A 48-second clip has gone viral on social media, with users claiming it shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hiding from the war and creating hologram videos of himself fighting using a green screen.
The video features Volodymyr Zelenskyy wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, which the president does not wear during his official addresses, with a green screen and filming equipment in the background.
натоли аpи, who describes himself as a politician and has a verified Twitter account, wrote: "The secret of 'performances under bombs' is revealed?"
“An actor is always a showman. Even if he becomes a president,” wrote Dmitry Polyanskiy, the First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, who acknowledged he hates “lies and fake news.”
Old Video From Zelenskyy’s Participation in Europe’s Tech Community
However, Misbar previously investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The video is taken out of context to fuel conspiracy theories suggesting Ukraine is faking the war and using crisis actors to show terrible damage and casualties.
The circulating footage was taken from a Behind the Scenes video of President Zelenskyy's holographic address to Europe's tech community which was posted to YouTube on June 28, 2022.
According to Founders Forum, who posted the video, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Europe’s tech leaders via 3D hologram live from Founders Forum London 2022.
The president urged the forum’s community to donate to United24’s Rebuild Ukraine fund and invest in the digital transformation that will define the country’s long-term rebuild, highlighting Ukraine’s resilient development, despite the ongoing war.
“By broadcasting President Zelenskyy’s address via hologram and 3D avatar, our aim was to exemplify the world-changing innovation our community is capable of delivering and inspire our network to develop new technologies that can help rebuild Ukraine and promote truth dissemination,” the caption reads.
Misinformation Targets Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Misbar has previously addressed posts claiming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was never in Ukraine and was using the green screen to fake being there.
The claim spread using a screenshot from the circulating video that features the Ukrainian President with a green screen in the background.
Our investigation has shown that President Zelenskyy was using the green screen to create 3D imagery delivering his statements at several world events using a hologram, as reported by many media outlets.
“Volodymyr Zelenskyy referenced Star Wars and the second world war as the Ukrainian president appeared as a hologram on stage at technology festivals across Europe,” The Guardian reported.
The Irish Independent also reported that The Ukrainian President made an appearance by 3D hologram at Dublin’s Tech Summit on June 16, 2022, and appealed to delegates “to donate the finances and technology required to help him make Ukraine the world’s freest digital nation.”
Although the image was previously addressed as misleading, it surfaced again with claims that Zelenskyy performs his frontline speeches using a green screen.
“Hugh Jackman preparing to do a Wolverine action scene in front of a green screen. Oh sorry. That's Zelensky about to broadcast an inspiring message of resistance from the scene of a barbaric Russian bombing. An Oscar-worthy performance by one of the greatest actors of our time,” Ganesh Prasad tweeted.
Several misleading and fake images have been addressed by our team since the Russian invasion of Ukraine first started in February 2022.
Zelenskyy Subject to Satirical Content
Our team debunked numerous satirical visuals, including an altered Money magazine cover featuring the Ukrainian President. However, the authentic cover was doctored to add Zelenskyy’s face and the headlines: “Comedian and Democracy Crusader'' and “Learn How He’s Laundering American Taxpayer Dollars And Cuckholding With Klaus Schwab.”
Moreover, we debunked a manipulated TIME cover that falsely claimed that the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had refused to use the letters "Z" and "V" in his name and surname.
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