FACT CHECK: Do These Photos Show A Body Double Of Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook allegedly shows photos of body doubles of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Verdict: False

The images shown do not depict body doubles or clones, but instead show Zelenskyy’s bodyguard.

Fact Check: 

Zelenskyy recently fired top Ukrainian military commander, Eduard Moskalyov, who had been posted since March 2022, for unknown reasons, according to Sky News. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recent met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine to underscore economic support, PBS reported.

A Facebook post allegedly shows images depicting Zelenskyy with a body double of himself in the background. The photo also includes President Joe Biden and other military officials. “Zelensky’s body double accidentally gets himself into the frame a few times,” the post’s caption reads in part.

The same claim was shared to Twitter, where it garnered over 8,100 retweets. “Polish media accidently recorded #Zelensky’s double when they covered #Biden’s visit to #Kyiv #Awkward,” the tweet reads.

There is no evidence for the claim. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports about an alleged body double for Zelenskyy. (FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Offer Zelenskyy A ‘Stake In The United States’?)

The image were taken during Biden’s recent visit to Kyiv, and higher resolution footage can be found on YouTube. The person accused of being Zelenskyy’s body double or clone is actually Maksym Donets, Zelenskyy’s bodyguard and the head of his security team since 2019, according to BBC

This is not the first time Ukraine has been the subject of viral misinformation. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim a video showed Ukrainian forces sinking Russian vessels.

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

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