations will tell you :

WIEN: DEMO GEGEN KLIMAPOLITIK = Vienna: Demo against climate policy
Aktuell Klimapolitik Nicht = No to the current climate policy

The “dead bodies” were not crisis actors, but 49 protesters in body bags outside the Federal Chancellery in Vienna. This was what oe24 reporter, Marvin Bergauer, was saying in German :

No greenhouse gas and reduction targets in Austria for 400 days. That is the official title of this event here, this demonstration.

It was organised by Fridays For Future… Here you can also see this protest action, which is somewhat macabre. Forty-nine people are lying here on the ground to represent the climate deaths.

Fact #4 : Video Was Taken Before Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

This video was recorded on 4 February 2022 – 20 days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

You can confirm this in the official oe24TV broadcast page for this protest, as well as this tweet by the Fridays for Future group in Vienna.

Seit 400 Tagen hat Österreich kein wirksames Klimaschutzgesetz.

Und das mit einer Bundesregierung, die sich „Klimaschutz“ groß auf die Fahnen schreibt.

Durch jeden Tag (!), an dem Österreich seine Treibhausgasemissionen nicht senkt, werden 49 Menschen zu Tode kommen.

🧵Thread! pic.twitter.com/nScxYLhhz4

— Fridays For Future Wien – #DontFuelWar (@ViennaForFuture) February 4, 2022

Fact #5 : Video Was Also Misused By COVID-19 Deniers

This video was also misused earlier by COVID-19 deniers who claimed that these are crisis actors in Germany who pretended to be dead COVID-19 patients.

They were sharing it as evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic was staged or planned, and that people did not actually die from it.

This video was already circulating in the West since 9 February 2022, so it would be really peculiar for Russian disinformation teams to reuse it.

This would suggest that the video is being used by Chinese disinformation efforts unfamiliar to its earlier circulation in the West.

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Did Zelenskyy Buy Highgrove House From King Charles?!

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Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just purchase Highgrove House from King Charles for £20 million?!

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

Claim : Zelenskyy Bought Highgrove House From King Charles!

People are sharing a post by the Russian Embassy in South Africa (archive), which claims / suggests that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just purchased Highgrove House from King Charles for £20 million!

Zelensky purchases King Charles’ Highgrove House – British media

Ukrainian president, whose term of office expires on 20 May, has bought Highgrove House from Britain’s King Charles III. This was reported by The London Crier, which has stated that the deal amounted to £20 million.

Grant Harrold, the king’s former butler, said that according to his information, the sale deal was completed on February 29, 2024, during the visit of Zelensky’s wife to the UK. The sale of Highgrove House was also confirmed by staff involved in maintaining the former royal residence. Most of them were laid off on March 21, 2024.

Also, on 12 January 2024, the UK government announced additional funding for Ukraine of £2.5 billion for 2024/2025.

Earlier, similar claims were made by Maria Dubovikova (archive), who calls herself a “prominent independent analyst and media expert”.

Truth : Zelenskyy Did Not Buy Highgrove House From King Charles!

This appears to be yet another example of Russian propaganda, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Highgrove House Has Not Been Sold

Let me just start by pointing out that there is no evidence that King Charles sold Highgrove House to anyone, never mind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In fact, the official Highgrove website still states that it is the family home of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and it is still open for people to visit!

Fact #2 : Prince William Owns Highgrove House

While Highgrove House is where King Charles III and Queen Camilla occasionally stay, it technically belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall.

When Charles became King in September 2022, Prince William became the new Duke of Cornwall. As the new Duke of Cornwall, Prince William is the official owner of Highgrove House, not King Charles.

So if Volodymyr Zelenskyy, or anyone else for the matter, wishes to purchase Highgrove House, they would have to ask Prince William, not King Charles!

Fact #3 : British Media Did Not Make These Claims

While the Russian Embassy in South Africa claims that British media made these claims, that’s not accurate.

These claims appear to originate from a single website, called London Crier, which describes itself as “London’s most trusted source of unbiased news“, but appears to be nothing more than a Russian-linked website designed to spread misinformation / disinformation.

