Fake: a Ukrainian serviceman allegedly killed a fellow soldier over the theft of gold
Russian propagandist Telegram channels are spreading a fake in which a Ukrainian serviceman allegedly interrogates another about killing a fellow soldier over stolen gold. VoxCheck experts have debunked this video fake.
Origin of the fake
A video actively circulated by Russian sources shows a scene in which one serviceman allegedly questions another about killing their comrade over a dispute regarding the division of stolen gold. However, there are no mentions of such an incident in Ukraine’s information space. The video appeared exclusively in Russian sources, indicating its propagandist origin.
Signs of fabrication
VoxCheck experts cite the following evidence that the video was created using artificial intelligence (AI):
- Visual AI artifacts: The serviceman’s face looks glossy and resembles an overlayed mask. During the conversation, the character’s teeth periodically disappear, which is a typical error of AI-generated imagery.
- Voiceover: The off-screen voice sounds unnatural – overly fast, flat, and without intonational variation, which is characteristic of automatically generated audio.
- Lack of identification: Apart from blue armbands, there are no chevrons or other identification marks on the serviceman’s uniform, which does not correspond to Ukrainian Armed Forces standards. The filming location also cannot be identified, a common feature of staged videos.