Russian propaganda spreads fakes about 'microchipping' mobilized Ukrainians, 'desk of shame' for soldiers who go AWOL

Propagandists generated an AI-made photo and forged a video from a Ukrainian media outlet.

Russian state propaganda media, Telegram channels, and a so-called Russian opposition figure on X are circulating a video allegedly from a news broadcast of a Ukrainian TV channel. In the clip, a man presented as a serviceman proposes "microchipping" all mobilized Ukrainian men to prevent cases of going AWOL.

This is fake. Propagandists falsified a video from the Kyiv TV channel – they replaced the guest using graphic editing tools and added a different audio track.

In the original video, which aired on November 11, the host is speaking with a different guest: Dmytro Kukharchuk, deputy commander of the 3rd Army Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. They did discuss the issue of AWOL cases in the Ukrainian army and the situation around Kupiansk, but Kukharchuk never mentioned any alleged "microchipping" of Ukrainian service members.

It is also worth noting that the man shown in the manipulated propaganda video is entirely different.

Additionally, Russian propaganda outlets and Telegram channels are circulating a photo allegedly taken in a Ukrainian school. The image shows a "desk of shame" supposedly intended for children whose parents have gone AWOL.

This is fake. The image was generated using artificial intelligence. This has been confirmed by AI detection tools WasitAI, Reversely, and DecopyAI.

These false stories are aimed at inciting conflict between the Ukrainian government and the military, and at spreading a false narrative about an "internal enemy" in an attempt to sow discord and divide Ukraine from within.

Russian propagandists previously fabricated a fake Charlie Hebdo cover about Angelina Jolie's visit to Ukraine.

Andriy Olenin