Fact #2 : London Crier Is Brand New

The truth is – London Crier is a brand-new website whose domain was recently created on 26 March 2024 at 8:20 AM UTC (archive). On top of that, four snapshots (here, here, here, and here) showed that it wasn’t even operational at that time.

In fact, London Crier only appeared to go live on 2 April 2024, which was when the article on the Highgrove House purchase and a whole slew of other “articles” were published. Even then, it looked like a rushed job, with its Terms page filled with “Loren ipsum” placeholder text!

By 6 April, the London Crier appears to be offline. So much for “London’s most trusted source of unbiased news“…

Fact #3 : Many London Crier Articles Were In Russian

Even though it called itself “London’s most trusted source of unbiased news“, its articles not only push pro-Russian talking points, some were published entirely in Russian!

It appears that its creator(s) were translating Russian articles, and missed some of them! Here’s one example – Kremlin Accuses Ukraine of War Crimes (archive). That’s quite a remarkable demonstration of Russian professionalism!

Fact #4 : This Is Just Russian Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Russian propaganda, like these 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 Russia Arrest Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack?!

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Did Russia arrest a Ukrainian man called Rustam Azhiev for the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Russia Arrested Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack!

Some people are claiming that Russia just arrested a Ukrainian man called Rustam Azhiev for the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow that killed at least 133 people.

Paul A. Szypula : Ukraine citizen Rustam Azhiyev was just identified as a terrórist who took part in the massącre Friday of over 150 peaceful people in Moscow.

Were U.S. tax dollars used by Zelensky to facilitate this horrendous attack on innocent citizens of Russia?

Richard : It appears that Rustam Azhiyev, is a Ukrainian citizen, purportedly served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022 and is now being identified as one of the terrorists.

This seems to align with Putin’s assertions….

🇺🇲 Silent Silas 🇺🇲 : We’re led to believe Islamic State claimed responsibility for attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow. Seems like a cover.

On the other hand, we have one of the terrorists that aided in killing 130 unarmed people, a former Ukrainian soldier Rustam Azhiyev.

Ayesha ilyas : 🚨BREAKING: One of the terrorists who killed over 130 innocent people in the Moscow concert hall attack, Rustam Azhiyev, has been identified as a Ukrainian citizen and “former” soldier ⚠️

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Truth : Russia Did Not Arrest Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack!

This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Rustam Azhiev Is Chechen Battalion Deputy Commander

Let me start by pointing out that Rustam Magomedovich Azhiev (born Мохмад ВоӀ Рустам / Moxmad Vo’ Rustam on 12 April 1981) is currently the deputy commander-in-chief of the Chechen battalion OBON, which is fighting on the Ukrainian side of the Ukraine War.

Azhiev was a former Chechen wrestler who started fighting against the Russian military in the Second Russo-Chechen War in 1999. He later fought against Russia in the Syrian civil war, as Abdul Hakim al-Shishani, the emir of the jihadist militant group, Ajnad al-Kavkaz (AK).

In 2022, Abdul Hakim al-Shishani and his AK militants joined the fight against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fact #2 : Russia Never Said He Was Rustam Azhiev

Without a doubt, Rustam Azhiev has been a thorn in the side of the Russian government for many years, and is thus, is well-known (infamous?) to them.

If Russia did indeed capture Rustam Azhiev, it would have been a major coup. The Russian government would have publicly announced it, and made a big fuss. Yet, it did nothing of the sort.

Even Margarita Simonovna Simonya, the editor-in-chief of RT – the Russian state broadcaster, only identified the man in the viral photo as the “mastermind” behind the Crocus City Hall attack. She never identified him as Rustam Azhiev.

The only people who are apparently making these claims are Western social media users who probably cannot tell the difference between a Chechen and a Syrian, never mind identify Rustam Azhiev in a line-up. Unsurprisingly, none of them actually provided any evidence that the man is Rustam Azhiev.

