Skip to Content

Germany’s biggest tabloid publishes 3 fake Ukraine articles in succession

A battle of images? German tabloid Bild – which ironically means "image" in English – has lost its way in the fog of war.

Published: February 25, 2022, 7:56 pm

    Read more

    Berlin

    In at least three instances, the news outlet has used fake images in reports from the “war front in Ukraine”. Bild presented images of a burning building allegedly in Kiev which were actually from an explosion in the city of Tianjin, China. The video had “captured the fear of eyewitnesses,” according to the source, BBC News.

    Fake news: The “intrepid” German reporter from Bild “in Kiev”. Screenshot from the Bild report

     

    Footage of two massive explosions in the Chinese city of Tianjin, was taken by a stunned eyewitness, and captured the fear and terror of those who saw what happened. Dozens of people died and hundreds were injured when a warehouse owned by a company specialising in handling hazardous goods caught fire and exploded. City officials say they still did not know what materials were at the warehouse at the time of the fire, or what caused the blasts. Eyewitness Dan van Duren filmed the moment of the explosions, before he and others fled to avoid the danger in April, 2015.

    Not quite the Ukraine today…

    Then the tabloid proceeded to present another fiction as “hard news” about a woman “getting shot by Russians”, alleging that Moscow has been targeting housing complexes and killing civilians. The Ukrainian State Emergency Service had posted news on its Facebook account that at 8:23 on Thursday about a fire in building 157 in the neighbourhood of Chuguyev, the same location that the notorious “Bellingcat” had geolocated. According to the Ukrainian institution, the fire “was caused by enemy fire”.

    But from a report by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, it is not at all clear if the building had been damaged in this way. Instead, it may have been damaged by Ukrainian shelling. Bild editor Ralph Schuler only tweeted that “the photo was correct” when challenged, without giving any further detail.

    Fake news: These images were not from Ukraine. Screenshot from Bild apology after they were caught lying.

    Then Bild continued to lie about the “danger of masses of troops landing with parachutes in Ukraine this week”, except that the footage was from a Russian military exercise in 2014, when around 2000 parachutists had landed simultaneously in the Rostov-on-Don region. Fortunately, a observant reader noticed the fakery and called out the tabloid. They meekly apologised, but sadly not for their previous fake reports.

    Hollywood to the rescue!

    Ukraine has also been fighting a fact-free war of perception: The Office of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky itself announced the arrival of a Hollywood actor and director to report on the “Russian invasion”.

    The Ukrainian government thanked the “brave” Penn in a statement: “The director came to Kiev specifically to document current events in Ukraine and tell the world the truth about the Russian invasion of our country. Sean Penn is among those who are supporting Ukraine on the ground today.”

    Penn had already visited Ukraine in November 2021 to film the Donbass and “Russian aggression”. At the time, he was visiting the eastern regions of the country and speaking to military personnel. Photos from Penn’s trip were released by the Ukrainian Armed Forces Press Service at the time, showing him in riot gear and trying to look the part of a “tough guy”.

    All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.

    Consider donating to support our work

    Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.

    Keep ​your language polite​. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in​,​ for example​, ​Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.

    If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violation​s​ of​ any​ law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.

    If your comments are subject to preview ​by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.

    We reserve the right to del​ete​ comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.

    Europe

    Retired Turkish admiral questions wisdom of Sweden and Finland joining NATO

    AnkaraRetired Turkish Rear Admiral Ali Deniz Kutluk said the constant expansion has turned NATO into a cumbersome and unmanageable organisation. The discussed inclusion in the North Atlantic Alliance of two more countries – Finland and Sweden – will make the structure even weaker, and ultimately more dangerous for current members.

    Latest Great Reset fantasy: Ban food photography!

    BerlinLast week, German Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) made a typical political mistake: Rules for thee but not for me. In order to reduce the "energy consumption" of advancing digitalisation, Wissing seriously recommended that Germans refrain from frequently posting photos of food on the internet. Then his Instagram posts surfaced.

    Spain: Toy advertisements may no longer be pink or blue

    MadridIn Catholic Spain, of all places, gender activists have won a new victory. Children's and babies' toys may now no longer be advertised in "gender-specific" colours such as pink and light blue. In Germany, woke parents are subjecting their children to the same grooming.

    Global demand for vaccines drops sharply

    Chinese biotech firm Kexing Holdings has made a fortune selling Sinovac's Chinese vaccine. A few days ago, however, it became known that the bonus payments were withheld and most of the workforce has been laid off. Exports of Chinese vaccines (Sinovac, Sinopharm, CanSino) were 97 percent lower in April than in September 2021.

    Finland will apply for NATO membership – Sweden will follow on Monday

    HelsinkiIt is now clear – Finland will apply for NATO membership on Sunday. Sweden will submit an application on Monday according to information.

    Great Reset: ‘Famine threatens to wipe out 300 million’

    BerlinThe mainstream media has repeated the simple logic regarding the supposed causal chain of the current disrupted trade and supply flows and global supply shortages: It is the aftermath of the Ukraine war, the inevitable consequences of morally justified sanctions against Russia, and repercussions of the "pandemic".

    Sweden: Large increase in individuals with intellectual disabilities

    StockholmAccording to a study published in the Swedish journal Psykologtidningen, a sharp increase in the diagnosis of mild intellectual disability is seen in Sweden. The worst affected is Örebro, where the increase is over 600 percent. At the same time, researchers warn that the IQ is falling in Sweden year by year.

    Hungary announces veto on oil embargo

    BudapestHungary has announced that it will veto the EU's planned embargo on Russian oil imports. The country will not vote for the sanctions package as it will destroy Hungary's secure and stable energy supply and make it impossible to source the oil needed for the economy, according to Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.

    Big Tech, the top lobbyists in the EU

    BrusselsWith 97 million euros per year, Big Tech is the largest lobbying sector in the EU. With the sector's increasing financial power, its political influence has increased.

    Canadian sniper: ‘The war is a terrible disappointment’

    MontrealThe Canadian newspaper La Presse published an interview with Wali, a sniper who had returned from Ukraine. In short, "one of the best snipers in the world" fired only two shots in two months.

    Go to archive