In a video circulated by Russian media claiming it shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s double, the Ukrainian President is followed by his personal bodyguard, Maxim Donets, who has headed the Ukrainian Presidential Security Service since 2-019.
Russian news sites are disseminating disinformation claiming that during US President Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine, a “double of Zelensky” was seen.
“Judging by the footage, both Zelensky and the unknown young man are not only surprisingly similar in height, build, face, hairstyle and facial hair, but they are also dressed the same way: the identical black sweater with the trident logo attracts particular attention,” writes Eurasia Daily.
According to Russian propagandists, the existence of the Ukrainian President’s “double,” proves the “fact” that it was not Volodymyr Zelensky who actually visited the front line.
These ridiculous claims are a “mirror” Russian propaganda narrative that is suddenly being spread amid increasing reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using doubles to speak in public. Ukrainian Defense Ministry Main Intelligence Directorate says that Putin has at least three doubles who underwent plastic surgery to resemble him.
As for the video from the Biden visit, where the double of the Ukrainian president was allegedly “seen”, the person Russian media identify as Zelensky’s doppelgänger, is in fact Zelensky’s personal bodyguard, Maxim Donets. He can also be seen in other videos from Zelenskiy’s meeting with President Biden.
Until 2019, when Donets came to head the Ukrainian Presidential Security Service, he was a security guard for the Volyn businessman and MP Ihor Palytsia. Since 2019, Maxim Donets has been accompanying Volodymyr Zelensky everywhere the Ukrainian President goes. If you compare their photos, it is easy to notice the lack of resemblance between them.
The fake was also noticed at the Center for Combating Disinformation.
“The fake is designed for the internal audience of the Russian Federation in order to discredit the leadership of Ukraine. Propagandists easily come up with such fakes, because looking at Putin’s doubles, they themselves can no longer recognize the real one and prove its existence,” the Center emphasized.
Earlier, StopFake debunked Russian manipulated stories claiming that Biden allegedly “ordered” Zelensky to launch an offensive as soon as possible.