Fact #3 : The Captured Man Is Not Rustam Azhiev

While the man may look superficially like Rustam Azhiev, they are not the same man as the photo above shows. They have different cheek profiles, and their ears look different.

But the clearest indication is their hair partings. The man who was captured has hair parted on his left side. Rustam Azhiev’s hair is parted on his right side.

It cannot be determined from the photo, but the real Rustam Azhiev lost three fingers while fighting in the Second Russo-Chechen War in 2009. The Russian government would obviously know if this man is, or is not, Rustam Azhiev.

Fact #4 : Rustam Azhiev Was Never Associated With ISIS

Rustam Azhiev may hate Russia, but he has never been associated with ISIS. His jihadist militant group, Ajnad al-Kavkaz, was made up of fighters from the Caucasus Emirate, but operated autonomously.

In fact, AK’s support for the fight against Russia has less to do with its jihadist ideals, and more to do with fighting against Russia’s oppression, as one of its commanders explained:

Every enemy of Russia is a friend of ours. Also, the Ukrainian people are oppressed, and Islam commanded us to support the oppressed, let alone if the oppressor is a common enemy to us.

There is simply no evidence that Rustam Azhiev would subject himself to ISIS command, never mind actually take part in an ISIS operation.

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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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WEF Ordered Russian Ban On Owning Foreign Property?!

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Did the WEF order governments in Europe to ban Russians from owning foreign property?!

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

Claim : WEF Ordered Russian Ban On Owning Foreign Property!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed that the WEF order governments in Europe to ban Russians from owning foreign property!

Here is an excerpt from the article, which is long and (intentionally?) rambling. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

WEF Orders Govt’s To Ban ALL Russians From Owning Property

The World Economic Forum has ordered government’s in Europe to completely ban all Russians from purchasing or owning properties outside of Russia.

The WEF-controlled nation of Finland has become the first EU nation to implement the WEF’s new policy by completely banning Russian citizens from owning real estate in the country.

According to Young Global Leader and Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen, the Finnish government has formed a cross-administrative working group tasked with assessing the possibility of a complete ban on real estate acquisition by Russians and preparing the final legislation.

Hakkanen said earlier that he expected the changes to cover not only the sales of property but also rentals. The working group is expected to devise the legislation by March 31, 2024. Moscow has not yet commented on this development.

Finnish authorities have blocked four property sales to Russians on security grounds so far. Three occurred in October 2023, and one more involving a “partially Russian-owned company” earlier in January. According to media reports, Helsinki has also been considering confiscating real estate already owned by Russians.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called these plans “another confirmation of the Russophobic nature of the policy of the current Finnish authorities, who disregard the rule of law.” She warned that such actions will not go unanswered.

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WEF Did Not Order Russian Ban On Owning Foreign Property!

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

Fact #1 : WEF Did Not Order Russian Ban On Owning Foreign Property

Let me start by pointing out that the World Economic Forum (WEF) did not order any foreign government to ban all Russians from purchasing or owning foreign property outside of Russia.

There is also no such WEF policy, new or old, of “completely banning Russian citizens from owning real estate” in countries outside of Russia. The People’s Voice article certainly offered no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

The World Economic Forum is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), and has no power over governments. It can lobby governments, but it cannot decide on their policies, or order them to do anything.

Fact #2 : Finland Is Still Working On Russian Property Ban

The People’s Voice article claimed that Finland is the first EU nation to implement the WEF policy of banning Russian citizens from owning foreign real estate. That’s simply not true.

In fact, it undermined its own claim by quoting Finland Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen, who said that the Finnish government was “assessing the possibility of a complete ban on real estate acquisition by Russians“, and that the working group is expected to “devise the legislation by March 31, 2024“.

To be clear – Finland has not implemented any such ban on ownership or purchase of property by Russian citizens.

Even when the legislation is finalised, it has to be voted on by the Parliament of Finland, and can only be implemented if it passes with a majority vote.

Fact #3 : Finland Property Restrictions Started In 2020

Finland’s decision to restrict Russian ownership and/or rental of real estate did not begin with the recent World Economic Forum‘s 2024 annual meeting.

