A Deepfake Video of Zelensky Telling Ukrainian Soldiers to Surrender Was Broadcast on Ukrainian TV
In March 2022, early in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared online and was briefly broadcast via a hacked Ukrainian TV news channel. In the video, a convincing but slightly off-looking Zelensky told Ukrainian soldiers to put down their weapons and surrender. The video was low-quality enough that it was quickly debunked — Zelensky posted a video from his actual location to disprove it — but it marked a watershed moment: the first time a deepfake of a sitting head of state had been deployed in an active war as a psychological warfare tool.
In March 2022, early in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared online and was briefly broadcast via a hacked Ukrainian TV news channel. In the video, a convincing but slightly off-looking Zelensky told Ukrainian soldiers to put down their weapons and surrender. The video was low-quality enough that it was quickly debunked — Zelensky posted a video from his actual location to disprove it — but it marked a watershed moment: the first time a deepfake of a sitting head of state had been deployed in an active war as a psychological warfare tool.
Weirdness Classification
10/10 — Deeply unhinged
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