Fake News, Disinformation & Propaganda

FAKE NEWS: The future Polish-Ukrainian state is negotiating the territorial division of Romania
FAKE NEWS: The future Polish-Ukrainian state is negotiating the territorial division of Romania

According to the Romanian Senator Diana Șoșoacă, Ukraine will break into pieces and lose territories but, at the same time, it will form a state alongside Poland and contribute to the dismantling of Romania. The narratives are similar to those promoted by Russia, especially the meta-narrative regarding the artificial nature of the Ukrainian state.

Cezar Manu
11 Apr 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: The USA will dispatch 200 thousand Ukrainian suicide bombers who will take their orders from the Pentagon
WAR PROPAGANDA: The USA will dispatch 200 thousand Ukrainian suicide bombers who will take their orders from the Pentagon

A number of Ukrainian brigades report directly to the Pentagon and will be sent to certain death as part of an offensive in southern and southeastern Ukraine, according to a false narrative disseminated by the Russian media. In fact, Ukrainian combat units are subordinated to the Ukrainian Defense Staff, and the newly created brigades are made up particularly of seasoned servicemen.

Marin Gherman
10 Apr 2023
FAKE NEWS: Romanians’ freedom of movement will be limited
FAKE NEWS: Romanians’ freedom of movement will be limited

Romanians will have their freedom of movement restricted in the name of combating climate change, according to a false narrative that pertains to climate denialism and global warming conspiracy theories.

Cezar Manu
07 Apr 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine will continue to assassinate Russians based on a list published online
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine will continue to assassinate Russians based on a list published online

Ukraine will be killing a number of people included on the website Mytrovorets, which allegedly shows the next targets of Kyiv, says the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova. In fact, the said website is a private project meant to draw attention towards people who are, one way or another, supporting Russia’s interests, irrespective of their country of origin.

Marin Gherman
06 Apr 2023
FAKE NEWS: The government in Chisinau stole one billion euros from the financial aid offered by the EU
FAKE NEWS: The government in Chisinau stole one billion euros from the financial aid offered by the EU

The government in Chisinau keeps prolonging the state of emergency in order to steal, claims the oligarch/fugitive politician Ian Shor. In reality, Shor participated in the looting of Moldova's banking system, and his party was accused of involvement in an FSB plan to overthrow the government in Chisinau, the security crisis leading to the extension of the state of emergency.

Veridica
05 Apr 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Germany supports Ukraine to put the horrors of Nazism behind
WAR PROPAGANDA: Germany supports Ukraine to put the horrors of Nazism behind

Germany has adopted a “green fascism”, similar to “Ukrainian Nazism”, and speaks of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine in order to make people forget about the horrors of Nazism, according to a false narrative promoted by pro-Kremlin media. In fact, Russian servicemen did commit war crimes and Germany is helping Ukraine defend itself.

Marin Gherman
04 Apr 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky is tied to the Nazi
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky is tied to the Nazi

An investigation of the German media proves that Volodymyr Zelensky is tied to Ukrainian Nazi, with the West’s tacit blessing, Russian government media writes, quoting a false narrative published by a German far-left publication closely tied to the Russian media.

Marin Gherman
31 Mar 2023
FAKE NEWS: Green energy, promoted by the West to obtain mineral resources
FAKE NEWS: Green energy, promoted by the West to obtain mineral resources

The promotion of energy from renewable sources aims to take over by force and deception the available resources from countries not aligned with Western politics. The false narrative appears in a text published in Romania, which also contains elements of war propaganda promoted by Moscow.

Cezar Manu
30 Mar 2023
DISINFORMATION: Chișinău promotes anti-Russian hysteria
DISINFORMATION: Chișinău promotes anti-Russian hysteria

The government in Chișinău is backing anti-Russian hysteria, whereas the Ukrainian army is responsible for war crimes, are two of the messages conveyed by the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova. The Russian official commented on a speech by Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, where the president referred to the Russian dangers and threats in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Veridica
29 Mar 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Czechs are providing Ukraine with weapons to bomb civilians
WAR PROPAGANDA: Czechs are providing Ukraine with weapons to bomb civilians

Czech volunteers have been collecting funds to purchase a missile system for Ukraine, which will use it to bomb the civilian population in Donbas, according to a false narrative disseminated by the Russian media. In fact, weapons purchased as part of the “Gift for Putin” crowdfunding campaign are designed to consolidate Ukraine’s defenses against the Russian aggression.

