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Russia has kicked off a fresh wave of disinformation targeting residents of the Sumy region on TikTok, aiming to undermine trust in local authorities, according to Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, in a statement on Telegram cited by UATV English.
“Russia continues its information operation against residents of the Sumy region, launching a new wave of disinformation on TikTok. In particular, a deepfake video of a purported local official is being spread on the social network. In the video he says that ‘there are currently no orders to repair the critical infrastructure damaged as a result of enemy shelling,'” the statement said.
The video is in fact another AI-generated fabrication produced by Russian propaganda, spread through a network of anonymous accounts previously used to circulate similar manipulative content. The Center noted this represents yet another attempt by Russia to shift blame for the consequences of its own shelling of civilian infrastructure onto Ukraine.
According to the Center, the goal of this information attack is to erode Sumy residents’ trust in local authorities, foster a sense of hopelessness, and pile additional psychological pressure on people living in this front-line city.
“This is another episode of Russia’s disinformation campaign against residents of the Sumy region, as part of which the enemy is trying to impose on people the idea that ‘the authorities are preparing to surrender Sumy,'” the statement added.
The Center recalled that Russian propagandists had previously circulated false claims about a “utilities collapse” and a “logistics catastrophe” in the Sumy region, along with fake messages urging “urgent evacuation” from the city.
As previously reported, TikTok blocked a network of accounts that had been promoting Kremlin narratives and interfering in the internal affairs of the Czech Republic.
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