An amateurish deepfake video of Volodymyr Zelensky surrendering to Russia has been laughed off by experts.
The clip shows the Ukrainian president speaking from his lectern as he calls on his troops to lay down their weapons and give in to Putin's invading forces.
The deepfake has been widely circulated on Russian social media and was even planted by hackers on live TV on Ukraine and on a news site before it was taken down.
Internet users immediately flagged the discrepancies between the skin tone on Zelenskiy's neck and face, the odd accent in the video, and the pixelation around his head.
Ukraine 24, which was targeted by the trolls, said it was the work of 'enemy hackers'.
While the clumsy misinformation attempt is unlikely to fool anyone, it has raised concerns about a new front in the information war.
There are fears Russia could flood social media with similar videos hoping to discredit official information put out by Ukraine.
Nina Schick, the author of Deepfakes, said the video looked like 'an absolutely terrible faceswap,' referring to programs that can digitally graft one person's face onto another's body.
Two weeks ago, Ukraine's military intelligence agency put out a short video alerting the country to the danger of deepfakes, alleging that the Kremlin was preparing a stunt involving one.
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Schick called the fake Zelenskiy video 'very crude,' but warned that the it was a matter of time before the technology became more accessible.
'Expect fakes like this to become easier to produce while appearing highly authentic,' she said.
Mounir Ibrahim, who works for Truepic, a company which roots out online deepfakes, told The Daily Beast: 'The fact that it's so poorly done is a bit of a head-scratcher. You can clearly see the difference — this is not the best deepfake we've seen, not even close.'
'As we start seeing more and more cheap fakes, deepfakes flood the zone, it's going to desensitise people and allow bad actors to allege, "Nothing is real on the ground, you can't trust anything".'
Zelensky has responded to the fake video of himself, telling supporters: 'We are defending our land, our children, our families. So we don't plan to lay down any arms. Until our victory.'
The move is part of the disinformation war, which has seen Russia conceal its casualties, claim Ukraine started the war and is committing atrocities against its own people.
On Thursday, defence secretary Ben Wallace hit out at Russian 'dirty tricks' after he and Home Secretary Priti Patel were targeted by an impostor posing as the Ukrainian prime minister.
The Defence Secretary spent 10 minutes on a Microsoft Teams call with a man claiming to be Oleksiy Honcharuk, who asked about British policy and eventually urged him to shout slogans.
Mr Wallace, who revealed the deception in a Tweet, said he became suspicious and terminated the call after 'several misleading questions'.
The move is part of the disinformation war, which has seen Russia conceal its casualties, claim Ukraine started the war and is committing atrocities against its own people.
On Thursday, defence secretary Ben Wallace hit out at Russian 'dirty tricks' after he and Home Secretary Priti Patel were targeted by an impostor posing as the Ukrainian prime minister.
The Defence Secretary spent 10 minutes on a Microsoft Teams call with a man claiming to be Oleksiy Honcharuk, who asked about British policy and eventually urged him to shout slogans.
Mr Wallace, who revealed the deception in a Tweet, said he became suspicious and terminated the call after 'several misleading questions'.
His admission was followed by a similar one by Ms Patel, who said she was targeted earlier this week.
The level of sophistication involved in the hoax has convinced Government sources that it was a Russian plot.
The video call was set up after an email, purportedly sent from an aide at the Ukrainian embassy, was sent to a government department and then forwarded to the Ministry of Defence.
The call was set up and Mr Wallace was put through on Teams to the 'prime minister of Ukraine', posing with the country's flag behind him.
The Times reported that Mr Wallace was asked about the chances of UK warships going to the Black sea and whether Ukraine should get nuclear weapons or join Nato.
Senior Ministry of Defence sources fear Moscow may attempt to splice together Mr Wallace's comments in an attempt to embarrass him.
He has ordered an immediate inquiry to find out how the impostor was able to speak to him.
The Defence Secretary said it was a 'desperate attempt' but 'no amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks' could distract from the human rights abuses carried out during the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's forces.
The photo below is a capture from the deepfake video
MadamExcellency: Nobody's siding with Mrs. Obiano but it's too shameful that people are admiring a former diplomat and Ambassador for behaving so childishly and uncivilized in the public. Where is the place of diplomatic temperament, self-control, and the likes?
We studied in the 1980s, the qualities of a receptionist and from all indications, she got none of the least let alone being a diplomat.
Good husbands in Nigeria need to be appreciated for enduring more at home
You are an hypocrite. If someone comes to embarrass me like that I will give the person a brain resetting slap. Should she have sat down and be humiliated because she is an ambassador? How many times have your senators fight shameless during their plenary sessions but because na woman, you dey get erection for the matter dey yan dust. People fight all over the world and people should know that crossing boundaries have consequences
Says who? Do you know what's $170m? This is a whooping #85B that can make 85 Nigerian's a Billionaires. It can pay annual wages of more than 5 Chelsea players. Not even CR7 or Messi earns this amount from football in a year.
Logically, if the money is not as valuable or 'pinching' as you observed they wouldn't have place bet on it. Simple!
Did the 170m dollar lost made him lose his billionaire status?
orohbiro: You have been auguring about this issue for weeks and u never knew Putin was once general gush! I won't waste my precious time with u anymore.
See the way you are sounding so confident while stating rubbish. Your type are usually the first to talk down on others yet have no facts in their head. He rose to the rank of Lt. Col in the KGB and resigned.
Lol Una just like to talk.. Your Japan is now licking Chinas behind.. The USA was was a British enterprise..
If not for the US, would you dare say this about Japan? It was same that brought Japan to her knees.