Marin Gherman
28 Mar 2023
FAKE NEWS: The USA is dictating Romania’s policy-making and waging a war against Russia
FAKE NEWS: The USA is dictating Romania’s policy-making and waging a war against Russia

The USA is dictating Romanian policy, it seeks to destroy the EU and is waging a war against Russia, according to a number of false narratives promoted by the former Foreign Minister of Romania, Adrian Severin, a former convicted criminal. The narratives have emerged from an open letter the politician turned criminal has conveyed to the new Ambassador of the USA in Romania, Kathleen Kavalec.

Cezar Manu
23 Mar 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Russia and China want peace in Ukraine, while the West is fueling the war WAR PROPAGANDA: Russia and China want peace in Ukraine, while the West is fueling the war
WAR PROPAGANDA: Russia and China want peace in Ukraine, while the West is fueling the war WAR PROPAGANDA: Russia and China want peace in Ukraine, while the West is fueling the war

Russia and China are looking for peace solutions in Ukraine, while the West wants a protracted war, according to Russian state media reporting on the talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. In reality, it is Russia that started the war and is continuing it by keeping troops in Ukraine and trying to seize even more of that country's territory.

Marin Gherman
22 Mar 2023
FAKE NEWS: Western diplomats are preparing Moldova's entry into the war
FAKE NEWS: Western diplomats are preparing Moldova's entry into the war

Two Western diplomats visited the Republic of Moldova last week to discuss its involvement in the war in Ukraine, writes the Donetk publication trmsk.ru. In reality, the talks did not concern Moldova's involvement in the war; on the contrary, the country is actually exposed to the risk of a Russian operation.

Veridica
21 Mar 2023
DISINFORMATION: The number of Moldovans siding with Russia in the war in Ukraine is growing
DISINFORMATION: The number of Moldovans siding with Russia in the war in Ukraine is growing

A survey conducted in the Republic of Moldova, trying to assess the impact of disinformation, “fell prey” to Russian propaganda. Politnavigator.net has misused and misrepresented data in our survey in order to depict the Moldovan population as increasingly supportive of Russia’s cause in the war in Ukraine. In fact, the number of those siding with Russia in this war has nearly halved compared to the number who consider Ukraine is the victim.

Veridica
15 Mar 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine is opposing the creation of a protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and wants to cause a nuclear accident
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine is opposing the creation of a protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and wants to cause a nuclear accident

Kyiv does not want to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency to create a protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and wants to cause a nuclear accident there, pro-Kremlin media say, citing several Russian officials. In reality, the creation of this protection zone can only take place through demilitarization, that is, if the Russian troops withdraw from the territory of the plant, an option that Moscow is not even considering.

Marin Gherman
15 Mar 2023
FAKE NEWS: Children in Romania will no longer know what their sex is and what species they belong to
FAKE NEWS: Children in Romania will no longer know what their sex is and what species they belong to

A project run by the University of Bucharest, aimed to raise awareness of gender inequalities in Romanian schools, is presented in an obviously erroneous way by an NGO claiming to represent parents in Romania as an attack on children's education, which will cause serious dysfunctions in their further development.

Cezar Manu
14 Mar 2023
PROPAGANDĂ DE RĂZBOI: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is persecuted by Kyiv just like it was in the communist era
PROPAGANDĂ DE RĂZBOI: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is persecuted by Kyiv just like it was in the communist era

Ukraine is persecuting the Orthodox just like it did during communism, a false narrative launched by a Moscow Patriarchate spokesman reads. The narrative also tries to promote the idea that the Patriarchate is unbiased and opposes the “fratricidal” war in Ukraine. In fact, the Moscow Patriarchate has been acting as a propaganda channel for the Kremlin, whereas Ukrainian authorities were merely trying to investigate possible connections between the Patriarchate and Russian secret services, on the one hand, and certain clergymen in Ukraine, on the other.

