Russian military positions in Kherson have reportedly faced pressure this week, with Moscow dismissing its own statements about the "regrouping" of forces in the southern region of Ukraine, published by state-run news agencies, without elaborating.
Analysis from the Insititute for the Study of War's latest update suggests that the situation in Kherson Oblast remains "very ambiguous", with Ukrainian forces continuing "larger-than-usual operations on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast".
Amid movement that appears to show Russian troops may be struggling, a clip was shared online suggesting Vladimir Putin ally and Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov said it was "time to get the f*** out" of the region.
The Claim
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by user @Reevesity, posted on November 14, 2023, and viewed more than 114,900 times, included what appeared to be a video of Russia-1 host Vladimir Solovyov saying on television: "A couple of words about the left bank of the Dnieper.
"It looks like we're going to have a tactical retreat," he said.
"I would even say a planned regrouping. In short, it's time to get the fuck out of there."
The post states: "Solovyov on the situation on the left bank, you can see how much it pains him to say it 😆"
The Facts
Solovyov is a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin and is well-known for making controversial comments in support of Russia. Only this week, he threatened that "Berlin will burn!" after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that not only would Germany continue giving aid to Ukraine through the winter, but Berlin was also planning to see its support for its ally "massively expanded for next year."
Last month he made headlines by warning of a new world war between the West and Muslims all over the world.
User @Reevesity, who posted the video, told Newsweek that they "don't believe it's real." A follow-up they posted on November 14 stated: "Not 100% on this. Whilst I found it posted as recent and real, I can't believe only one channel would have posted this video and have had two people say it's faked somehow.
"Keep an open mind in this one 👍🏼"
The chances Solovyov would make such defeatist remarks about Russia's reported setbacks in Kherson, therefore, seem pretty slim. While earlier this week state-run news agencies reported Moscow troops retreated from a key position in Kherson, citing the Kremlin, they later retracted their reports and apologized.
Analysis of the video shared on X also supports the notion that Solovyov would not have made the remarks he's quoted as saying.
First, although Solovyov's lip movement in the video appears to match the audio, the clip does not sound like Solovyov or a TV studio recording. The presenter's show, Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, is filmed in a large news studio that echoes the voices of its host and guests. Clips from other broadcasts show Solovyov speaks with a deeper voice, echoed by the size of the studio.
By comparison, the voice in the video on X is high-pitched and flat, as if it's been recorded in a booth or small room. While the movement of his mouth may have been altered, perhaps by AI, it does not seem the same attention was paid to the audio.
Tracking down the original video of Solovyov was more difficult, owing to the sheer amount of footage of him, most of which is in front of the same background, often with him in the same outfit. Solovyov makes no distinctive gestures in the clip shared on X to help differentiate the footage either.
However, one frame from the video appears to have been used in news stories that predate reports of Russian "regrouping" in Kherson. At least two articles on the Ukrainian news site UNIAN, predating the Russian movement in Kherson, include a photo of Solovyov that appears to have been captured from the video on X.
In the video, around three seconds in, Solovyov looks to the floor and pushes his tongue to the right of his mouth, just as in the photos on UNIAN. This movement also corresponds with the position of background text and graphics.
Solovyov is unlikely to have sworn during the broadcast either. In 2014, Putin signed a law banning all swearing in arts and media, including television broadcasts, as was reported by the BBC, The Guardian, and RadioFreeEurope. The ban's introduction was covered by Russian state-owned media RT.
Finally, the clip on X finishes with a logo for CapCut, an AI-powered video editing tool, most often used on TikTok. While not evidence alone, combined with the other inconsistencies it suggests the clip on X was edited or altered, even if just to include bogus subtitles.
Given the video's unlikelihood, the poor editing, and other inconsistencies, the video is therefore almost certainly a fake.
The Ruling
False.
Analysis by Newsweek strongly indicates the video is fake. The likelihood of Solovyov, a longtime supporter of Putin, making a defeatist claim about the Russian military on state-owned television seems slim.
The unusual sound of Solovyov's voice and audio in the background of the clip strongly suggests it has been altered. The clip contains swearing which was banned from Russian arts and media nearly a decade ago. Frames from the video also appear to have been used in news reports from months ago.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Update 11/17/23 10:05 a.m. This article was updated with a comment from the poster of the video.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
