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Europe Decoded

Are foreign mercenaries leaving Ukraine to go fight against Hamas?

It's the latest disinformation campaign launched by pro-Kremlin propagandists which claims foreign mercenaries mobilised in Ukraine are leaving the country to fight alongside Israel.

Europe Decoded

Israel-Hamas: How an AI photo of a baby duped social media users

The war between Israel and Hamas has generated so much false or misleading information online that even fact-checkers and analysts are having a tough time keeping up. Social media is flooded with misleading posts and artificial intelligence is making things worse.

Europe Decoded

Fact-check: Has Ukraine supplied Hamas militants with NATO weapons?

Some social media users and Russian officials are saying Hamas militants are using weapons supplied by Kyiv. However, there is no concrete evidence to establish a link between Hamas' military arsenal and Ukraine.

Europe Decoded

Israel-Hamas War: How children are used to spread disinformation

During conflicts and other unprecedented events, children can be weaponized in order to elicit support. One shocking video showed children held in cages with social media users claiming these were Israeli babies kidnapped by Hamas. Turns out the clip was staged.

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Europe Decoded

Does the Ukrainian First Lady have a secret Russian passport?

That’s the latest propaganda narrative Russian state news and social media users are trying to push. However, there are too many inconsistencies that cast doubt on the document's authenticity.

Europe Decoded

Did COVID vaccine scientists accept Nobel Prize wearing face masks?

Certain social media users believe that the scientists behind the COVID-19 vaccine wearing face coverings means they do not believe in their own technology.

Europe Decoded

Misleading posts claim anti-Zelenskyy protests broke out in Kyiv

A viral photo viewed tens of thousands of times falsely claims to show an anti-war protest in Kyiv. However, the photo was taken in 2018 in Italy during a demonstration in favour of the construction of a high-speed railway.

Europe Decoded

Were German army soldiers killed after a strike in Ukraine?

The German Defense Ministry has denied the bombshell accusation put forward by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that four Germany army soldiers were killed aboard a Leopard tank in Ukraine.

Slovakia

Pro-Russia disinformation floods Slovakia ahead of crucial election

Propaganda and attacks on LGBTQ people are prominent ahead of election which could decide whether the country moves politically closer to Moscow.

Europe Decoded

Was Ukraine's ex-Defence minister caught partying on a yacht?

Viral social media posts claim Oleksiy Reznikov was seen partying on a yacht in the South of France days after leaving his post as defence minister of Ukraine. But these photos pre-date the war in Ukraine and were taken in Turkey in 2020.

Europe Decoded

Is Germany encouraging its citizens not to have babies for the planet?

Some social media users shared what they believe was a government campaign poster in the metro aimed at curbing the country’s population. However, it turned out to be a poster for a 2020 documentary.

Japan

Are dead fish washing up in Japan after Fukushima wastewater release?

That’s what one video shared in Chinese and Korean claims. However, it's an old video filmed more than six months before Japan even started releasing the discharge into the Pacific Ocean.

World News

Fake Euronews video about Ukrainian refugees is being spread online

Euronews did not produce or publish a report falsely claiming Ukrainian refugees attacked a man in Germany after mistaking his Slovenian flag for a Russian one.

Ukraine

Fact-check: Do these photos prove Ukraine is sending children to war?

Multiple social media users have been sharing photos of gravestones suggesting soldiers under 18 years old are dying on the frontlines.

Ukraine

How did a viral video fuel false claims the war in Ukraine is staged?

At one point, a woman in the video appears to be holding a camera leading some social media users to falsely believe the Ukrainian Armed Forces are staging footage of the conflict.

Canada

Why are helicopters shooting flames at burning forests in Canada?

Numerous social media users are misleadingly claiming firefighters are actually escalating the more than 400 wildfires raging in British Columbia, after sharing a viral video of a helicopter spraying flammable liquid.

Japan

Fact-check: What's up with the anti-Zelenskyy billboard in Tokyo?

Did Japanese authorities really put up an anti-Zelenskyy billboard demanding the president stop the war in Ukraine?

Turkey

Was the blast in a port in Turkey caused by arms meant for Ukraine?

Kremlin propagandists were quick to jump on the accident claiming the explosion was caused by weapons destined for Ukraine. But neither the local authorities nor the media reported any presence of military equipment on site.

USA

Did Texas install a river barrier with chainsaws to injure migrants?

Some social media users and politicians say such a device has been placed in the Rio Grande River to purposefully injure those who try and enter the US from Mexico.

Sweden

Fact-check: Does a viral video prove Sweden is overrun with migrants?

A video allegedly showing a crowded market in Sweden claims the country is accepting too many immigrants. But the original clip was filmed in Syria.