Finland actually started restricting foreign property ownership in 2020, for non-EU citizens. Since then, any non-EU citizen who wishes to purchase real estate in Finland must obtain a special licence from the Ministry of Defence.

But after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Finland further tightened control of its real estate, with legislative amendments that give authorities broader powers to cancel real estate transactions that are necessary to protect national security.

Finland used existing legislation to block three real estate deals with Russian buyers on 10 January 2024.

Fact #3 : Finland Property Restrictions Extend Beyond Russians

What The People’s Voice article does not tell you is that Finland requires permits for the sale of real estate to “persons and companies outside the EU and the EEA (European Economic Area).

In other words – Finland isn’t just targeting Russian citizens. Its restrictions on real estate transactions extend to other foreigners and foreign corporations as well, since 2020.

On 4 November 2022, the Finland Ministry of Defence announced the creation of a special group to explore additional restrictions on real estate transactions for citizens of countries outside the EEA, including their complete ban.

Fact #5 : Russian Property To Be Confiscated For Non-Payment

The People’s Voice article also does not tell you that Finland has proposed making it easier to confiscate property owned by Russian citizens, because many have not been paying their fees and taxes.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union imposed banking and payment sanctions that have made it difficult for Russian citizens to make payments on their real estate in Finland. In particular, unpaid maintenance fees and other expenses have led to problems in Finnish condominiums.

We cannot remain in this kind of everlasting stalemate in these cases just because we cannot get a certain notification delivered through official channels.

– Finnish Justice Minister Leena Meri

Currently, Russian property owners in Finland cannot be legally ousted for unpaid bills unless an official notification threatening confiscation can be physically delivered to them. The amended rules would allow electronic notifications to suffice.

Fact #6 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

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

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Was Lloyd Austin Just Killed In Ukraine?!

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Was US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin just killed in Ukraine by Russian hypersonic cruise missiles?!

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

Claim : Lloyd Austin Was Just Killed In Ukraine!

On 16 January 2024, Real Raw News posted an article (archive) claiming that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was just killed in Ukraine by a Russian cruise missile strike!

As usual, the article is long, rambling and confusing, so here is an excerpt. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

White Hats Confirm Lloyd Austin Killed in Ukraine

The White Hat coalition has confirmed that the criminal Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was killed in Ukraine on January 3 by a Russian cruise missile strike that annihilated a command post where Austin and a high-ranking Ukrainian military commander, Lieutenant General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, were scheming to overthrow Vladimir Putin, a source in General Eric M. Smith’s office told Real Raw News.

As reported on January 7, Russian FSB agent Andrei Zakharov told RRN that the criminal Biden regime’s claims about Austin being secretly hospitalized for a week were disinformation because Russian intelligence placed him in Kyiv at the time of his alleged hospitalization. He said 20 hypersonic cruise missiles destroyed a maze of subterranean chambers in which Austin and Zaluzhnyi plotted Putin’s demise.

Although White Hats didn’t dismiss the claim as propaganda, they wanted physical evidence of Austin’s death. They received that evidence, our source said, on January 14.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu sent Gen. Smith’s office a digital copy of Austin’s fingerprints, lifted from equipment he had touched in the Kyiv bunker. The prints were a 14-point match, more significant than the 10–12-point match used by courts of law to prove a person’s identity. Shoigu also sent surveillance photographs of Austin and Zaluzhnyi lingering outside the bunker a day before the strike. Our source said that Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command experts authenticated the prints and images.

Show more

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Truth : Lloyd Austin Was Not Killed In Ukraine!

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

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“.

That disclaimer, which is not clearly mentioned in his articles, lets him keep creating fake news to go viral, and generate 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 debunked earlier:

Everything posted by Real Raw News must be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

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

Fact #2 : Lloyd Austin Is Not Dead

This is really silly, but it has to be said – US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is not dead. Neither was he killed in Ukraine by Russian cruise missiles.

