Did the Czechs buy Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles because Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told them to and Ukraine needs them at the war front? No, that's not true: The purchase of the vehicles was carried out in accordance with Czech laws and had been planned for years to modernize the Czech Army's equipment and fulfill its NATO obligations. A…

Does the Czech government plan to create a confederation of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine to boost the states´ defense strengths and their alliance against Russia? No, that's not true: There are no plans for such a step and no top Czech politician has publicly indicated such an intention, according to publicly available information. Also, the presence of Ukrainian…

Does the appreciation of the Russian ruble against the U.S. dollar prove that Western sanctions against Russia are not working? No, it doesn't: Economists argue that the relationship between sanctions and exchange rate developments is not one-to-one and that the effectiveness of sanctions cannot be inferred from the exchange rate. In some cases, sanctions can paradoxically strengthen the sanctioned country's…

Is the Czech government lying about the start of the Czech ammunition initiative, where the Czech Republic offered to procure or mediate the purchase and finding of shells for Ukraine? And do the Czech media not provide enough information about the system? No, that's not true: The Czech President and Prime Minister publicly announced the ammunition initiative to other countries…

Did the Czech Republic deal with Greece to buy ammunition banned by international conventions? No, that's not true: Czech and Greek officials said that the ammunition in question - to be sent to Ukraine as part of its initiative to help the war-torn country replenish its ammunition supplies - is used to generate smoke screen, a legal use of the…

Do Articles 106 and 107 of the United Nations Charter authorize Russia's invasion of Ukraine under the premise of denazification? No, that's not true: The Charter allows the use of force by U.N. member states only in the case of self-defense or with the consent of the Security Council, and articles 106 and 107 address transitional security arrangements. The claim…

Did the Ukrainian embassy in Prague recruit Czech fighters with the help of leaflets displayed in public places such as bus stops? No, that's not true: The embassy said in a statement published on its social media accounts that such flyers were forged. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on TikTok on March 25, 2024. The title above…

Did Ukraine's Azov regiment blow up the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater in Mariupol on March 16, 2022, after evacuating local residents sheltering inside? No, that's not true: Russian warplanes very likely dropped two bombs on the theater, based on aerial and satellite photography showing the aftermath of the blasts and witness testimony reported by independent news media and human…

Did the Czech government pay Ukrainian refugees to demonstrate against Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico during the meeting of the Visegrad Four (V4) in Prague on February 27, 2024? No, that's not true: According to the organizers of the protest, most of the participants were Czech and Slovak activists who wanted to express their opinions and were not paid to…

Did Prague name a square after the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy? No, that's not true: In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, residents of Prague adorned streets and squares with stickers to rename them, symbolically denouncing Russian aggression and expressing solidarity with Ukraine. No square received an official renaming. The claim appeared in a video (archived here)…

Is the recent scientific finding that the oldest known human settlement in Europe is located in Korolevo, a town in western Ukraine, part of pro-Ukrainian propaganda? No, that's not true: Research into the archaeological site in Korolevo began before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There is no connection between the current events in Ukraine and the research. The claim appeared…

Did Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis divulge that Britain, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia expressed their willingness to send troops to Ukraine during the February 26, 2024, talks in Paris? No, that's not true: A statement posted on his website indicated that Mitsotakis did not mention these countries in his remarks following the summit. The claim appeared in a post…

Did Oxford University politics tutor Matthew Williams give five reasons why Ukraine is a dictatorship and not a democracy? No, that's not true: A video circulating on social media showing Williams has faked audio. It's taken from an Oxford University social media post where Williams discussed tips for students to get into Oxford. Williams told Lead Stories that he never…

Did German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock say that everyone knew the sanctions against Russia were useless before they were introduced? No, that's not true: Baerbock defended the sanctions during a discussion organized by the Wall Street Journal, saying they are important because they show those who violate basic laws that they will be held accountable.The claim appeared in a video…

Did French President Emmanuel Macron call a meeting among European Union and NATO leaders to agree on sending soldiers to Ukraine, and was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico the only European leader to reject the idea? No, that's not true: The meeting was called to discuss European military and financial assistance to Ukraine. While the issue of ground troops was…

Have Ukrainian refugees revived diseases like whooping cough, scarlet fever and scabies that were once nearly eradicated in the Czech Republic? No, that's not true: Statistics indicate that these conditions have not been nearly erased there. According to the spokeswoman for the State Health Institute, the data and epidemic patterns of these conditions suggest that their recent increase is not…

Did Czech President Petr Pavel say that Russia will win the war in Ukraine? No, that's not true: An interview with the president by Czech public radio was edited so that the president's statement was taken out of context. Pavel did say the words in the interview, but not in that order or context. The claim appeared in a video…

Did Russia kill several French "officers" or "mercenaries" during an attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine, in January 2024? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support the Russian claim, and French officials dismissed it as part of a Russian disinformation campaign, saying the names of the alleged French victims circulating on Russian Telegram channels had been previously reported in…

Was American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin killed in Kyiv during a Russian missile attack on January 3, 2024? No, that's not true: Lloyd Austin was hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC between January 1 and January 15, 2024, for treatment of an infection related to a prostate cancer operation. The claim appeared in a video (archived…

Did the Czech Republic not participate in a December 2023 meeting of the United Nations Security Council called by Russia because its ambassador was in Prague? No, that's not true: Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky decided the Czech Republic would not take part in the UN meeting because he considered it part of Russian propaganda efforts aimed at spreading lies.…