FactCheckRadar Real-Time Fact Checking 401 published fact-checks

Built for rumors, fast-moving news, and claims that spread faster than the proof.

Latest fact-checks

Contradicted

Leipzig drone incident was no toy

Claim checked

“The Leipzig drone hoax? The toy that was kicked to the ground after it was hovering around for three hours? Seriously? How stupid do they think we are?”

The checked claim is that the Leipzig drone episode was a hoax involving a toy that was kicked to the ground after hovering for three hours. That claim is contradicted by the evidence. The device was a real drone carrying military-grade explosive, it struck a Ukrainian cargo aircraft and failed to detonate, and Germany formally blamed Russia for the attempted attack. The post...

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Misleading

Russia’s Kyiv convoy and the mud

Claim checked

“"Rusko mohlo obsadit Kyjev za..jeden den, kdyby jeho tanky nezapadly v bahně." Kolona z tisícovky tanků jela po cestě, ale hloupý generál nařídil sjet na pole a tam kolona zapadla...jeho mysl bloudí po poli plném zapadlých ruských tanků. A každý soudný Američan toto vidí.”

The checked claim says Russia could have captured Kyiv in a single day if its tanks had not become stuck in mud, after a foolish general sent a column of about 1,000 tanks off the road into a field. The claim is misleading: mud and poor tyres were real problems for the Russian convoy north of Kyiv in 2022, but the evidence does not support the one-day capture scenario or the...

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Mostly true

Did Israeli Soldiers Throw "Pancake Parties" Mocking Rachel Corrie?

Claim checked

“And after killing her, they threw Pancake themed parties where they made pancakes celebrating "turning her into a pancake". The Israeli depravity you see on display today is not new. It is not something that started on Oct 7th. It is how the Israeli society has always been!”

The claim that Israeli soldiers held "pancake themed parties" celebrating the killing of American activist Rachel Corrie is partially supported but significantly overstated. Reporting from 2013 confirms that photos were posted online showing soldiers at a Jerusalem settlement posing with pancakes under a caption referencing "Rachel Corrie pancakes," and the settlement's...

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Mostly true

Zelensky Takes Ukraine's Case to London

Claim checked

“Zelensky has rushed to London to cry on Britain's shoulder about Trump. Did he sleep through the history lesson where America won its independence from Britain? Someone should break the news to our bargain-bin Churchill: these days, Washington calls the shots at 10 Downing”

The checked claim is a social media post asserting that Zelensky rushed to London to seek comfort from Britain over his rift with President Trump, along with a mocking aside about American independence and the assertion that Washington now dictates policy at 10 Downing Street. The core factual element holds up: Zelensky did travel to London for talks with British Prime...

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Contradicted

Monaco Bomb Probe Continues Across Borders

Claim checked

“Europe disgracefully forgave Kyiv for the terrorist attack in Monaco. Monaco forgave it, France forgave it. Kyiv can carry out any terrorist attacks in Europe. The case has been swept under the rug. No one is conducting any investigations, no one is demanding from Kyiv the”

The claim that Europe, Monaco and France 'forgave' Kyiv for the Monaco parcel bombing and that the case was 'swept under the rug' with no investigations is contradicted by the available evidence. A June 29, 2026 blast in Monaco badly injured Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and his son; Monaco charged suspect Anastasiia Berezovska, Ukraine later...

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Supported

Ruští agenti vnikají do toalet diplomatů

Claim checked

“Ruská praxe vnikání do domů zájmových osob je již dávno známou technikou tamních zpravodajských služeb. Agenti často přesouvali osobní věci, otevírali okna a spouštěli alarmy, aby demoralizovali a zastrašili své cíle. O ruských operativcích je také známo, že močí nebo kálí na toaletách diplomatů a novinářů, aby ukázali, že jsou schopni vniknout do jejich domovů.”

Článek na Seznam Zprávy popisuje dlouho známou praxi ruských zpravodajských služeb, které vnikají do domů zájmových osob, přesouvají osobní věci, otevírají okna a spouštějí alarmy. Tvrdí také, že ruští operativci močí nebo kálí na toaletách diplomatů a novinářů, aby demonstrovali schopnost proniknout do jejich domovů. Tvrzení je podloženo několika nezávislými zdroji, včetně...