If anything happened to Lloyd Austin III, not only would the Biden Administration have been informed, so would the US Congress. It would also have been reported by the press all over the world.

The lack of any legitimate report of his death is even more impossible after the recent political brouhaha over Lloyd Austin belatedly informing the Biden Administration and the US Congress that he was hospitalised for prostate cancer surgery.

In fact, Lloyd Austin has just been called to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on 14 February 2023, over his failure to notify the White House about his recent hospitalisation. Do you think anyone would have kept his “death” a secret?

The truth is – Lloyd Austin is very much still alive, after being released from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday, 15 January 2024. On 19 January – 3 days after Real Raw News claimed that he was killed in Ukraine, he even had a voice call meeting with the Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson.

Fact #3 : Hypersonic Missiles Are Very Expensive

Real Raw News absurdly claimed that Lloyd Austin was killed by 20 hypersonic cruise missiles, when only one would have been sufficient. Okay, fine, you can throw in a second “just to be sure’.

Russia only has one hypersonic cruise missile in service – the 3M22 Zircon (Tsirkon / Циркон), known to NATO as SS-N-33. With a top speed of Mach 9, the 3M22 Zircon has the kinetic energy to easily penetrate bunkers. You don’t need 20 of them. You only need one.

It is also important to note that Zircon is extremely expensive to make, reportedly costing some $210 million per missile. If Russia actually fired 20 of them – that’s US$4.2 billion to destroy a single bunker. Not only is that an extravagant waste of money, Russia only started deploying the Zircon in January 2023, and has very few of them.

If Russia ever used a Zircon in Ukraine, it would have been reported by TASS, as well as military observers and the Ukrainian media. It never did. The Zircon remains the only missile that Russia has not deployed in Ukraine.

Fact #4 : Marine Cyberspace Command Does Not Authenticate Identities

Real Raw News laughably claimed that Russian forces stormed Kyiv to retrieve Lloyd Austin’s fingerprints. Never mind, they barely moved the frontline since October 2022. Russian forces are currently several hundred kilometres away from Kyiv.

It doesn’t even make sense for Russia to retrieve his fingerprints, especially when Ukraine and the United States would be able to authenticate Lloyd Austin’s death. On top of that – it absurdly claims that the prints and photos were authenticated by a Cyberspace Command unit!

The US Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command (MARFORCYBER) is a cybersecurity and cyberwarfare unit. It is meant to protect critical network infrastructure, and conduct cyberattacks. What it does not do is authenticate fingerprints and photos.

Everything posted by Real Raw News should be regarded as FAKE NEWS.

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Did Ukrainian Pilot Defect To Russia With NATO Tech?!

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

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

Claim : Ukrainian Su-27 Pilot Defected To Russia

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

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

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

Can’t wait for the F-16…

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

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

No Evidence Ukrainian Su-27 Pilot Defected To Russia!

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

Fact #1 : Photos Were Taken At RIAT 1996

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #4 : Ka-52 Extraction Is Plausible

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

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

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Did Canadians Protest Trudeau + Zelensky At Royal York Hotel?!

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Did large crowds of Canadians protest Trudeau and Zelensky at the Royal York Hotel, forcing them to run away?!

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

Claim : Major Canadian Protest Of Trudeau + Zelensky!

People are sharing a video showing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaving the Royal York Hotel, claiming that they were hounded by protestors who chased them away with insults:

Circulating on WhatsApp : BIG BREAKING NEWS – PM Justin Trudeau and Ukraine PM Zelensky had to run away from Royal York Hotel after massive crowd of Canadians greeted & chased them with “F*ck You, F*ck You, Get out of our country” slogans🔥🔥 This is a historic insult to the PM of any country in the history of this world. These 🐖s deserve it.

Kat Canada : TORONTO: Trudeau and Zelensky leave Royal York Hotel as an even bigger crowd of protesters shout “F**K YOU” “GET OUT OF OUR COUNTRY”

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Kyle Becker : “Get out of our country, Zelensky! Pay for your own f***ing war!”

