Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on /19/022026; Author: Marko Vukajlović
Ukraine and Russia are once again at the negotiating table, seeking a solution to the war, which is soon entering its fifth year.
While diplomacy is moving forward slowly, the situation on the battlefield looks entirely different. Attacks are continuing from both sides.
A photograph appeared on Facebook that supposedly shows Russian soldiers raising the Russian flag in Kyiv. It was accompanied by the following claims: (archived here)
V.I.V.A. R.U.S.S.I.A. BREAKING: Russian forces raise the flag in parts of Kyiv – dominance, strength, and unwavering determination fully displayed. The world is watching. History is being written. If you believe in Russia’s victory, type: VIVA RUSSIA.
The same photograph, accompanied by similar claims, has also appeared in other languages. However, in those versions, it is not claimed that Russian soldiers raised the flag in Kyiv, but rather in Odesa and in the Pokrovsk region. The key difference between the two images is the background: one shows a city, while the other shows the sea and a ship.
Everything indicates that the image was created using artificial intelligence (AI). The soldiers appear to be of different proportions – one looks normal, while another appears “compressed,” and the “compressed” soldier seems to be attaching the flag to thin air. In addition, a watermark is visible in the lower-right corner of the image, identifying Google’s AI tool, Gemini.
When an image is generated using this tool, the same watermark remains visible.
Gemini itself also indicated that the image is AI-generated. Its analysis states:
“According to the SynthID scan, most or all of this image was generated or edited using Google AI.
In addition to AI detection, visual analysis reveals several common AI artifacts indicating that the image is not a real photograph:
Physical inconsistencies: The ladder appears to be leaning against thin air, with no clear point of support at the top, and its perspective does not match the building wall.
Anatomical and structural errors: The soldiers’ limbs and equipment merge together in unnatural ways. For example, the soldier on the ladder has legs that appear to blend into the ladder’s rungs, while the soldier on the far right has distorted facial features appearing on his equipment.
Uniform and flag details: The camouflage patterns are inconsistent among the soldiers, and the Russian flags appear digitally overlaid, lacking natural lighting, shadows, or realistic texture where they meet the building…”
A search using keywords related to a Russian capture of Kyiv produces no results. It should also be noted that, after four full years of war, Russian forces have captured large areas of Ukrainian territory in the east and southeast of the country – far from Ukraine’s capital.
For all of these reasons, the disputed post has been rated as fake news.
The “Fake news” rating is given to an original media report (completely produced by the media that published it) that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be reliably determined to have been created and disseminated with the intent to misinform the public, that is, to present a completely false claim as fact.