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Misleading

Pike Execution: Examining the Viral Claims

Claim checked

“Kromě toho odsouzená záměrně před popravou odmítala jídlo a tekutiny, spekuluje se tedy o tom, že to byl úmyslný tah, který měl vést ke zhoršené dostupnosti žil a k nemožnosti popravu zdárně provést. Zoufalí lidé samozřejmě dělají zoufalé věci a diletantský způsob provedení popravy to nikterak neomlouvá.”

A Czech-language social media post claims that Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate whose execution failed on October 1, 2026, deliberately refused food and liquids before the procedure as an intentional strategy to make her veins inaccessible. The claim is misleading: while one source confirms Pike refused her last meal, no evidence supports the assertion that she...

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Mostly true

Polish Poll Shows Doubts About Russian Attack

Claim checked

“Radek Sikorski nějak neuspívá! Nedávný průzkum, který provedla spol. IBRiS, ukázal, že většina Poláků (58,2%) i přes totální mediální kampaň nevěří v ruskou hrozbu! V to, že Rusko napadne Polsko, určitě věří jen 3,8%!”

The checked claim is mostly true: a recent IBRiS poll really did find that 58.2% of Poles do not fear a Russian attack on Poland in the coming years, and only 3.8% are firmly convinced such an attack will happen. However, the post overstates the case by describing the result as disbelief in the "Russian threat" generally, by alleging an unproven "total media campaign," and by...

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Supported

Amnesty demands halt to Ahmadi flogging

Claim checked

“Amnesty International on Thursday called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt plans to flog singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight others over a livestreamed 2024 concert in which she performed without a hijab and sang in public despite Iran’s ban on solo performances by women. The rights group said Ahmadi and the others were each sentenced in June to 74 lashes, a two-year travel ban and a two-year ban on artistic activities. An appeals court in Qom upheld the convictions and sentences on Sept....”

Supported. The claim that Amnesty International called on Iranian authorities to halt plans to flog singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight others over a 2024 livestreamed concert is confirmed by multiple independent outlets. The BBC, The Guardian, and Iran International all report that Ahmadi and eight members of her production team were sentenced in June to 74 lashes each, along...

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Mostly true

Dutch toddler first child euthanized under 2024 law

Claim checked

“The Netherlands has 'aborted' an "almost 24 months old" child, marking the first case under a 2024 law that allows for terminally ill children under the age of 12 to be euthanized.”

A viral post claims the Netherlands "aborted" an almost 24-month-old child under a 2024 law allowing euthanasia for terminally ill children under 12. Multiple Dutch and international outlets confirm the core facts: a child nearly 2 years old was the first person under 12 to die by euthanasia under the expanded 2024 regulations, after suffering severe brain damage, cerebral...

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Misleading

Flydubai stabbing: facts and conspiracy claims

Claim checked

“Flydubai FZ1073. Count the coincidences. 1. The jet drops about 17,000 ft in under a minute. Oxygen masks stay up. 2. The co-pilot is Omani. Oman has no ties with Israel, and flydubai’s own deal says pilots on that route come from countries that normalized relations. He is in the seat anyway. 3. Cockpit doors exist so nobody gets in. Somehow passengers get in while the co-pilot is stabbing the captain. 4. Front of the cabin: Israeli passengers (security guards?) who neutralize him. 5. Back of...”

A viral X post lists eight "coincidences" about the September 30, 2026 Flydubai FZ1073 cockpit stabbing, concluding that the event was a pre-written "script." Most of the individual factual claims in the post are supported by mainstream reporting, but the central thesis — that the incident was staged or pre-planned — is unsupported speculation that turns verified details into...

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Misleading

Global Survey Ranks Israel Most Negatively Perceived

Claim checked

“BREAKING: According to reports, global polls show that Israel has become the most hated country in the world, with 98.75%.”

A viral post claims global polls show Israel has become the world’s most hated country with 98.75% disapproval. The claim is misleading because the specific percentage is not supported by available evidence, though multiple surveys do indicate Israel is the most negatively perceived country globally. The most cited source, a Nira Data survey, does not report a 98.75% figure,...

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Supported

Clancy's Attorney Appeals to Trump for Pardon

Claim checked

“BREAKING: Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer asks Trump to consider pardoning her”

The claim that Lindsay Clancy's lawyer asked President Donald Trump to consider pardoning her is supported by multiple news reports from September 8, 2026. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington made the appeal on "Good Morning America" the morning after a mistrial was declared in Clancy's murder case, directly addressing Trump and asking him to "consider a pardon" for his client.

