Propagandists stir up fear Putin threatens Germany with military strike in deepfake video
An alleged Putin video shocks the internet: In it, he threatens Germany with military strikes. But research shows that the clip is a deepfake.
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- A video in which Putin allegedly threatens Germany with attacks is a deepfake.
- It was created using artificial intelligence and deliberately spreads disinformation.
- Fact checkers confirm: The footage and statements are manipulated and fictitious.
A video has been causing a stir online since the end of May: In it, Vladimir Putin is said to threaten Germany with military strikes - in response to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. The clip looks like a real news report, with dramatic music, an announcer and Putin at the lectern.
But the video is a complete fake. As the AFP news agency confirmed after a detailed analysis, it is a deepfake - in other words, a fake created with the help of artificial intelligence.
"Russian flag in Berlin"
The video states in Russian that Putin has "lifted all restrictions on attacks on German territory". Particularly explosive: the Russian president allegedly says: "Attacks on Germany are no longer a question of 'if', but of 'when' and 'how deep'."
The manipulated video emerged shortly after Chancellor Friedrich Merz's announcement on May 26. Germany and other Western countries had decided to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons in future.
«Attacks on Germany are no longer a question of 'if', but of 'when' and 'how deep'.»
The fake clip spread like wildfire - and many people thought it was real. There was talk of "revenge" in the comment sections and that "the Russian flag will soon be flying in Berlin again".
Telegram channel deliberately spreads fakes
But it's all made up. The alleged Putin speech is based on real images from a meeting on 22 May 2025 - but the soundtrack has been manipulated and his lip movements artificially adjusted. AI analysis programs such as the "Deepfake-O-Meter" arrive at a falsification probability of 99.9 to 100 percent. According to experts, the voice of the speaker is also artificially generated.
Behind the video is the Telegram channel "Moscow Never Lies", which describes itself as satirical - but deliberately spreads deepfakes. The clip was shared millions of times on TikTok, Facebook and X. Whether the disinformation is a deliberate goal remains unclear. But the fact is that the satirical context was completely lost on many users.
