Following a recent increase in tensions between Russia and Ukraine, viral social media posts have falsely alleged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has died. DW Fact check examined these claims and found that they crumble immediately under scrutiny.
The rumor is centered on a 15-second video circulating online that purportedly shows a massive explosion in Ukraine, with claims stating that a Russian airstrike killed the president. However, a reverse image search confirms the footage is actually from the 2015 Tianjin warehouse explosion, a disaster that claimed the lives of 173 people. The video has no connection to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Furthermore, claims that Ukrainian media outlets were reporting the president’s death were proven false. A review of major news sources, including The Kyiv Post, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainska Pravda, and the UNIAN news agency, shows no such coverage. Official confirmation of the incident is non-existent because the event did not occur.
Evidence of Zelenskyy’s continued activity was provided on Tuesday when he posted a video on his official X account. The footage documented a meeting with Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD’s official account corroborated the meeting, confirming that discussions took place regarding Ukraine’s bid for membership in the organization.
This is not the first time such misinformation has targeted the Ukrainian leader. Earlier in June, a nearly identical claim circulated, and in 2022, pro-Russian campaigns pushed false narratives about the president committing suicide. According to analysts at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue Germany, these patterns are part of a growing trend of disinformation on platforms like X and TikTok. Expert Pablo Maristany de las Casas noted that generative AI is increasingly used to make such fabricated scenarios appear visually credible to consumers.
The current wave of misinformation displays clear signs of a bot network. Approximately 30 posts shared nearly identical wording, with many using the specific phrase “RUSSIAN AERIAL ATTACK” in all capital letters. At least 12 posts contained an identical typo: “Zelensky has died.!” The accounts sharing this content often adopt names like “Russian Army” or “Israel Defense” and function primarily to aggregate engagement through breaking news updates and polls. Analysts suggest that such content is often designed to trigger emotional responses from audiences to manipulate the online information environment, particularly following real-world geopolitical events.
