Are they recruiting extras in Kyiv to support the election campaign of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, and is the main requirement for extras the presence of combat experience or dress uniform? No, that's not true: The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine's Department of Press and Information emailed Lead Stories to refute the claim on social media. Furthermore, Lead Stories found no evidence supporting the assertion that Zaluzhnyy has initiated an election campaign or that extras in Kyiv are being recruited to support it.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on the TikTok account @alexandr_turner on November 17, 2023. Pro-Kremlin media outlets have disseminated this assertion, such as here and here.
The text overlay on the video (translated from Russian to English by Lead Stories staff) states:
In Kyiv, they are recruiting extras to support the election campaign of Zaluzhnyy. The main requirement is the presence of combat experience or dress uniform:
Below is how the post appeared on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Nov 22 11:30:11 2023 UTC)
The video's author presents a screenshot of the alleged advertisement from the Ukrainian service ordering website Kabanchik. The ad reads (as translated):
We need people for extras. Execute on November 21, from 12:00 - 16:00. The working hours: 4. We are recruiting people to support Zaluzhnyy's election campaign. Responsibilities: stand and shout slogans of approval. Requirement: It is desirable to have combat experience or a dress uniform. Strictly sober and in a high patriotic mood. Important: the event will take place on November 21 and will be held strictly in the state language. Hourly pay: 300 hryvnias/hour without a poster. 500 hryvnias/hour with a poster. Confidential information. The exact address, contacts, etc., will be available only to the selected specialist during the execution of the order.
Below is how the post appeared on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Nov 22 11:32:15 2023 UTC)
Lead Stories found no such advertisement on the Kabanchik official website and contacted its support service for comment. Lead Stories will update the article if a reply is received. Additionally, Lead Stories found no evidence of such an event taking place on November 21, 2023, in Kyiv. A search for the phrases "On November 21st, a rally in support of Zaluzhnyy took place in Kyiv" (archived here) conducted on November 22, 2023, using Google News' index of thousands of credible news sites did not reveal any evidence-based reports on this claim.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine's Department of Press and Information emailed Lead Stories about the claim on November 21, 2023:
We express our respect and inform you that all these dubious claims circulating in Russian media and social networks are part of an organized Russian information campaign against Ukraine and the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Additionally, Lead Stories found no evidence that Zaluzhnyy has started an election campaign or that extras are being recruited in Kyiv to support his election campaign. No information was found on Zaluzhnyy's social media accounts or the official website of Ukraine's Defence Ministry and its social media accounts. A search for the phrases "Zaluzhnyy started an election campaign" (archived here) and "in Kyiv, they are recruiting extras to support Zaluzhnyy's election campaign" (archived here) conducted on November 22, 2023, using Google News' index of thousands of credible news sites, did not reveal any evidence-based reports on these claims. If this were the case, it would be significant news covered extensively by international media outlets.
On November 6, 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ruled out holding a presidential vote in the spring and urged people to avoid political divides, saying they must concentrate all resources on fighting Russia.
