Fact check: Some viral posts about Ukraine are deceptive

In addition to the war in Ukraine. there’s another battle taking place – the war against disinformation.

Information regarding the war in Ukraine is coming in fast and from more people than ever before through social media. If you’re a social media user, it’s important to have a critical eye. In many ways, social media provides a platform for people on the ground to ensure the world can see what's really happening there. However, some people have spread disinformation – different from misinformation because it's deliberately deceptive – in the form of false posts that are going viral.

PolitiFact has uncovered several instances of false images or videos that have been connected to the recent crisis, but, in truth, had nothing to do with it.

• A viral photo showing children saluting Ukrainian troops is from 2016 – not 2022.
• A viral video of a Russian jet being shot down is from a video game – not Ukraine.
• A viral TikTok showing Russian and Ukrainian soldiers face-to-face is from 2014 – not 2022.
• A viral TikTok showing Russian paratroopers floating into Ukraine is from 2015 – not the current war.
• A tweet that Russians are targeting US biolabs in Ukraine is false – the US has no biolabs in Ukraine.

While many photos and videos are real and help illuminate the crisis Ukrainians face, the reason behind posting phony ones can be financial – or to push an agenda. Some posts with many views can be monetized. Other posts may be created to deliberately form a false narrative.

Facebook recently removed a pro-Kremlin influence campaign and a separate hacking campaign targeting users in Ukraine.

This week, Twitter started labeling all tweets containing links to Russian state-affiliated media outlets, so users would know the information source.

“Confusion can be a very powerful tool,” explained Al Tompkins who is a media expert and senior faculty at the Poynter Institute. “There is an old saying in war coverage that the first casualty of war is truth – and I think there’s something to that here.”

How can you tell if a social media post about Ukraine is genuine?

• Reverse image search: Use Google Images or TinEye to see where else the image appears online.
• Check the photo’s Metadata: Checking an image’s metadata which will show you where the photo was taken and when. You can download the file and use software such as Adobe Photoshop or Bridge to examine it. Online metadata viewers allow you to check by using the image’s web link.
• Fact-check: Use fact checking resources like AFP or Bellingcat.
• Newly formed website: Ukrainefacts.org is a database that focuses specifically on debunking false information involving Ukraine.

Tompkins advises, “I would treat most of what you see particularly on social media, like how you would think about something you hear at a grocery store, oh that’s interesting I don’t know if it is true but it’s interesting.”