Marin Gherman
13 Mar 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine's nuclear power plant specialists will be sent to the front
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine's nuclear power plant specialists will be sent to the front

According to some false narratives launched by the Russian state media, in Ukraine, nuclear power plant specialists will be mobilized and sent to the front due to the shortage of army staff. The reality is that Ukrainian legislation prohibits the mobilization of specialists from critical enterprises, and the document published as evidence by the Russian media is a fake one.

Marin Gherman
09 Mar 2023
FAKE NEWS: Romania is preparing to join the war
FAKE NEWS: Romania is preparing to join the war

At the behest of President Klaus Iohannis and with Parliament’s complicity, Romania will bring troops into the war in Ukraine in the near future, a controversial Romanian deputy claims. The truth is that the president’s information regarding the country’s armed forces, in joint session of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament, is a rather formal procedure, which takes place every year.

Cezar Manu
08 Mar 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelenskyy called on NATO member states to send troops to Ukraine
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelenskyy called on NATO member states to send troops to Ukraine

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called on NATO member states to send troops to the territory of Ukraine, according to a false narrative of the Russian government media. In fact, the statement of the Ukrainian leader was taken out of context. Zelenskyy in fact referred to the activation of Article 5 in the NATO treaty should the Alliance be attacked by Russia.

Marin Gherman
07 Mar 2023
DISINFORMATION: The government in Chisinau wants to eliminate the Moldovan language because it is preparing the union
DISINFORMATION: The government in Chisinau wants to eliminate the Moldovan language because it is preparing the union

The thesis about the two distinct peoples - Moldovan and Romanian – has been brought back into discussion by the Russian media in the context in which the Chisinau Parliament voted a law stipulating that the phrase “Moldovan language” shall be replaced in the legislation of the Republic of Moldova with “Romanian language”. Russian propaganda claims that the measure - taken following a decision by the Constitutional Court - is intended to prepare the union of the Republic of Moldova with Romania.

Veridica
06 Mar 2023
FAKE NEWS: Students in Romania are forced to watch films that promote suicide and homosexuality
FAKE NEWS: Students in Romania are forced to watch films that promote suicide and homosexuality

Romanian students are taught that accepting sexual advances is a moral obligation, and suicide a way to solve one’s issues, claims an association that campaigns for “defending, promoting and strengthening the rights of parents in Romania”. It all started when the students of the “Scoala Centrala” National College in Bucharest, as part of an extracurricular activity developed in partnership with the French Institute, watched a film that focuses on the friendship between two teenagers faced with age-specific challenges.

Cezar Manu
03 Mar 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Russia must mobilize itself to defend NATO in the new “war for the defense of the fatherland”
WAR PROPAGANDA: Russia must mobilize itself to defend NATO in the new “war for the defense of the fatherland”

Russia is fighting a new “war for the defense of the fatherland”, but this time the enemy is not Nazi Germany but NATO, which wants to defeat Russia through Ukraine, according to a false narrative carried by the Russian state media. The truth is that NATO is not part of the conflict in Ukraine, and the confrontation with the West cannot be considered a war for the defense of the fatherland because Russia was not attacked by anyone, it was Russia who invaded an independent state.

Marin Gherman
02 Mar 2023
DISINFORMATION: Romania is massing troops at the border with Moldova and in also in Chisinau, even if it denies it
DISINFORMATION: Romania is massing troops at the border with Moldova and in also in Chisinau, even if it denies it

Russian propaganda media have resumed the false narrative regarding the massing of Romanian troops at the border with the Republic of Moldova, even if it had been debunked by the press and officially denied by Romania. Mediafax, the press agency that published the fake news in Romania, replaced it without an explanation.

FAKE NEWS: The government in Chisinau bans the Russian press at the behest of the West
FAKE NEWS: The government in Chisinau bans the Russian press at the behest of the West

The Government in Chisinau imposes sanctions and uses repression against the Russian media, at the behest of the West, writes rubaltic.ru, a Russia-affiliated media outlet, recently banned in the Republic of Moldova . It resumes older narratives of Russian and pro-Russian propaganda, meant to undermine Chisinau's efforts to protect the information space from disinformation campaigns designed to undermine the pro-European governance, all the more dangerous for security as Russia appears to be engaged in a hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova.

