A video is circulating on TikTok in which Ukrainian activist Nataliia Panchenko allegedly insults Poles, calling them “insecure assholes who need an enemy to feel important”, and claiming that “if Ukraine falls, Putin will destroy Poland as well”. As fact-checkers from Demagog have established, this video is a deepfake – artificially generated content created using artificial intelligence that manipulates Nataliia Panchenko’s image and voice. The video appeared on the same day Russian drones violated Polish airspace, seemingly to fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment on Polish social media.

Why is this a deepfake?

The public initiative Euromaidan-Warsaw, headed by Nataliia Panchenko, published a statement on Facebook denying the authenticity of the video and warning about its role in a disinformation campaign. According to Euromaidan-Warsaw, this is a deliberate attempt to undermine unity between Poles and Ukrainians, weaken support for Ukraine, and destabilize regional alliances:

“We have no doubt that this coordinated campaign is part of a Russian strategy aimed at driving a wedge between Poles and Ukrainians and weakening our unity. We will not allow ourselves to be divided. Together, we are stronger”.

Russian propaganda uses deepfakes and disinformation to inflame tensions between allied countries such as Poland and Ukraine, undermining trust and cooperation. False narratives portraying Ukrainians as ungrateful or hostile are designed to reduce international assistance and solidarity with Ukraine during the war with Russia. Deepfakes are a cheap and effective tool for manipulating public opinion.