Russian propaganda spreads fake news about U.S. journalists 'gloating over' Ukrainian Armed Forces losses

Propagandists fabricated video featuring morning show broadcast on Sacramento-based TV channel

Pro-Kremlin media outlets, Telegram channels, and YouTube bots are circulating a manipulated video falsely claiming that journalists from an American TV channel laughed during a live program about the combat losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

This claim is entirely fabricated. The video features hosts from Good Day Sacramento, a morning show broadcast on the local TV channel KMAX, part of the CBS News network. However, Good Day Sacramento is an entertainment program focusing on lighthearted reports about city events, with no discussions of political or military topics.

Russian propagandists manipulated one of the show's episodes, using editing to alter the subtitles and the content displayed on a studio monitor. The original video dates back to December 2019, as evidenced by the New Year decorations in the studio, including garlands on the Christmas trees. These decorations match those in the fake video, while the current year's Christmas decor on Good Day Sacramento includes distinctive features, such as a large mask of the Grinch, which is absent from the doctored footage.

No episode aired within the three years preceding Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine could have discussed the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Additionally, the Good Day Sacramento team has shown support for Ukraine and its culture. For instance, in an episode on November 27, 2024, the hosts participated in learning the traditional Ukrainian hopak dance alongside compatriots in national attire.

This disinformation campaign was deliberately released on Ukrainian Ground Forces Day, targeting both the holiday and Ukrainian society's morale. Such fakes aim to spread false narratives about "massive losses" of Ukrainian forces, undermine the morale of the Ukrainian military, and discredit foreign media and Western societies in the eyes of Ukrainian citizens.

Russian propaganda previously created similar fabrications, including an invented American TV show and a fake Charlie Hebdo magazine cover mocking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Paris.

Andriy Olenin