On 26 October, a Georgian-speaking Facebook user, Jeni Burjanadze, known for systematically spreading disinformation, published a video which, according to its caption, was filmed in Odesa on the same day. In the footage, Ukrainian flags can be seen, and it sounds as though the gathered citizens are chanting, “Putin, help us!”
A fabricated video is being circulated, alleging that people in Odesa are appealing to Vladimir Putin for help. In reality, the footage was not filmed in Odesa, and the audio has been taken from another video.
In fact, the audio attached to the footage was cut from different material. The chant asking Putin for help comes from a video filmed in Orsk in April 2024. This is confirmed by a video published on YouTube by Deutsche Welle.
We verified the video through geolocation. It turned out that the footage was not filmed in Odesa but in Kharkiv, at Constitution Square.
The circulated video contains a TikTok account name: @user8193613694681. This Russian-language account posted the video on 23 October. Open sources do not confirm that Ukrainians held a rally in Kharkiv on 23 or 26 October (the day the Facebook post was published) during which they asked Putin for help.
Myth Detector has previously debunked numerous videos falsified in this manner. These video fabrications typically show footage of marches and demonstrations held in Ukraine, over which audio from other videos is added to create the impression that Ukrainians are holding pro-Russian rallies.
Prepared by Eliso Tsiklauri
“Myth Detector” Lab
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