Posts Share on social media It purportedly shows recent images of the Kremlin with the electricity cut off due to US sanctions.
Moscow remains dark due to severe power shortage — rosZMI
The reason is that Western sanctions have made it difficult to maintain foreign-made turbines at Russia's thermal power plants. pic.twitter.com/O3oMLnp42C
— Jurgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) August 22, 2024
Verdict: False
This image is from 2014, when power was cut off to raise awareness of climate change.
Fact check:
The United States has imposed sanctions on several countries, including Russia, to curb Russia's war efforts. Associated Press According to reports, Chinese companies have been targeted by US sanctions for supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, and China has voiced its opposition to this.
According to a post shared on Twitter, X, Russia was forced to cut off electricity to certain buildings in Moscow due to US sanctions. The photo shows a very large and luxurious building with the lights out.
“Moscow is experiencing a power outage due to a severe electricity shortage – Russian Central Intelligence Agency,” the caption reads. “The reason is that Western sanctions are making it difficult to maintain foreign turbines at Russian thermal power plants.”
This claim is inaccurate. Image: 2014. The photo was taken during a climate change awareness event in which the Kremlin cut off electricity to the building. Russian news agencies shared the photo at the time to report on the “Earth Hour” event.
Google translated the article as follows: “Darkness will descend on central Moscow on Saturday night as the capital takes part in the global initiative Earth Hour. At exactly 8:30 pm, the Kremlin lights will be turned off, the GUM illuminations will be switched off, and St. Basil's Cathedral and the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge will disappear into the dusk. The lights on Red Square will come back on an hour later.” (Related: The Washington Post didn't run story that Sikh separatist leader faked attack)
This is not the first time misinformation has been spread online: Check Your Facts recently denied claims that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was photographed in a bomb shelter.
