A video deepfake by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling on his people to lay down their arms appeared on social media before being quickly deleted. A television channel was also hacked.
If the name of cyberwar is debated even in our columns, the cyber aspect of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine is enriched every day by a little more cyberattacks and mutual disinformation. This Thursday, March 17, Meta (ex-Facebook) has let it be known just a video deepfakefalsely featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordering troops to surrender, has been removed from the platform.
“I recommend that you lay down your arms and return to your familiessays Zelensky in this manipulated video. You should not die in this war. I ask you to live and I intend to do the same.” It is the first time that a deepfake of its kind has been observed since the start of hostilities between the two countries, pushing the information battle into a new dimension.
As a matter of principle, I never post or link to fake or false content. Goal @MikaelThalen has helpfully whacked a label on this Zelensky one, so here goes.
I’ve seen some well-made deepfakes. This, however, has to rank among the worst of all time.pic.twitter.com/6OTjGxT28a
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) March 16, 2022
The misleading video, which was intercepted fairly quickly by Meta, is now circulating on parallel networks, such as Facebook’s Russian counterpart VKontakte, as well as pro-Russian Telegram channels. Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Meta, explained on Twitter that the company removed the content for having “broken its rules against manipulated media”. This form of misinformation often results in a video edited to depict a personality making statements that are detrimental to themselves and their ideas.
A TV channel also hacked
This attempt at manipulation was not limited to social networks. National TV channel Ukraine 24 also reported that its ticker (the scrolling information banner at the bottom of the screen) had been hacked for a similar purpose on Wednesday, March 16. This banner displayed a fake message from the Ukrainian president calling on his fellow citizens to end their resistance against the invading Russian forces. Zelensky quickly reacted by posting on his Telegram channel and his Instagram account a video refuting this call for surrender.
❗️ Russian hybrid warfare in action. Ukraine 24 TV channel was hacked: the news ticker started displaying President Zelenskyy’s fake “capitulation” address. @ZelenskyyUa has already refuted the fake, stating the only people he can offer to lay down arms is the Russian troops. pic.twitter.com/MaZjk2hGzA
— Stratcom Center UA (@StratcomCentre) March 16, 2022
“About the latest childish provocation, suggesting that I call for the surrender of arms, I can offer the military of the Russian Federation to lay down their arms and go homehe explains this time really. We are already at home. We defend our country, our children, our families. And we are absolutely unwilling to surrender. Until victory.”
If the rather average quality of this deepfake made him easily identifiable despite a fairly similar tone of voice, the most successful videos often create the illusion. Prepared for this scenario, the Ukrainian government issued a warning to soldiers and civilians a few weeks ago, asking them to beware of videos of their president posted on the Internet. “Videos made with such technologies are almost indistinguishable from real ones.alert the authorities. Be aware that it is a fake! Its purpose is to disorient, to sow panic, to anger the citizens and to convince our troops to surrender.”