Fact check roundup: What's true and false two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine
It's been two years since Russia's surprise invasion of Ukraine, when the country's forces launched widespread attacks in an attempt to seize more territory.
The conflict has caused hundreds of thousands of military and civilian casualties, while also displacing millions and damaging vast swaths of infrastructure. And it has spurred the U.S. to send more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine, including humanitarian, financial and military support.
Misinformation about the conflict has flourished through those two years, as Russians in particular have attempted to skew perceptions of the conflict with false and exaggerated claims.
Here's a roundup of some of USA TODAY's fact checks relating to the conflict, addressing falsehoods about the nature of the war, U.S. support and the circumstances surrounding the foreign leaders involved.
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Claims about US support
Claim: U.S. combat troops have been deployed to Ukraine
Our rating: False
The Pentagon confirmed that military personnel have been deployed to Ukraine as inspectors and security, not as combatants. Read more
Claim: Biden said he is sending US troops to Ukraine to fight Russia
Our rating: False
Biden did not announce he was sending troops to fight in Ukraine. The clip included in the post shows him asking Congress to approve more aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Read more
Claim: US accidentally sent Ukraine an extra $6.2 billion
Our rating: False
The U.S. did not mistakenly send extra money to Ukraine. The Defense Department said it overvalued military equipment shipped there from existing stockpiles. The error means the U.S. can supply more equipment than previously thought, not that it overspent. Read more
Claims about the nature of the war
Claim: Zelenskyy surrendered and Ukraine has fallen
Our rating: False
As of Nov. 7, Zelenskyy has not surrendered and Ukraine remains independent. The war between Ukraine and Russia is ongoing, according to numerous news outlets. Read more
Claim: US Special Forces arrested Ukrainian officials on Nov. 13
Our rating: False
The two Ukrainian officials were not arrested. They were seen in public several times after their purported Nov. 13 arrest. Real Raw News routinely publishes false claims about the arrests of high-profile figures. Read more
Claim: Putin invaded Ukraine to take out the ‘main hub’ for bioweapons labs, child trafficking and money laundering
Our rating: False
This post misstates the reasons Putin put forth as justification for the Ukraine invasion, though Putin's real reasons have also been based on false claims. Statistics also show that Ukraine is far from the world's capital of money laundering or child trafficking. And the claim about bioweapons labs has been disproven as a conspiracy theory. Read more
False claims about Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Claim: Zelenskyy has a Florida home, $1.2 billion in overseas account, 15 homes, 3 planes and $11 million in monthly income
Our rating: False
An investigative expert said there's no evidence of the assets listed in the post. And Forbes, which tracks Zelenskyy's assets, also found no evidence of these assets. None of Florida's public records show that Zelenskyy owns a home in the state. Zelenskyy's spokesperson and 2020 financial disclosure also contradict the claim. Read more
Claim: Video shows USA TODAY report that Zelenskyy's security guard 'started a drunken brawl' in New York
Our rating: Altered
The video includes the USA TODAY logo and is produced in a similar style, but it was not created by USA TODAY. USA TODAY did not publish any video or story reporting such an incident. Read more.
Claim: NYC billboard read 'Glory to Urine' instead of 'Glory to Ukraine' during Zelenskyy’s visit
Our rating: Altered
The image is altered. The company that operates the billboard said no such message appeared on the screen, and Fox News Digital also said it did not air such an image. Read more.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russia-Ukraine war fact check: Debunking misinformation 2 years later