There Is No Billboard for Donations with the Image of Zelenskyy in Milan

This is a computer-modified video. There is no billboard in Milan with the photograph of Zelenskyy with a hole up his nose for collecting donations for Ukraine. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine, an attempt was made to discredit President Zelenskyy and Ukraine in general with the promotion of this fake video for the purpose of decreasing the support from allied countries

We are fact-checking a post published on the social network Facebook (screenshot here) sharing a video from, allegedly, a square in Milan. The video shows an alleged billboard with a photograph of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As can be seen, Zelenskyy has a hole in his nose where banknotes can be put, allegedly for donations for Ukraine. This offensive and tasteless video is computer generated. Such a billboard of Zelenskyy does not exist in Milan.

This is one of funniest things I’ve seen during this war.
The so-called “free world” is doomed.
Donations for Zelenskyy in Milan, up his nose, specifies the post we are fact-checking.

The Center for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine has published on its Telegram profile that the shared video was computer-analyzed and that it was proven to be graphically modified. Such a billboard does not exist in Milan.

After conducting detailed analysis, experts from the Center determined that the video was imaginary and did not correspond with reality. In one fragment, it can clearly be seen how an adult couple has an unnatural appearance due to the unprofessional use of the video editing programme. In addition, the author of the video is using various contrasts to conceal the production of the video-material. The attempt made was to discredit President Zelenskyy and Ukraine in general with the promotion of this fake video, for the purpose of decreasing the support from allied countries, stipulates the Center for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine.

The Center appeals to the public to follow only credible sources of information and citizens to look at these propaganda videos with reservations and the need to fact-check the information.

Top News reports that the graphically altered video, that the post claims to be from the square in Milan – is showing a photograph of Zelenskyy with a hole in his nostril, where passers-by can place their donations. The donations for Ukraine – as falsely claimed by this video and the post supporting it – are collected up his nose. The analysis of the video conducted by Top News, however, show that the whole thing is complete fabrication.

For more than a year now, Russian propaganda, through fake videos about Ukraine and President Zelenskyy, is trying to discredit the country within and beyond, on international level.

For example, in March 2022, a fake call from Zelenskyy was published asking the Ukrainians to withdraw, surrender and throw their weapons which was an order sent by the Ukrainian President. Zelenskyy’s fake call was disseminated through the pro-Russian Telegram channels and other similar channels.

In the beginning of this year, propagandists claimed that an installation in Italy in the form of human nose – also in Milan – with a white powdery substance path leading right up to it was, allegedly dedicated to Zelenskyy. The installation exists, it really exists in Milan, however it has no bearing on Zelenskyy or Ukraine.

Due to all of the above-noted facts, we assess the fact-checked post as untrue. Specifically, the the computer-modified video of a billboard with the photograph of Zelenskyy with a hole up his nose for collecting donations for Ukraine in Milan does not exist. The video is propaganda aimed at discrediting Zelenskyy.

This article was developed within the framework of the project Promoting Access to Reliable News to Counter Disinformation, implemented by the Metamorphosis Foundation. The article, that has been published on the Macedonian-language version of Truthmeter, was enabled with the support of the American non-profit foundation NED (National Endowment for Democracy). The contents of the article is the responsibility of the author and do not always reflect the positions of Metamorphosis Foundation, NED or their partners.

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