On September 28-29, Georgian-language media outlets (Prime Time; Radio Georgian Times; The Georgian Times), the anti-opposition Facebook page “Politicians from 1 Lari,” pro-government expert Ghia Abashidze, as well as Georgian– and Russian-language Facebook users (1;2;3), the Russian-language website of Georgia and the World, and Tiraspol-news.ru disseminated information claiming that during a speech marking the start of the electoral process in Moldova, Maia Sandu referred to Georgia as a Russian colony. Some posts are accompanied by a video of the Moldovan president speaking in Romanian, over which Russian-language subtitles appear. In the video, she is heard saying that Georgia has once again become a Russian colony, with the following words: “We see before our eyes how Georgia, by trampling on European values, has once again become a Russian colony. The Georgian authorities have deprived the people of the chance for a developed future in the European Union.”
A fabricated video of Maia Sandu, in which she allegedly calls Georgia a Russian colony, is being circulated. In reality, the Moldovan president did not refer to Georgia as a Russian colony in her speech. The fabrication uses her speech from August 29, in which she does not mention Georgia at all. The video has been manipulated using artificial intelligence, with both the audio and video altered.
Some Facebook posts claim Sandu made this statement at the launch of Moldova’s parliamentary elections. Our investigation confirmed that on August 29, the day the electoral process began, the president did indeed address the public. Her clothing and the background in the authentic video exactly match the visuals shown in the manipulated Facebook video. In the original recording, available on Sandu’s Facebook page, she urges citizens to make the right choice for the country, stressing that Moldova’s future depends on the outcome of the elections. Notably, throughout the 2:28-minute video, Georgia is not mentioned even once.
We also verified the authenticity of the Facebook video using AI detection tools Hive Moderation and Invid. Both tools indicated that the audio bears 91-99% traces of artificial intelligence or so-called deepfake technology. For the video, the indicators ranged from 91.5% to 94%.
Additionally, we analyzed the audio using the Deepfake-O-Meter tool. In three cases, it confirmed with high accuracy that the content was AI-generated.
Visual inspection also reveals flaws. For example, Sandu’s mouth, head, and eye movements appear unnatural. Her facial expressions shift in an unrealistic way, and in some frames her teeth disappear. Moreover, the audio used in the fabricated video differs from Sandu’s speaking style, with pauses that sound artificial.
It is also important to note that no open sources confirm the claim that Maia Sandu made such a statement about Georgia. Posts about the Moldovan President calling Georgia a “Russian colony” can be found on X, but they also rely on the fabricated video.
The alleged statement, in which Sandu calls Georgia a “Russian colony,” has not appeared on her official X or Facebook pages, nor has it been reported by local media (1;2).
Myth Detector has previously debunked numerous disinformation and manipulative claims about Maia Sandu. False and manipulative content about the Moldovan president has also circulated during previous pre-election periods. See more in these materials:
- Forged Document About Maia Sandu’s Mental Health Circulates to Discredit Her
- The Original Source of the Discrediting Report About Sandu’s Sperm Purchase is the Cloned OK!
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