Last fakes of the week
17 студзеня 2026
“One in four drivers has switched.” How ONT inflated the popularity of electric vehicles in Belarus
In early January, a segment on the ONT program “Kontury” about changes to duty-free import rules claimed that one in four drivers had switched to eco-friendly transport. The Weekly Top Fake team compared this assessment with data on registered electric vehicles in Belarus and the total number of passenger cars. We discovered that the state-run television channel significantly exaggerated the popularity of electric vehicles.
misrepresentation, Belarus, All-National TV channel, statistics, cars sale, electric cars.
16 студзеня 2026
The Belarusian silovik Telegram channel passed off a US video as snow removal in Minsk
Amid heavy snowfall in Belarus, the Belarusian silovik Telegram channel posted that heavy armored vehicles were being used for snow removal and included a video purportedly filmed in Minsk. The clip sparked surprise among some readers in the comments section. The Weekly Top Fake team investigated the source of the recording and determined it was not filmed in Belarus.
misrepresentation, USA, Belarus, Telegram channel Belarusian silovik, army, accidents, weather.
15 студзеня 2026
Old videos instead of fresh rallies: what is wrong with reports of support for Maduro
In early January, Radio Minsk and the ZhS Premium Telegram channel aired videos presented as recent rallies in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro following his detention. Host Aliona Radouskaya spoke of tens of thousands of people at rallies in Caracas, while the authors of the Telegram channel claimed that the Belarusian independent media ("the fugitives' media dumps") were circulating old videos. The Weekly Top Fake team fact-checked these materials and found that the footage used...
misrepresentation, Venezuela, Radio Minsk, Evening political channel, Telegram channel ZhS Premium (Yellow Plums), Alena Rodovskaya, protests, politics.
14 студзеня 2026
"A massive amount of cash." While spinning tales of Western plans to attack Belarus, Ryhor Azaronak exaggerated European defense spending
Commenting on the U.S. operation in Venezuela, CTV host Ryhor Azaronak claimed the West is preparing an attack on Belarus as Poland and Lithuania ramp up their military budgets. On air, he cited military spending figures for Belarus' neighbors and compared them to Belarusian expenditures. The Weekly Top Fake team fact-checked these figures and determined the scale of Azaronak’s error.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, CTV TV channel, Belarus Today, Ryhor Azaronak, armament.
29 снежня 2025
“Money is only enough for the bare essentials.” CTV overstated the number of poor people in Lithuania
One-fifth of Lithuania’s population views its financial situation as very poor, a CTV news anchor said, citing sociological research. The Weekly Top Fake team set out to see whether she reported the figures accurately.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, CTV TV channel, economy, statistics.
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