Ukrainian President Zelensky is *ROASTED* coming out of the Royal York Hotel after meeting with Canadian PM Trudeau

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IS_gigE1kSSChQaw.mp4?_=4

Truth : Canadian Protest Of Trudeau + Zelensky Was Small

Let’s take a look at what went on before and during the viral video…

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded On 22 September 2023

The video appears to be recorded by Dacey Media on Friday night, 22 September 2023, just outside the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Fact #2 : There Was Only One Guy With A Megaphone

While it may sound like many people were protesting Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, and/or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there does not appear to be many protestors.

The video actually shows a single person shouting using a megaphone. Perhaps 2-3 other protestors could be seen in the video. The other people standing around them appear to be bystanders, or just people walking past.

Fact #3 : Most Canadians Were There To Greet Zelenskyy

According to Toronto Sun reporter, Joe Warmington, most people who gathered outside the Fairmont Royal York hotel were there to greet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was Zelensky, donned in his famous green battle fatigues, that the crowd was most excited to catch a glimpse of. And he didn’t disappoint.

The crowd clearly appreciated seeing Zelenskyy as well and could be heard chanting “stand with Ukraine.”

In the viral video, you can see that most people were holding their smartphones up to take photos or videos of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he came out.

Fact #4 : There Were Only A Few Protestors

He also shared that there was a group of anti-Trudeau protestors:

The Prime Minister also waved at onlookers and soaked up applause from the crowd — many tourists in for the weekend — while ignoring the taunts from a couple of dozen anti-Trudeau protesters.

The photo he took that day though only shows a few anti-Trudeau protestors.

Fact #5 : Zelenskyy Was Attending Round Table Discussion

While it has been claimed that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau was meeting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the Royal York Hotel, or vice versa, that was not exactly the case.

Zelenskyy was at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel to take part in a roundtable discussion with Canadian business leaders at 6:30 PM. Justin Trudeau attended the roundtable with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Fact #6 : They Were Leaving For A Rally At Fort York

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau did not flee the hotel because of a protest. Neither did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy left the Royal York Hotel with Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland to attend a reception and rally at Fort York at 8:30 PM.

As this photo shows, many people were obviously very enthusiastic about meeting the Ukrainian leader at the Fort York event.

Fact #7 : Canadians Enjoy Free Speech

This may come across as peculiar to people in China and Russia, but Canadians enjoy the freedom of expression, which includes the right to protest peacefully.

If you look at the video, you will see police officers standing nearby to ensure that everything stayed peaceful. They were not there to block or prevent the protest or heckling. They were also not there to arrest the protestors.

Would a similar protest be possible in Russia or China? Can you imagine Russians heckling Vladimir Putin, without getting arrested by the police? Can you imagine Chinese netizens freely shouting similar insults at Xi Jinping? Of course, not.

The very fact that Canadians can shout insults at their own Prime Minister without fear, with the Prime Minister and the Canadian police ignoring all of that, is testament to the freedom of speech in Canada.

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US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq?!

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Did the US government steal $50 trillion worth of gold and oil from Iraq?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-09-19 : Refreshed with updated info
Originally published @ 2022-04-12

Claim : US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq!

People are sharing photos of US soldiers posing with gold bars, as evidence that the United States sold gold and oil from Iraq worth tens of trillions of dollars!

These photos was revived on the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and then on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as part of the information warfare surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is also being shared and promoted on pro-CCP and pro-Russia groups on social media, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.

Here the US thieves in Iraq. Bringing democracy aka stealing a country’s gold. Same thing they want to do in Russia. But Russia is no Iraq or Libya.

The #US ransacked and plundered the whole of #Iraq. Banks, museums, all of their gold reserves. The US is the biggest gang of thiefs in the whole history. They have raped most of the planet in the last 50 years. #Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar #UkraineRussiaWar #Russia #Putin #NATO

🇺🇸 “liberates” gold & oil while 🇷🇺 liberates humans.

