Last fakes of the week
07 August 2026
Did Drapatyi start the war in Donbas? News.by misdated the start of the Donbas conflict by nearly a month
The First News Channel described Mykhailo Drapatyi as the man who allegedly “effectively started the civil war” in Ukraine. As evidence, they cited the events of 2014 as evidence, when his IFV broke through a barricade in Mariupol. However, this incident did not occur at the beginning of the conflict. By that time, armed groups were already operating in Donbas, administrative buildings had been seized, and the Anti-Terrorist Operation had already underway.
fabrication, Russia, Ukraine, The First News Channel news.by, Maksim Uglyanitsa, war.
30 July 2026
Cheap doesn’t mean affordable: News.by misrepresented a cost-of-living ranking as a measure of affordability
The hosts of the Main Broadcast program on the First News Channel stated that Minsk is exceptionally attractive in terms of its balance of well-being and spending. They cited Numbeo’s Cost of Living Index as evidence. However, this ranking only compares price levels. To determine a city’s affordability for its residents, you need to consider another indicator: the local purchasing power index.
misrepresentation, Belarus, The First News Channel news.by, economy, achievements.
25 July 2026
“They are selling equipment from the Ignalina NPP.” A Belarusian Radio expert mistakenly identified the export of Lithuanian equipment as the sale of nuclear reactors
Solomon Bernstein, a Latvian vlogger and political analyst, stated on the First National Channel of Belarusian Radio that Lithuania is allegedly still profiting from the sale of equipment from the decommissioned Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. He cited the product group “Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers” as evidence. This group accounts for about 5% of Lithuanian exports. However, the figure refers to a broad product category, not to exports of nuclear reactors.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, First national channel of Belarusian radio, Solomon Bernstein, economy, infrastructure.
02 April 2026
The ONT TV channel shifted the responsibility to Lithuania for the trucks held in Belarus
The ONT TV channel claimed that Lithuania did not allow its trucks to leave Belarus and did nothing to resolve the situation. The Weekly Top Fake team found that, after the border closure, Lithuania allowed its carriers to return and officially asked the Belarusian authorities to allow the trucks to leave. However, Minsk made the decision that caused them to get stuck in the country.
misrepresentation, Belarus, Lithuania, All-National TV channel, politics, economy, sanctions.
19 February 2026
The Belarus 4 TV channel claimed that the sanctions against Belarus are causing Poles to freeze to death. However, this statement is false
People in Poland are freezing in their homes because the EU imposed sanctions on Belarus, the largest supplier of wood pellets. The host and guests of the Nashe Vremya show on Belarus 4 TV offered this explanation while discussing the shortage of this type of fuel in neighboring country. The Weekly Top Fake team discovered another cause-and-effect relationship.
misrepresentation, Belarus, Poland, European Union, Belarus-4, Alexander Dobryan, Andrey Grigoriev, economy, weather, sanctions.
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