Russia spreads a new fake about "atrocities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" using AI-generated…

On June 27, 2024, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) reported that Russian propaganda launched an information campaign aimed at discrediting Ukrainian military personnel. The campaign centers on a purported report alleging atrocities committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, though the CCD notes that the materials lack any factual evidence or independent verification.

What happened

The Russian Federation, through the Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova, announced a report accusing Ukrainian forces of using torture methods such as branding with tridents, shackles, and drills in the Kursk region and Mariupol. To support these claims, the Russian side released photographs that the CCD identified as containing clear signs of being generated by artificial intelligence.

No factual evidence, results of independent examinations, or corroborating video footage were provided to support these accusations. The CCD characterizes this campaign as a "mirroring" tactic, where Russia attempts to shift accountability for its own documented war crimes—such as those discovered in Bucha and Kherson—onto Ukrainian forces. By utilizing AI-generated imagery to construct a false evidence base, Russian propagandists aim to justify ongoing aggression and propagate the narrative of "Nazism" in Ukraine. According to the CCD, these systematic pseudo-reports are part of a broader Kremlin effort to avoid international responsibility for war crimes committed by Russian troops.