Top Statement Factchecks
Latest Statements
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Russian Defense Ministry
“That operation is considered to be one of the most successful peacekeeping missions in the world. The successful experience of the peacekeeping operation […] was subsequently used in settling other conflicts.”
Read more...Russia’s Defense Ministry misrepresents the purpose of peacekeeping in South Ossetia and omits its own recognition of the enclave as an independent country. -
Awara
Russian consulting firm
“Russia has emerged stronger than ever after these three years of economic defense. It has now achieved the unprecedented role of a quadruple superpower: industrial superpower, agricultural superpower, military superpower and geopolitical superpower. Russia now has the world’s most self-sufficient and diversified economy… .”
Read more...Russia remains heavily dependent on oil and gas, and is far from being an “industrial superpower,” let alone a “quadruple superpower.” -
Sputnik
Russian government international broadcaster
“Nevada Declares State of Emergency Over Weed Shortage”
Read more...The Kremlin-funded international broadcaster Sputnik reported that the governor of Nevada declared a state of emergency over the state’s shortage of marijuana supplies. In fact, no state of emergency was ordered in Nevada. -
Vladimir Putin
President, Russia
“Moscow is among the world leaders in the use of digital technologies in modern urban infrastructure, ahead of such mega-cities like Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona and Sydney. By the way, in certain aspects of the index, Moscow is among the top three: digital services in the interactions between the state and the citizens – actually first place, simply first place in the world. The creation of infrastructure for the implementation of innovative solutions: according this criterion, Moscow takes second place in the world. The development of new business models based on the mass adoption of advanced technologies – third place; and an education system that meets the needs of the labor market of the future – also third place.”
Read more...Russia’s president praised Moscow for earning the top three positions among the world’s “data driven” mega-cities in an assessment made by the Moscow branch of the PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting company. The fact that PwC-Russia has an ongoing long-term contract with the Russian government raises questions about the independence and objectivity of this assessment. -
Viktor Medvedchuk
head of pro-Russian political organization Ukrainian Choice
“Perhaps for the U.S. this is indeed a ‘golden era,’ but for Ukraine, where ‘reformers’ shut down coal mines en masse and destroy the coal sector, this is a period of decline and total dependence on Washington.”
Read more...The leader of the pro-Russian Ukrainian Choice organization claims Ukraine is falling into “total dependence” on the United States for coal imports. In fact, Russia remains the country’s top supplier. -
TASS
Russian state news agency
“Iranian television on Thursday distributed photographs confirming the death of the head of the Islamic State terrorist group, Abu Baqr al-Baghdadi.”
Read more...Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that Iranian TV had published photographic proof that Islamic State leader Abu Baqr al-Baghdadi was killed in a Russian airstrike in May. In fact, the same pictures had been circulating around the Internet since 2014. -
Russian Foreign Ministry
Russian Federation
“There have been no violations on our part. The U.S. claims otherwise, without providing any specific information that could be verified in order to clarify the situation.”
Read more...Russia says the U.S. lacks specific data proving Moscow has violated the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. In fact, the U.S. provided a detailed account of Russia's violations. -
Vladimir Putin
Russian President
“Those are [IS] militants” [Vladimir Putin] “You wouldn’t want to join [IS] if you saw that” [Oliver Stone].
Read more...While Putin evidently believed the video was taken from recent Russian air strikes in Syria, in fact, it is a clip evidently of U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan released in 2009. -
Maria Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
“There has been a real substitution of information. The CNN report was aimed at manipulating public opinion.”
Read more...It is unclear why Zakharova singled out CNN for criticism when Daqneesh’s story had been widely covered by international media. The timing of her comments, several weeks after the boy reappeared, may well be more to do with a scandal at CNN. -
TASS
Russian government news agency
“According to the research, 27% of its participants regard the Russian leader with confidence, believing that he ‘is doing the right things on the world stage’."
Read more...Russia’s TASS state news agency misrepresented the results of the Pew Research Center’s 2017 global survey in a way favorable to Vladimir Putin. The actual results of the survey concerning Putin were the opposite of what TASS reported.