From deepfake videos to video game clips being miscaptioned as war footage to purported quotes by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, countless misleading rumors about the countries' war have gone viral since the conflict's start two years ago.
Why? Creators of online disinformation thrive in times of crisis. Whether they are political agents or agenda-focused journalists, these so-called "bad actors" pollute our media ecosystem with misleading or false social media posts during high-stake news events. And, because onlookers are emotional (scared, confused, angry, excited, etc.), they are eager to spread links that justify their feelings or existing beliefs — oftentimes without pausing to make sure what the posts say, or show, is true.
Snopes does not want that to be you. Below is a list of rumors or falsehoods Snopes has fact-checked since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with varying degrees of factualness and believability. (They are listed in no particular order.)
