Fake: Stefanchuk allegedly promised to cut off heating for draft dodgers
A new wave of disinformation aimed at undermining trust in the Ukrainian authorities and the mobilization system is spreading on social media. Russian Telegram channels, as well as accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X, are widely sharing a video featuring the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
This was reported by Ukrinform.
In the video, Stefanchuk allegedly says that due to the difficult situation in the energy sector, heating will be supplied only to households where men are serving in the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Women whose husbands are “draft dodgers” are supposedly advised to “keep warm from their husbands”.
In reality, this is a fake. The video was entirely generated using artificial intelligence, specifically deepfake technology. According to an analysis by the Hive Moderation service, which detects AI-generated content, the probability that this video is artificially created is 98.6%.
The source of the fake is an anonymous Instagram account that was created only on October 15, 2025. At the time of publication, it contains just three videos.
Another example of disinformation is a fake photo allegedly from the city of Sumy. The image shows a supposed “announcement” from a local Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center about distributing food packages to women in exchange for reporting draft dodgers.
This information is also false. The Sumy Regional Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center has not published any such announcements, as confirmed by the institution’s official channels, including its Facebook page. Moreover, the fake poster uses an incorrect abbreviation – “OTCK”, which is not used in official communication with citizens.
The Sumy recruitment center confirmed that no such announcement exists and that the information is yet another example of a hostile information operation.
Both fakes are aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian authorities and the institutions responsible for mobilization, as well as at increasing internal tensions amid the war.