In reality, these photos were not taken in Georgia, but in Washington, D.C. Image analysis tools indicate that the graffitis were added to the photos in graphic editors.
Pro-Russian sources are spreading photos of graffiti that allegedly appeared in the United States — they call for the arrest of Zelensky. Propagandists claim that the photos were taken in Georgia.
This is yet another fake of Russian propaganda. First, the photos were actually taken not in Georgia, but in Washington, D.C. Using reverse image search, we were able to establish most of the locations in the photos. For example, one of the images shows the Chinese cafe One fish, Two fish, while the others show a public restroom in Lafayette Square and two private buildings (1, 2). And secondly, using the Forensically tool, which allows you to analyze photos at a microscopic level, we found traces of editing on the photo. In the Error Level Analysis mode, flat, uniform textures should have a uniform color. However, in our photos, areas with these alleged graffitis stand out.
There are other details that indirectly indicate that the news is fake. The photos have a lot of greenery, which is not typical for late February-early March. Since some photos also show a small amount of yellowed fallen leaves, we can assume that they were taken in late August or September. In addition, the photos were first published by Russian, not American, sources. In fact, no US publication wrote about such a trend, although graffiti allegedly appeared in quite crowded locations in the city. This proves once again that we are dealing with a fake Russian propaganda that is trying to play on the tension in relations between Ukraine and the United States.
We have already refuted similar disinformation in the article Fake: Grok Neural Network Shows Handcuffed Zelensky Behind Bars in Times Square.
