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Disinfo: President Poroshenko's wife steals money from disabled children

Summary

Marina Poroshenko, the wife of Ukrainian president, steals money from funds provided by international humanitarian assistance to Ukraine from European countries and the US designated to support disabled children. She creates fake foundations throughout Ukraine and collects money via that, according to an investigation by European media.

Disproof

The article was indeed published, but only in a media outlet called the Luxembourg Herald (which appears to have no link to Luxembourg), where it appeared as an opinion piece without an author's name. The article was very swiftly picked up and carried by various Russian media. No evidence or documents were given in the text. http://luxherald.com/1459-president-poroshenkos-wife-involved-looting-money-needy-children.html. More detail from the fact-checking website the Insider.

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Capital
  • Reported in: Issue 88
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 16/11/2017
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Luxembourg, Ukraine
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Paris cancels the annual Christmas markets, instead, it will only hold Ramadan

According to a municipality spokesman, the French capital wants the Champs-Élysées to focus on the aesthetic and cultural dimension in the Christmas season, reflecting the uniqueness of the location. Marcel Campion, who has been organizing this Christmas market since 2008, has prevented the deterioration of the quality of the markets, and he does not understand why the city management has decided to cancel them. It is strange that the city organizes a celebration of Ramadan but will not organize one simple Christmas market.

Nov 15, 2017
Disproof

These kind of disinformation stories regularly appear as Christmas approaches euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=Christmas&disinfo_issue=&date=, . There is no link between the decision to renew the Christmas fare and Ramadan. For the past nine years, 77-year-old Marcel Campion, known as "king of the fairground" has been in charge of the event but in the summer Paris City Council voted unanimously not to renew the deal with Campion. "Paris wants to host a Christmas market on the Champs-Elysées, but we want to take the time to reflect on the best solution for Parisians and tourists," a City Hall spokesperson told Le Parisien. www.thelocal.fr/20171108/why-there-wont-be-a-christmas-market-on-the-champs-elysees-this-year, .

Ukraine wants to exchange Crimea for Transnistria

Ukraine is considering the possibility of trading Russian annexed Crimea for Transnistria, the pro-Russian breakaway region of Moldova that is home to some half a million people.

Nov 15, 2017
Disproof

Ukraine has never had any territorial pretensions concerning Transnistria. The background for this disinformation story was a Ukrainian parliamentarian questioning a proposal by Moldovan president Igor Dodon. While visiting Moscow recently, Dodon said that in case Moldova loses its statehood, Transnistria must be given the right to self-determination. He outlined two scenarios: Transnistria could become a part of Moldova or a part of Ukraine, as outright independence or becoming part of the Russian Federation are unrealistic prospects for the breakaway territory. Responding to Dodon’s interview, Ukrainian MP Iryna Friz posted a response on her Facebook page expressing incredulity at his proposition, particularly in light of the fact that Ukraine has always considered Transnistria an integral part of Moldova. Friz wonders if perhaps Dodon’s suggestion is a signal from the Kremlin on trading Transnistria for Crimea and advises him to spend more time defending the territorial integrity of Moldova and less time making dubious proposals. Further debunking at Stopfake.org www.stopfake.org/en/fake-ukraine-wants-to-exchange-crimea-for-transdnistria/, .

Images prove that the US is helping Daesh

Irrefutable evidence that US are actually covering ISIS combat units to recover their combat capabilities, redeploy, and use them to promote American interests in Middle East.

Nov 14, 2017
Disproof

Recurring disinformation. One image claimed to show an ISIS convoy leaving Abu Kamel on November 9th, 2017. What this in fact showed was a cropped screenshot from the mobile phone game AC-130 Gunship Simulator, specifically a screenshot from a promo video for the game. The other images are also not from the dates and locations claimed by the Russian MoD, but from videos filmed in Iraq in 2016. Further debunking by Bellingcat. Sputnik first reported about the Russia's MoD post as a fact but later changed its story. The MoD also deleted the posts from its social media accounts.