Veridica
27 Feb 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: The “special military operation” saved Russia from NATO’s invasion and Ukrainian Nazism
WAR PROPAGANDA: The “special military operation” saved Russia from NATO’s invasion and Ukrainian Nazism

Russia was forced to launch military actions in Ukraine to save itself from NATO military bases and Ukrainian Nazism, and the “special military operation” is necessary and important for all Russian citizens, according to a propaganda narrative distributed one year after the start of the full-scale invasion. The truth is that Russia, without being threatened in any way, launched an imperial war to bring Ukraine under its control.

Marin Gherman
24 Feb 2023
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine is preparing to attack Transnistria, and an army of NATO tanks stationed on Romanian soil will head for Crimea
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine is preparing to attack Transnistria, and an army of NATO tanks stationed on Romanian soil will head for Crimea

Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are preparing for a military operation against Transnistria and an “armada” of tanks stationed in Romania will come to help, writes the Russian publication politnavigator, citing statements made by so-called Russian experts. Just three days after the false narrative was published in the press, it was officially resumed , in a slightly modified form, by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Veridica
23 Feb 2023
FAKE NEWS: In the future, people will have to pay in order to be able to breathe
FAKE NEWS: In the future, people will have to pay in order to be able to breathe

The future of humanity becomes questionable because of the new restrictive measures that will be implemented in the near future, under which people will have to pay in order to be able to breathe. This unbelievable statement belongs to the lawyer Gheorghe Piperea, known for promoting several false narratives in the public space, and is based on Tarom's decision to print, on the boarding pass, the level of carbon dioxide emissions of the flight, per passenger.

Cezar Manu
21 Feb 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine will organize a genocide, and is planning to kill 5,000 Russians every day
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine will organize a genocide, and is planning to kill 5,000 Russians every day

The Ukrainian authorities are going to organize a full-scale genocide of the Russian people and are planning to kill 5,000 people every day, according to Russian state media, which misquotes the adviser to the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak. In fact, he only talked about the Russian military who invaded Ukraine and must be stopped, without mentioning the Russian people or the Russian speakers in the Ukrainian regions.

Marin Gherman
20 Feb 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky admitted ordinary Ukrainians have no reason to fight against Russia
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky admitted ordinary Ukrainians have no reason to fight against Russia

Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that Ukrainians have no reason fighting in this war because they are not rich oligarchs, they live in dire straits and are overburdened by debt, according to a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian state media. In fact, Zelensky’s message is taken out of context – the president was actually addressing Russian servicemen taking part in the invasion, saying they don’t own “yachts or banks”.

Marin Gherman
16 Feb 2023
WAR PROPAGANDA: The EU sent soldiers to Ukraine before 2022, in order to weaken Russia
WAR PROPAGANDA: The EU sent soldiers to Ukraine before 2022, in order to weaken Russia

The EU sent troops, trainers and spies to Ukraine long before the 2022 war, according to a Russian state media propaganda narrative citing the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. In fact, the EU has not sent any troops and is not taking part in the military actions underway on the territory of Ukraine.

Marin Gherman
15 Feb 2023
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu dismissed Natalia Gavrilița to purge the opposition and consolidate her authoritarian and anti-Russian regime
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu dismissed Natalia Gavrilița to purge the opposition and consolidate her authoritarian and anti-Russian regime

The president of the Republic of Moldova, dismissed Natalia Gavrilița because she wanted a Prime Minister that would purge the opposition, a pro-Kremlin publication writes, also claiming that Natalia Gavrilița was allegedly humiliated in public by her unexpected dismissal. The same publication also reiterates several other false narratives claiming the pro-European administration in Chișinău is a profoundly anti-Russian dictatorship.

Veridica
13 Feb 2023
Report
Fake News

Disinformation uses a variety of manipulation tactics. Disinformation stories can easily be created by combining provocative topics.

Report
Podcast

Listen to Veridica podcasts!

Podcasts
Video

Follow video reports on Veridica!!

Video