This Video Shows Russian President Calling Pakistan a ‘Terrorist Country’? No!
We found that the video has been manipulated using AI to mislead the viewers.
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A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin is being shared on the internet with a claim that it shows him recently expressing his support for India following the recent escalations with Pakistan.
What did the clip show?: In the viral clip, President Putin was heard saying, "Pakistan is a terrorist country and my friend Indian President Narendra Modi is strong enough to handle them. I am always with the people of India".
The post had gained over 49 thousand views on the platform. You can view an archive of the same post here.
What is the truth?: The video has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create this misleading video. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was misidentified as the Indian President in the viral clip.
How did we find that out?: We conducted a keyword search on YouTube using the words "putin interview" and found a video uploaded on the official channel of NBC News.
It was posted on 15 June 2021 with a title that said, "Exclusive: Full Interview With Russian President Vladimir Putin."
We noticed that the Russian President was seen wearing the same outfit as seen in the viral clip.
No mention of PM Modi or India was found in the transcript of the full interview shared on the outlet's website.
Comparing visuals: A comparison between the keyframes of the viral clip and the YouTube video clearly showed several similarities.
President Putin was seen wearing the same outfit and with the translating device fixed on the same ear.
A comparison clearly highlights the similarities.
(Source: YouTube/Screenshot/Altered by The Quint)
What did AI detection tool show?: Team WebQoof passed the audio through an AI detection tool named 'Resemble AI', which found that it was fake.
These findings clearly pointed towards the fact that the original video had been manipulated to create the viral clip.
The tool showed that the audio was fake.
(Source: Resemble AI/Screenshot)
Russia's stance during India-Pakistan escalations: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, took to his X account to share details about the interaction between PM Modi and the Russian President.
The post mentioned that President Putin had strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.
It added, "He [President Putin] conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice."
Conclusion: The video has been edited to mislead the viewers.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)