Russian propaganda spreads fake story about 'flash mob' of Ukrainians burning Hungarian flags

Russian propagandists fabricated a video purporting to be from the American outlet Wired in order to discredit Ukrainian citizens

Russian propagandist Telegram channels are spreading a video bearing the logo of the American outlet Wired. It claims that Ukrainians allegedly launched a large-scale flash mob on TikTok, posting videos of Hungarian flags being set on fire. This is purportedly presented as a sign of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky in response to public criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The video also cites French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot, claiming he believes the alleged flash mob is driven solely by Ukrainians' "hatred" of Hungarians, with Orban's statements merely serving as a pretext to express it.

This is false. The video is fabricated. It has been assembled from various images and clips that can be found online. No such video exists on Wired's official website or its social media accounts.

Christophe Jaffrelot has not made any such statements regarding Hungary or Ukraine. He is a specialist on India and works at the Center for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris. The video segment in which Jaffrelot appears with the fake quote was taken from his February 27, 2025 interview with the Indian outlet The Wire. That interview concerns India's domestic politics, not Ukraine or Hungary. Propagandists inserted a fabricated quote into the footage.

Ukrainians have not carried out any such flash mobs on TikTok. No corresponding videos could be found on the platform.

This fake news is aimed at discrediting Ukrainians and damaging Ukraine's image on the international stage. Russian propaganda is using it to stir anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Hungary ahead of the parliamentary elections in April.

As reported earlier, Russian propaganda had previously spread a fake story about Ukraine's ambassador and an alleged "insult" to the Hungarian flag.

Andriy Olenin