Ukraine protests spark misinformation onlinepublished at 10:53 British Summer Time
10:53 BST
Olga Robinson
BBC Verify assistant editor
Image source, Reuters
False online claims have been going viral after Ukraine saw its biggest wartime protests last night.
Among those promoting misleading claims was US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s long opposed sending aid to Ukraine.
In a post that has now been viewed over 1m views on X, she claimed it was President Volodymyr Zelensky’s refusal to “to make a peace deal and end the war” that sparked the protests.
In fact, the protests have nothing to do with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. People in several major cities took to the streets last night to protest against a new law curtailing the powers of anti-corruption bodies.
The legislation, which has drawn international criticism, grants the prosecutor general control of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sapo).
Critics say it weakens the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies. The Ukrainian government has cited Russian influence for curtailing Nabu’s powers.