Deepfake Video of Ukraine's National Security Secretary Alleges Ukraine Involvement in Moscow Attack
The Claim
RUSSIA UKR: SHAMEFUL Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov indirectly confirmed involvement in the terrorist attack in Crocus. On Ukrainian television, he said that “we will give them this kind of fun more often.” “Is it fun in Moscow today? I think it’s a lot of fun. I would like to believe that we will arrange such fun for them more often. After all, they are “brotherly” people, and we need to please our relatives more often, go to visit them more often. So, we will go "
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Emerging story
After the recent attack at a concert hall in Moscow, social media users widely circulated a video clip purportedly featuring an interview with Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, in which he hinted at Ukrainian involvement in the event at Crocus.
On Ukrainian television, he stated, "Is it fun in Moscow today? I think it’s a lot of fun. I would like to believe that we will arrange such fun for them more often. After all, they are “brotherly” people, and we need to please our relatives more often, go to visit them more often. So, we will go."
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral footage and found it to be fake.
The video is not real, it is a deepfake video featuring AI-generated audio of Oleksiy Danilov.
The Video of Oleksiy Danilov Was Modified Using AI
The deepfake video was created by merging footage from two separate recent interviews featuring Oleksiy Danilov and Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov.
Misbar’s team successfully traced the original interviews, which were uploaded to YouTube.
Moreover, AI-generated audio of Danilov was dubbed over the fabricated video clip.
On March 23, the Center for Countering Disinformation, a division of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, issued a statement asserting that the circulating video had been altered using artificial intelligence technology. The blame for disseminating the video was placed on the NTV TV channel.
137 People Killed at Russia's Crocus Hall Concert
137 people lost their lives in a tragic attack at Russia's Crocus City Hall during a crowded concert on Friday evening. Russia has declared a day of mourning, lowering flags to half-mast, canceling events, and adjusting TV schedules. Over 140 others were injured as gunmen entered the venue, firing indiscriminately before setting it ablaze.
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack, sharing an image of the four masked assailants through their media outlet, Amaq. However, Russia has not yet officially commented on this claim. President Vladimir Putin announced that all four perpetrators have been apprehended.
In a televised address, President Putin denounced the massacre, describing it as a "barbaric terrorist act." Russian security services have previously suggested that the attackers attempted to flee to Ukraine.
Ukraine Refuted Russia’s Claim of Involvement in the Attack
Kyiv swiftly rejected any notion of involvement in the attack, dismissing such claims as "absurd." Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military intelligence directorate, suggested the suspects being headed to Ukraine would imply they were either foolish or suicidal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky directly accused President Putin of attempting to shift blame onto Ukraine for the attack. Zelensky criticized Putin, stating, “This worthless Putin, instead of dealing with his citizens of Russia, addressing them, remained silent for a day - thinking how to bring this to Ukraine."
The U.S. National Security Council disclosed that it had previously alerted Russia about the potential for an IS attack at "large gatherings," including concerts, in Moscow earlier in the month. However, the Kremlin dismissed these warnings as "propaganda" and an attempt by Washington to interfere in Russian affairs.
The White House condemned the "heinous" attack on Saturday, affirming IS as a "common terrorist enemy" that must be combated globally.
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