Top Factchecks and Disinformation News
Latest Statements
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Dmitry Kiselyov
Head of Rossiya Segodnya
"Literal information bombs! This week was a journalist's godsend for our military correspondent in Syria, Evgeny Poddubnyy."
Read more...Russian state TV used stills from a film about Syria and passed them off as real photos from Douma, Syria, where a chemical attack took place. It also claimed an 11-year-old boy who supposedly debunked reports that a chemical attack had taken place was interviewed without any coercion. Investigators found he was interviewed at a military installation in Damascus. -
Irina Rodnina
Russian lawmaker and former Olympic figure skating champion
“I’m just saying they [Americans] wouldn’t report to us. Look at the amount of abuse those children were subjected to. I am not saying that it happened everywhere. But there were a lot of cases like that. We weren’t notified about them because the child would lose their citizenship.”
Read more...Russian lawmaker Irina Rodnina’s statement justifying the Russian ban on U.S. adoptions overstates instances of abuse of adoptees in the U.S., ignores Russia’s own lack of accountability in inter-country adoptions and misstates laws in Russia and the U.S. governing citizenship. -
Leonid Slutsky
Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee
“I have no doubt that in terms of cooperation with Moscow, as well as within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, full continuity will be maintained. Russia for many years has been Armenia’s strategic ally, and there are no factors for any changes.”
Read more...Thousands of Armenians protested against ex-President Sargsyan’s appointment as the Prime Minister. Hundreds were arrested in rallies over 11 days. 63-year old Sargsyan, yielding to the pressure, resigned on Monday. Chairman of Russia’s Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutksy commented, “Russia for many years has been Armenia’s strategic ally, and there will be no changes.” Armenia depends on Russia militarily, politically and economically; thus, current political turmoil in Yerevan will not affect cooperation with Moscow -
Ekaterinburg Investigative Committee, Russia
“There are no grounds for initiating a criminal case. Several versions are under consideration, including an accident; there are no signs that a crime was committed."
Read more...Before allegedly falling from his fifth floor balcony or window to his death, the 32-year-old journalist had been physically attacked several times and, according to friends and colleagues, he suspected he was under surveillance. The Committee to Protect Journalists and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have called for an independent investigation. -
Russian State Duma
A counter sanctions law: “Cessation or suspension of international collaboration between the United States and (or) other foreign nations in the rocket-propelled industry.”
Read more...While the Russian Duma threatens to cut off rocket engine sales to the U.S., it is clear the move would harm the Russian company producing the engine, and the Russian government signals it expects sales to continue into the next decade. -
Sergey Lavrov
Foreign Minister, Russia
“Because during the Cold War there were channels of communication. And there was no obsession with Russophobia, which resembles genocide through sanctions."
Read more...The United Nations defines genocide as the deliberate destruction of a specific group, and lists five types of actions toward a specific group that qualify as genocidal. None of these apply to the financial and travel restrictions the United States imposed on Russian government officials and tycoons. -
Sergei Ryabkov
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
"Everything rested on the absence of UN Secretariat security department approval for a visit by OPCW experts to the site of the events in Douma.”
Read more...The United Nations Secretariat has granted authorization for the OPCW's mission to inspect the site of the alleged chemical attack in Douma. -
Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy
Chief of staff of Russian defense ministry
“Syria's air defense system, based on the Soviet-manufactured air defense systems, has successfully repulsed the strikes from aviation and naval means of destruction. 71 cruise missiles have been intercepted, using Syrian air defense systems S-125, S-200, Buk, Kvadrat and Osa.”
Read more...Gen.Sergei Rudskoy's full statement contains multiple claims aimed at minimizing the impact of air strikes on Syrian chemical weapon facilities. The fact check reveals they are either inaccurate of false. -
Sputnik News and Zvezda
“In Latvia, Hitler has become more popular than Harry Potter.”
Read more...Sputniknews.com and Zvezda found a small used books Web site in Latvia, iBook, which stocks four copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Both media outlets claimed the book is more popular in Latvia than Harry Potter, but iBook is nowhere near to being a top shopping site in Latvia. -
Elvira Nabiullina
Head of Russian Central Bank
“We all know that the Russian economy is an open economy, we have a large share of exports, many large export-oriented companies. Therefore, changes in external conditions cannot but affect the Russian economy.”
Read more...While Russia has low trade barriers and its trade forms a large percentage of its economy, it nevertheless confronts a series of non-trade barriers making its economy not as open as the head of Russia’s central bank makes it out to be.