The video, which the Russian media presented as an official promotional campaign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is fake. This compilation of footage from random sources was broadcasted only by propaganda sources.
Propaganda telegram channels and media sources are actively spreading an alleged advertising campaign, which encourages homosexuals to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The first half of the 10-second clip shows heterosexual and homosexual couples kissing, and the second half shows footage of military personnel. The video is voiced as follows: “It doesn’t matter if you love women or men. It is important that you love Ukraine. Join the Armed Forces.” The last frame shows the link to the zsu.team website in rainbow colors.
Several factors indicate that the video is fake.
First, the footage with the kisses is taken from a video report that was published on the i-D YouTube channel back in 2020. The video is called The LGBT+ Youth Fighting for a “Polish Stonewall” and is dedicated to the street protests against the homophobic policy of the Polish authorities, which took place in August 2020. The second part of the video uses footage from the social advertisement of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, published back in 2016.
Secondly, the word choice in this short clip indicates that the script was not written by a native Ukrainian speaker. Thirdly, the Stopfake team has not been able to find any confirmation that this story was actually broadcast on any Ukrainian resources, or has any relation to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The video is part of a propaganda narrative that the Ukrainian military is suffering huge losses and exhausting its human resources, which is why “even” homosexuals are now being drafted into the Armed Forces. But attempts to discredit the army are futile. Indeed, the Armed Forces are represented by people of various gender and sexual identities who protect Ukraine on an equal basis with other military personnel. The human rights organization Kyivpride highlights the activities of the Ukrainian LGBT military and advocates important reforms, such as the introduction of the civil partnership institute.
This is not the first homophobic fake that the Stopfake team has uncovered. Previously, we refuted reports about the legalization of travel abroad for the LGBT community representatives and about the launch of an LGBT club in one of the Ukrainian schools.
