A false declaration of martial law and military mobilization purportedly made by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was broadcasted on a few Russian radio and television networks on Monday, inciting tension in the midst of an ongoing border crisis between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin labeled the event as a “hack.”
In the fabricated speech aired on the Mir radio station and television networks, it was claimed that Ukraine had attacked three border regions and advised locals to move to different places situated within Russian territory. The fabricated clip further depicted Mr. Putin proclaiming a general mobilization, stating that the entire power of the country required utilization to nullify a “dangerous and insidious enemy.”
The Russian public broadcaster, Mir, declared in a statement issued to the state news agency Tass that the radio and television channels had been illegally halted for a little over thirty minutes before their restoration.
It remains uncertain who was involved in creating the false speech. Dmitri Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated to Tass that Mr. Putin “certainly” did not record any type of emergency notification. Moreover, Peskov stated that an inquiry had been initiated regarding what he terms as a “hack.”
The broadcast, capable of piecing together genuine audio of Mr. Putin’s voice to develop a realistic hoax, coincided with a rise in Ukrainian aggression along the front line, which might indicate the beginning of Kyiv’s much-awaited counteroffensive.
The phony address claimed that the Ukrainian military had targeted three areas of Russia, including Belgorod, following a series of strikes in Belgorod by Ukrainian-supported paramilitary groups made up of Russians opposing the Kremlin, which led to evacuations in some Russian territories.
Alina Lobzina contributed reporting.
