This fake is currently spreading on social media.
Users post pictures that are said to have been taken at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp memorial.
The footage shows anti-Russian stickers allegedly placed by Ukrainian activists. The inscription on the stickers reads:
“Russia and Russians, the only gas you and your country deserve is Zyklon B.”
Zyklon B is a hydrogen cyanide gas that was used in German concentration camps for the industrially organized and mass murder of people.
But what about the pictures? What’s behind it?
The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum wrote on Twitter that no stickers were found on site. The memorial’s surveillance videos also gave no indication that the stickers had been placed in the areas in question.
“Everything suggests that the images are simply a manipulation and the incident should be considered primitive and repugnant propaganda.”
But the widespread photos also give reason for skepticism. When analyzing the images, it is noticeable that the stickers have a different compression than the rest of the photos. A clear indication of digital image manipulation.
Verification by memorial staff and the fact that the images contain clear evidence of digital manipulation lead to the conclusion that the stickers are a tasteless fake intended to associate anti-Russian voices with Nazi methods .
Russia’s stated aim in Ukraine is the alleged “denazification” of the country. Ukraine is controlled by anti-Russian “Nazis” and is therefore a threat to Russia’s security.
A narrative that is constantly repeated on Russian state television and apparently also served with the fake stickers.
How do we check videos for manipulation in the editorial office? It is important to look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We take a close look at each image and enlarge individual sections. Indications of a fake are, for example: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or editing errors. The general rule at stern is: Seriousness before speed. We always double-check facts and material thoroughly before publishing them. For this we work with the cross-editorial “Team Verification” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, Radio NRW.