#Denaƶification & #Demilitarization of #UkroNaƶiLand

Truth : US Gov Did Not Steal Gold + Oil From Iraq At All!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated to deflect criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : US Did Not Steal $30 Trillion Of Iraqi Oil

Claims that the US stole $30 trillion worth of oil from Iraq are false. The United States did lose track of 8.7 billion dollars worth of Iraqi funds though.

After the invasion of Iraq concluded, Iraqi oil was sold to help fund the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI). Other sources of funds include surplus funds (about USD 10 billion) from the UN Oil-For-Food Program, and the sale of seized Iraqi assets.

The United States did not truck away Iraqi oil, as claimed. In July 2010, the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) discovered that the US Department of Defense could not account properly for USD 8.7 billion of DFI funds.

This led the Iraqi Parliament to request the United Nation’s help in demanding that the US return $17 billion of “oil money” that it said was stolen from the Iraqi people :

All the indications are that the institutions of the United States of America committed financial corruption by stealing the money of the Iraqi people, which was allocated to develop Iraq, (and) that it was about $17 billion.

… Our committee decided to send this issue to you … to look into it and restore the stolen money.

Stealing $30 trillion worth of oil would require 1.7 billion oil trucks, or 46,000 of these trucks every day for 100 years!

Fact #2 : US Spent $60 Billion To Reconstruct Iraq

There is no evidence that the unaccounted money was repatriated to the United States, or officially taken by the United States.

Even assuming that it was not poor accounting and all of the $8.7 billion was truly stolen, that is a far cry (0.029%) from the $30 trillion that was “allegedly” stolen.

It is also rendered ludicrous by the fact that the United States spent US$60 billion in the reconstruction of Iraq – almost 7X of what it allegedly stole.

Also consider the fact that Iraqi oil production only reached 4.4 million barrels per day in 2016. Assuming an average sale price of USD 60 per barrel, it would take them 311 years to sell enough oil to make $30 trillion.

Fact #3 : US Did Not Steal $20 Trillion Of Iraqi Gold

The United States also did not steal gold from Iraq, certainly not $20 trillion worth of gold!

All those photos of US soldiers with Iraqi gold bars are genuine, but they only show them taking photos with the gold they seized in Iraq.

The Iraqi gold bars (as well as currency and other valuables) that US soldiers seized were transported to the US Army’s headquarters in Kuwait.

There, they were examined by the Secret Service and/or the US Department of Treasury to determine their authenticity and value, before being returned to the Central Iraqi Treasury or the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI).

This is a picture of Lt. Col. Scott Schmidt, who was in charge of the 230th Finance Battalion. The battalion’s job was to seize Iraqi assets like currency, gold bars and other valuables.

Fact #4 : The Entire World Does Not Have So Much Gold!

In 2003, Iraq had under 6 tonnes of gold reserves, worth less than $70 million. So how can the United States possibly steal 20 trillion dollars worth of gold from Iraq? $20 trillion worth of gold would weigh at least 1,714,285 tonnes in 2003.

Guess how much gold mankind has ever mined in history? Only 208,874 tonnes as of February 2023 – which is just 12% of what people are claiming that the United States stole from Iraq.

As of January 2023, the value of all the gold in the world is only USD 13 trillion – less than 2/3 of what the conspiracy theory claims the United States stole from Iraq… and that’s only because gold prices have gone up tremendously since 2003.

Even with the much higher gold price, it would take an additional 90 years of mining gold before the entire world has $20 trillion worth of gold for the US government to steal.

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Did Ukrainians Attack Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo?!

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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?_=5

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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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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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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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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Did Russia + Ukraine Sign Peace Agreement In 2022?!

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Did Russia and Ukraine sign a peace agreement in Spring 2022, as Vladimir Putin claimed?!

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

Vladimir Putin : Russia + Ukraine Signed Peace Agreement In 2022!

