Russian disinformation attempts to attribute fabricated slogans to Ukrainians
Russian propaganda outlets are spreading images on social media that allegedly show a rally in Lviv. The image depicts men wearing balaclavas and black clothing holding a cardboard sign with the inscription: “Cut down TRCs like cardboard.”
This is fake. The image was generated using artificial intelligence. This is indicated by the font of the text on the cardboard, which is characteristic of AI-generated images. According to the AI image detection service AI or Not, the photo was created using artificial intelligence with a 93% probability.
In addition, Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and users of the social media platform X circulated a photograph from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he allegedly appeared to be standing behind a transparent protective screen. Propagandists claimed that the Ukrainian President feared a possible assassination attempt amid mass protests.
This is also fake. The original video was published on the official resources of the President of Ukraine on July 16 during the visit to Kyiv of former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The four-minute recording shows Zelensky’s speech from several angles, and there is no protective glass around him.
