The fake news items that make it look like Ukraine was involved in the Crocus Hall attack in Russia

Elise Gallé-Tessonneau
·1-min read

The Russian government continues to insist that Ukraine played a role in the terrorist attack that took place on March 22 in Crocus City Hall in a Moscow suburb – even though the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack. And yet, rumours about Ukraine’s involvement persist online, often circulated by pro-Russian accounts that are already engaged in a war of disinformation against Ukraine.

If you only have a minute:

  • A few hours after the terrorist attack on March 22, 2024, a major Russian TV channel, NTV, broadcast a video that seems to show a Ukrainian official confirming Ukraine’s involvement. However, this video is a deep fake.

  • Social media users have been circulating a photo of the people suspected of organising the attack posing next to an Islamic State (IS) group flag. These users, however, claim that the photo provides proof that the suspects aren’t actually Muslim, because they are pointing their left finger and not their right at the flag. However, there is no basis for this argument because there are other photos of IS group members striking the same pose.

  • Pro-Kremlin accounts have also been sharing a video of a white minivan near the site of the attack, claiming that the attackers used a Ukrainian van. Turns out, however, the licence plate is from Belarus.

The fact check, in detail:

  • A 'deepfake' featuring Ukrainian official Oleksiy Danilov

However, the clip that the Russian TV outlet shared is actually a montage made up of two interviews broadcast by Ukrainian media outlets a few days before the attack.


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