On October 13, Russian-speaking users on Facebook and Threads shared a video, claiming it was filmed in Ukraine and showed a Syrian soldier praying. The video appears to have been recorded inside a Ukrainian supermarket, АТБ (ATB).
The video circulating on social media, allegedly depicting a Syrian soldier praying in Ukraine, was created using artificial intelligence (AI). It is noteworthy that the АТБ supermarket chain has not used the logo shown in the video for several years, and even its previous versions differed from the one displayed. Moreover, several visual inconsistencies in the footage indicate signs of AI manipulation.
The video, purportedly showing a Syrian soldier praying, was shared by Russian-language sources across various platforms (X; Rutube; TikTok; Telegram).
The Ukrainian fact-checking organization StopFake analyzed the identical video and determined that it had been created using AI tools. The outlet highlighted the АТБ logo, explaining that the supermarket chain stopped using that logo and blue color scheme in 2017, following a brand redesign. Even prior to the rebranding, the symbols differed – for example, there were gaps between the letters, the font was different, and a different shade of blue was used. In contrast, the video shows АТБ written in connected letters against a white and blue background. Additionally, according to StopFake, the video appears to have been shot from a surveillance camera, yet the frame is shaking, as if someone else is holding the camera and filming.
It should be noted that some ATB stores still display the old logo even after 2017.
Source: Business Insider
Upon close examination, several flaws, typical of visuals generated by artificial intelligence, become apparent. The products on the shelves look identical and appear to have a uniform structure. Moreover, the flag colors on the soldier’s shoulder patch change across frames: instead of the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, white, black, and blue hues appear.
In one scene, the soldier’s fingers look unnatural and are all the same length, while in another shot, the appearance of his hands changes.
Myth Detector has previously verified multiple AI-generated visual materials related to the ongoing war in Ukraine. You can read more in the following articles:
- AI-Generated Photo Falsely Claims JD Vance Offered Ukrainians to Join the War
- AI-Generated Photo of Ukrainian Children in Military Uniforms Circulated Online
The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.
Read detailed instructions for editing the article.
Read detailed appeal instructions.
