On October 2, the Facebook account “Information-Analytical Union” posted a video citing mobilization statistics in Ukraine from the research organization “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW). The video discusses several claims, including over 83% of mobilized individuals have died in the war in Ukraine; 83 out of 100 mobilized soldiers are either dead or cannot be contacted; the complete training of mobilized troops takes 1 to 2 months and so on. The video features a quote from ISW researcher Daniel Schatz, suggesting that he views the data as a natural outcome of Ukraine’s ongoing mobilization. The ISW logo appears on the material.
A video attributed to the “Institute for the Study of War” is fabricated, using fake ISW statistics and a forged quote from an ISW researcher. The claims in the video are not supported by open sources, and ISW has denied their authenticity.
ISW’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X do not feature similar videos. Moreover, the official website does not provide statistics to support claims that a significant portion of those mobilized in Ukraine have died on the battlefield. Such statistics also cannot be found in other open sources.
As observed, research organization ISW’s social media features distinctive videos that primarily depict researchers speaking (1;2;3) with graphs appearing from time to time. Moreover, the videos published by ISW, unlike those circulated on social media, do not feature the organization’s logo in the upper right corner; instead, the date of the video is displayed in that position.
“Myth Detector” reached out to the “Institute for the Study of War” to verify the authenticity of the mentioned video. In their response, ISW denied the video’s authenticity and stated that they did not disseminate it. According to ISW, both the video and the statistics, along with the quote from their researcher Daniel Schatz, are fabricated.
ISW’s full response: “We are aware of videos circulating on social media by third parties purporting to be from ISW and using the “Institute for the Study of War” branding and similar information and/or assessments. These videos allegedly quote ISW analysts and falsely attribute various statements and claims to ISW that the organization did not make. These videos were not created by the Institute for the Study of War and do not reflect the views or assessments of ISW or the views or assessments of the analysts they quote.”
Video fabrications are often circulated under the names of reputable Western media outlets and organizations, frequently featuring their logos. Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, such fabricated videos primarily focus on events in Ukraine and the West, aiming to discredit both Ukraine and EU countries. Video fabrications share common features: authors use logos of reputable media to spread disinformation and make the videos appear as if they are legitimate news sources. Additionally, the primary source of the false information is often unclear, even though the videos are primarily disseminated through Russian media and Telegram channels. Moreover, the videos include generic footage edited from different materials and are often accompanied by music or subtitles rather than a journalist’s voiceover. Fabricated footage can feature fake comments from respondents in video captions. For more information on fabricated videos disseminated under the name of prominent media outlets, read “Myth Detector’s article:
About the source:
The anonymous Facebook account “Information-Analytical Union” was created in April 2022 and has been posting anti-Western content since then. “Myth Detector” has repeatedly fact-checked the false information spread by this account in the past.
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