People are sharing a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin showing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa a document, claiming that Russia signed a peace agreement with Ukraine in the spring of 2022!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr : Looks like the Biden Administration deployed Boris Johnson to scuttle a tentative peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine in spring 2022. This was never about the Ukrainian people. It was always about engineering a war against Russia. #Kennedy24

@onlydjole : 🇷🇺‼️Putin: “Peace was signed between Ukraine and Russia in the spring of 2022.”‼️

#Putin publicly showed the previously unpublished document in front of South African President Ramaphosa.

(Nato reportedly sent disgraced US puppet Boris Johnson to force Kiev to back down.)

Richard Medhurst : BREAKING: Putin holds up a peace agreement that Ukraine & Russia signed over a YEAR ago, in spring 2022.

Not one word of this in mainstream media.

Russians are signalling they want a diplomatic settlement. Why isn’t this welcomed? How can they claim Russia sabotaged the talks?

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Putin-Ukraine-peace-agreement-Twitter.mp4?_=6

Truth : Russia + Ukraine Never Signed Peace Agreement In 2022

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Vladimir Putin himself, and propagated by his supporters to diminish support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Russia + Ukraine Held Multiple Peace Talks In 2022

Russia and Ukraine held multiple rounds of peace talks during the 2022-2023 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The first round occurred within days of Russia’s invasion on the Belarus-Ukraine border – on 28 February, 3 March, and 7 March. More talks were held in Turkey on 10 March, and more negotiations started on 14 March.

Fact #2 : Sergei Lavrov Dismissed Ukrainian Peace Deal In April 2022

On 7 April 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow rejected a draft peace deal from Ukraine, saying that it contained “unacceptable” elements that deviated from proposals that both sides’ negotiators had earlier agreed on.

The new draft, according to Lavrov, said that the status of Crimea should be raised at a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It also said that Ukraine can hold military drills with other countries without Russia’s permission.

He also said that peace talks with Ukraine were not progressing as quickly as Russia would like, and accused the West of trying to derail negotiations by accusing Russian troops of war crimes in Ukraine.

Such inability to agree once again highlights Kyiv’s true intentions, its position of drawing out and even undermining the talks by moving away from the understandings reached.

Fact #3 : Russia + Ukraine Peace Talks Failed By July 2022

By July 2022, both Ukraine and Russia announced that peace talks had failed:

July 13 : Ukrainian foreign minster Dmytro Kuleba said that peace talks are frozen for the time being
July 19 : Dmitry Medvedev said that “Russia will achieve all its goals. There will be peace – on our terms”

In other words – both Russia and Ukraine did not sign any peace agreement in the spring of 2022, as claimed.

https://youtu.be/cm-T-W0_v0k

Fact #4 : Vladimir Putin Rejected Ukrainian Peace Deal

On September 14, 2022, Reuters reported that Vladimir Putin rejected a provisional deal, in which Ukraine agreed to stay out of NATO.

His own chief envoy on Ukraine, Dmitry Kozak, told him that the deal would remove the need for Russia to pursue a large-scale occupation of Ukraine, and recommended that Putin adopt the peace deal.

However, Putin decided to reject the provisional peace agreement Kozak hammered out with the Ukrainians, and pressed ahead with his “special military operation”.

According to sources close to Russian leadership, Putin changed his mind and decided that any peace deal must include the newly-annexed Ukrainian territory.

Fact #5 : Russia + Ukraine Said Peace Deal Was Impossible

It is funny for Vladimir Putin to now claim that Russia and Ukraine had earlier signed a peace agreement in 2022, when Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine.

On top of that, both Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said that for any peace plan to be acceptable, Ukraine must recognise Russia’s September 2022 annexation of its territory.

After that, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would not hold peace talks with Russia, while Putin remained Russian president, and even signed a decree to ban any further peace talks.

Then in January 2023, Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that “there is currently no prospect for diplomatic means of settling the situation around Ukraine”.

Up till Putin’s remarkable claim in June 2023, both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said that they cannot come to an agreement. Needless to say – no peace agreement was ever signed.

Fact #6 : 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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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:

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 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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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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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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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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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:

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.

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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.

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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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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 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!

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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!

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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:

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.

Go Back To > Fact Check | Military | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

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