The British begged the US several times to come to her aid in Europe against Hitler but they maintain it wasn’t their war until Pearl Harbour. So what are you even saying?
She rather quarrel than have a sensible discussion. Never had time for me while I was sick but was fighting the chick who took care of me even though we weren’t dating.
Rugaria: Pure madness! Not even during the cold war days did the US or any western power go out of their ways to threaten China and Russia at the same time.. This is what happens when you have an oversized impression of yourself. The idea that the west is determined to take on China and Russia at the same time, tells every discerning mind, how desperate and reckless the west has become as other power units around different regions of the world, start to emerge and solidify.. Dying empires desperately trying to reinvent themselves and dominate for ever. China will do the needful anyways..
China that the Japanese dealt with. Which day did China become world power that we will not hear world about again.
yrex01: it's been 4 days since this happened. I never see Ukraine dead soldiers mass burial news here. is this forum ment for just russian losing wings ?
while u keep celebrating these in here french n Germany are currently urging putin for cease fire while ukrain president begging world for backup coz they can't hold much longer.
What is wrong with you? Would you throw that emotions away and think with your head man?
Loyalty is everything. Judge people by their actions not by their plea or words or those emotional gymnastics.
If you have been heart broken in the past and learnt from it, you wouldn't be coming here to ask this.
She has proven by her actions that she is not to be trusted, she isn't loyal, and she will leave you when the chips are down.
You are tied to that girl either because of the things you have done for her or because you feel you can not do with her. Two very idiotic reasons to be with a girl.
If you go ahead with that girl, a time will come and you will come here to cry, women are this and that, fear women, after all what i have done for her blablabla BS.
But it's not a curse for your wife to beat you. Arrant nonsense. You did not respect yourself enough not to tolerate that from anybody that's why she beats you at will.
I want to use this medium to seek for your advice..
Me and my wife has been together since 2014, although we have not done marriage as we only did introduction, but we planned having our marriage this year, we had two kids, but I think right now I'm not comfortable living with my wife.
I am not enjoying this relationship anymore, she keeps beating me whenever there is quarrel between us, she is fond of slapping me and giving me punches, at times she makes use of wire and and broom to scatter my head.
The one that happened on Monday is really giving me much concern, she checked my phone and saw a friend I was chatting with and instead of her to ask me about the lady, the next thing she did was to slap me and she started beating me to the extent of having right hand dislocation.. It's not as if she can beat me if I decided to fight back, I don't want to raise my hand on a woman, it's a curse and I don't want to do that, this is getting out of hand and I am not living comfortable at home again, we sleep on different bed, she doesn't allow me touch her again.
She is even planning to get a room by ending of this month when she gets her salary.. I told my sister about her behavior, the advice she gave me is that I should beat the hell out of her whenever she raises her hand to beat me.
I have pleaded with my wife to let us continue the way we have been doing before but she wouldn't listen to me.
I am really confused and I don't know what to do right now..
shawnfamous: I had this girl I asked out, she Declined. A week after I completely stopped talking to her. She would want us to talk but nah. I know what I did to her isn't so right and matured but for my sanity I just gats abandon every affair with am.
What is wrong with you? Who told you what you did is not mature? Like who defend maturity for you? What you showed is a guy who can not be toiled with and you call that immaturity?
Bewiseedet: Mind your business. Your son is matured enough to chose who to love. Isn't it better you try to know the lady better than just portray her as a prostitute?
Her son is her business and she is minding him. He is also doing it in her house so she has every right to confront him.
Crossroad1: She could have unfollow and block him without anyone knowing it but they will like to do eye service and show off. That gbolafiri or whatever his unable to pronounce name his should stop embarrassing himself.. Kids in adult body
FreeStuffsNG: There's no such thing in science.Once you can build it, it can be replicated. The US make these mistakes all the time by underestimating others. If anyone had told them 20 years ago that they will lose the war in Afghanistan, they will not believe it. As we type here, the Chinese now have the strongest navy in the world and they have built better versions of the US artillery https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/05/china/china-world-biggest-navy-intl-hnk-ml-dst/index.html
They should have just destroyed those things . Leaving it is irresponsible and a miscalculation. The Talibans are not stupid. Even if they can't independently rebuild it, they can partner their neighbours Iran, Russia and China to understand these advanced technology through reverse Engineering. US should wake up, others are not sleeping o. Knowledge and terror business has been democratized . Btw, if you want to use freebies to promote and sell your goods or services or you want free stuffs , check my signature of FreeStuffsNG
But better than him being beheaded by the terrorists.
A typical Nigerian minister would have stolen more than enough to buy him/herself a nice mansion without mortgage.
I think this guy chose to live this way because with 2 masters degree from Oxford and the wealth of experience he has gotten from all the organisation he had worked, he could have easily gotten a job in the tech industry. He probably want to get away from everything and lead a simple life
Even if the rubbish you said is true, in a civilised clime, is this how a 'criminal' is treated? Your brain needs to be checked. How can Nigeria be great when people like you roam among us?
Brexxit: Igboho is a tout,a street urchin,a land grabber and a criminal.
His people helped to foist the calamity called buhari on Nigerians.
They should enjoy the change they seek. They are not getting any oduduwa republic.
You read but your mind is blind. You only see what you want to see so that you can go on with your work as a critic
design110: Lemme summarize for you. They said they had no hand in the arrest (But how did the DSS get wind of the situation before arriving to arrest them) They said the people arrested were using trumpets and the rest to disrupt service and service. (So that's your reason for calling DSS to arrest them abi)
Travel / Re: Warere Beach Hotel, Zanzibar, Tanzania Where Nigerian Lady Was Robbed Speaks by fantastic1: 10:40am On Apr 18, 2022 