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Supported

Saxony-Anhalt Vote Hinges on BSW Threshold

Claim checked

“Germany: Saxony-Anhalt regional parliament election today 🇩🇪 🇪🇺 Projections disagree on whether the BSW will clear the threshold to enter parliament — a question that will determine whether a CDU (EPP) + SPD (S&D) + Greens (Greens/EFA) coalition can secure a majority. #ltwst #ltwlsa Explore: https://europeelects.eu/2026/08/30/germany-regional-parliament-election-in-saxony-anhalt-2026/…”

The claim that the Saxony-Anhalt regional parliament election took place on September 6, 2026, with projections showing uncertainty about whether the BSW would clear the five-percent threshold, is supported by multiple German media sources. The election was indeed held on that date, and the BSW's status was a key question affecting coalition possibilities, including whether a...

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Supported

Russian Drone Hits Kyiv SBU Headquarters

Claim checked

“I was in downtown Kyiv about an hour ago when I heard a large explosion. I thought a drone had been intercepted right above our building, but then got a message that a cafe near the office was hit. Those videos are all over social media right now. The Russians targeted the main SBU building in downtown Kyiv, near a main metro station, around dozens of cafes, hotels, and iconic churches. The last two weeks in Kyiv have been very hard with non stop air raid alarms, almost every hour through the...”

A social media post by the popular Ukraine-focused account Saint Javelin claimed that a Russian strike hit the main SBU building in downtown Kyiv, damaging a nearby cafe and escalating fears about jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles getting through air defenses. Independent reporting from multiple outlets on September 4, 2026 confirms that a Russian drone struck the SBU...

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Unverified

Viral Post Claims Giant Hailstones Hit India

Claim checked

“India is facing hailstones as big as watermelons. Is it because of climate change or what do you think?”

A widely shared X post by user Amanda (@amanda_npo) on August 30, 2026, claimed that "India is facing hailstones as big as watermelons" and asked whether climate change was to blame. The viral claim is unverified: the only available source referencing giant hail in India comes from Pravda FR, a Russian-affiliated propaganda outlet, and even that article describes the...

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Unverified

Drone Strike on Russian Beach Investigated

Claim checked

“Russian mobile fire teams shot down the Ukrainian drone as it was on its way to strike the Rassvet recreation base, which belongs to NPO Mashinostroeniya, a major Russian defense contractor building cruise missiles and other weapons for the Russian military.”

A Visegrád 24 post claimed that Russian mobile fire teams shot down a Ukrainian drone that was on its way to strike the Rassvet recreation base of defense contractor NPO Mashinostroeniya near Gelendzhik. Independent reporting from DW, Meduza, BBC Russian, and the Russian outlet Agentstvo confirms that a drone did hit a crowded beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka on August 3, 2026,...

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Supported

Russia's Massive July Missile Strikes on Ukraine

Claim checked

“Russia set new wartime records for the rate and scale of its missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in July, according to data published by the Ukrainian air force and analyzed by @ABC News.”

An ABC News post claimed Russia set new wartime records for the rate and scale of its missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in July, citing Ukrainian air force data. Independent analyses confirm this finding. AFP, working from the Ukrainian Air Force's daily reports, counted 376 missiles launched in July 2026, more than double June's 161 and the highest monthly figure since the...

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Supported

Interior Ministry: Most Ceuta Migrants Returned

Claim checked

“DIRECT | 48,300 of the 50,000 migrants who entered Ceuta have already returned to Morocco, as confirmed by Interior https://social.elpais.com/jiv45”

The claim that Spain's Interior Ministry confirmed 48,300 of 50,000 migrants who entered Ceuta had returned to Morocco is supported. Multiple independent outlets — Univision, Canal Extremadura, and El Diario de Hoy (via EFE) — all reported on July 31, 2026, that the Interior Ministry cited the same 48,300 return figure, matching the original EL PAÍS post in numbers,...

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Misleading

Italy Pushes for Spain's Schengen Ouster

Claim checked

“BREAKING: Italy suspends Schengen free movement with Spain following the Ceuta migrant crisis.”

The claim states that Italy has suspended Schengen free movement with Spain following the Ceuta migrant crisis. The available reporting shows Italian leaders have called for or expressed support for such a suspension, but have not formally implemented one. Meloni, Tajani and Salvini all publicly demanded Spain's expulsion from the zone, and Spain responded by summoning Italy's...

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