Wednesday, August 20, 2025

StopFakeNews #63 with Irena Chalupa

This week Fulbright scholar and broadcast journalist Irena Chalupa guest hosts StopFake News. This week’s fakes include Russian media claims that Turkey is closing...

In Putin’s Russia, Ever More Attitudes and Actions Constitute ‘Anti-State Activity’

One of the most powerful and disturbing images in all of cinematography comes at the end of Costa-Gavras’ 1969 film, “Z.” First the screen...

Fake: Russian Troops Destroyed Oil Depot in Syria

Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video on December 2 showing  Russian troops seemingly attacking an oil storage facility held by “The Islamic state” fighters...

Natalia Antonova: Journalist and Playwright Caught Between Russia, Ukraine, and the West

A journalist and playwright with a complex national identity, Natalia Antonova was born in Soviet Ukraine, has roots in modern-day Russia, and was raised in the United...

Inoculated Against Russian Propaganda

Immediately following the harrowing terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, Russian pro-Kremlin media adjusted their rhetoric, abandoning their previous anti-Western and anti-U.S. vitriol even before the Kremlin spoke...

Fake: Ukraine’s Air Defense Can’t Protect Kyiv

The website Ukraina.ru reported that the Ukrainian air defense system allegedly could not protect the country’s capital Kyiv. The fake story refers to an interview...

Fake: Ministry of Finance Proposes Turning Ukraine into One Big Casino

Russian mass media falsely reported that the Ministry of Finance proposed turning Ukraine into one big gambling enterprise. The website Golos Pravdy posted an article...

The Burning Road to Mariupol: Attacks from Russia during the Novoazovs’k Offensive of August...

Download the full report here. Данный отчет также доступен на русском языке. Summary This report investigates the claims of Russian involvement in the attacks leading up to...

The TV vs. the Fridge

In Russia, economic decline isn't translating into dissatisfaction with Putin, write Peter Pomerantsev and Nathan Gamester for Foreign Policy. Here's why. In Russia they call...

Russia Is a “Troll State,” Not a Rogue State

In the eighteen months since Russia annexed Crimea, the world has been alternately captivated and bewildered by the wild swings and sudden shifts that...