On April 18, a Facebook account known for frequently spreading false information posted videos that, according to the post, depict mobilization in Ukraine. One of the videos shows a man climbing out of a window while police officers try to catch him so he does not fall. The post creates the impression that the man was jumping from the window to avoid mobilization. The same video was posted on Instagram on April 18 with a Ukrainian caption, and the post’s hashtags include “тцк” (Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support), linking the video to mobilization.
On April 19, the video was shared on YouTube with the title “’Voluntary’ Mobilization in Ukraine.” The video also circulated with alternative captions, claiming it was filmed in Moscow or St. Petersburg, and depicted the arrest of a pedophile. Another version of the story circulating on social media claims the video was shot in the Russian city of Zarechny and shows the arrest of a man under the influence of drugs.
The circulated video does not depict mobilization in Ukraine. The other versions claiming it was filmed in Russia are also false. According to the source Telegram channel, the video shows a person under the influence of drugs in Kryvyi Rih. The district police department of Kryvyi Rih confirmed to Myth Detector that the video has nothing to do with mobilization and that the man shown in the video was under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs, and the police were assisting him.
The circulated video bears the watermark of the Telegram channel HKR, which shares information related to the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. The channel published this video and another from the same incident on April 17.
The description of the video indicates that a man under the influence of drugs broke windows, threw things out, and then attempted to jump on Zarichna Street. Since the Telegram channel covers news related to Kryvyi Rih, Myth Detector contacted the Dnipropetrovsk regional police department for further details. The Prevention Office of the district police department of Kryvyi Rih responded. According to them, on April 17, the police received a call from citizens in the Pokrovsk district of Kryvyi Rih, reporting that an unknown man was throwing items out of windows. When officers arrived, they found the man under the influence of alcohol and likely drugs. The man behaved aggressively toward the police, began breaking windows in his apartment and throwing furniture, threatened to blow up the house, and later declared he would commit suicide. After prolonged negotiations, he climbed out of the window, continuing to threaten suicide. According to the police, they acted in accordance with Ukrainian law to protect the man’s life and health, entered the apartment, rescued him, and called emergency services.
“Any claims circulating online that the man was attempting to avoid mobilization are false,” the statement reads.
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, Myth Detector has verified multiple cases of disinformation and video manipulation concerning military mobilization in Ukraine.
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