Russia Spreads New AI-Generated Videos Mimicking Street Interviews with Ukrainians, CCD Reports

Russian intelligence services have ramped up their disinformation efforts with a sophisticated new campaign utilizing artificial intelligence to create fabricated videos of “ordinary Ukrainians” calling for peace at any cost, according to Ukrainian security officials.

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), operating under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, revealed these findings in a recent Facebook post. The agency has identified multiple videos circulating on social media platforms that share a remarkably similar visual style and format, mimicking street interviews with supposed Ukrainian citizens.

Analysis of these videos shows that the “interviewees” express nearly identical viewpoints across multiple clips. The recurring narrative claims Ukrainians are desperate for the war to end regardless of conditions, while portraying Ukrainian authorities as deliberately prolonging the conflict. The CCD confirmed through specialized verification services that these videos are entirely AI-generated, with no actual human interviews taking place.

“This represents a significant escalation in Russia’s information warfare tactics,” said a cybersecurity expert who tracks disinformation campaigns in Eastern Europe. “The technology has advanced to a point where casual viewers may not recognize these as synthetic productions.”

The campaign appears designed with specific psychological objectives. Security officials believe the primary goal is to demoralize Ukrainian society while simultaneously redirecting blame for the war’s continuation onto Ukraine’s government rather than the Russian forces that invaded the country. By fabricating a groundswell of public opinion favoring immediate peace regardless of terms, Russian propaganda aims to create pressure on Ukraine’s military and political leadership to make potentially damaging concessions.

This isn’t the first instance of such tactics. The CCD previously identified another series of AI-generated videos following the same pattern, where fictional Ukrainian citizens advocated for making concessions to Russia. The consistency across these campaigns suggests a coordinated strategy rather than isolated incidents.

The timing aligns with other Russian disinformation efforts occurring during the Olympic Games in Italy. Ukrainian officials have noted an increase in false narratives disguised as reports from legitimate foreign media outlets spreading across social networks during this high-visibility international event.

Media analysts point out that these campaigns represent a concerning evolution in digital propaganda. “We’re seeing the weaponization of generative AI for targeted psychological operations,” noted a researcher at a European digital policy think tank. “The technology allows bad actors to create convincing personas at scale without the logistical challenges of hiring actual people.”

The development comes amid growing concerns globally about AI-generated content in information spaces. While social media platforms have introduced policies to identify synthetic content, the rapid advancement of AI technology continues to present challenges for content moderation systems.

Ukrainian officials urge citizens to maintain media literacy and verify information through multiple credible sources. They recommend being particularly suspicious of street interview videos that seem designed to provoke emotional responses about the war’s conclusion.

International security experts warn this type of information operation isn’t limited to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and could become a template for influence operations in other regions experiencing political instability or armed conflict.

As Ukraine continues to defend against both physical and information attacks, the emergence of increasingly sophisticated AI-generated propaganda highlights the evolving nature of modern warfare, where battles are fought not just on physical frontlines but also in the digital information space.