A review of broadcast recordings and digital forensics shows the claim doesn’t hold up. Ukrainian networks aired the official UN feed, while the version circulating online — showing a packed audience — was manipulated footage.
In late September 2025, pro-Russian Telegram channels and anonymous social media accounts began circulating claims that Ukrainian broadcasters had digitally «added» a crowd to footage of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech at the UN General Assembly — alleging the hall was in fact «empty». The narrative quickly gained traction, echoed even by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during an official briefing. As supposed evidence, propagandists shared a short clip they claimed was taken from Ukraine’s national telethon, United News.
Russian propaganda outlets have long recycled similar fabrications, alleging that Ukrainian officials address half-empty rooms to suggest dwindling global support for Kyiv. The tactic serves a dual purpose: to erode confidence in Ukraine’s leadership and to cast doubt on the credibility of Ukrainian media by portraying them as habitual purveyors of «staged» narratives.
A review of the original United News broadcast — including the 1+1 TV segment — found no evidence of any «added» audience. The footage clearly showed the genuine UN General Assembly Hall, which, as is typical during many sessions, was only partially filled. StopFake’s analysis of other Ukrainian media coverage confirmed the same: all networks aired authentic footage from New York.
The authentic broadcast carried unmistakable identifiers — the UN logo in the upper right corner and a Ukrainian-language audio track. By contrast, the fabricated version omitted these details, featured an English-language narration, and bore visible traces of AI manipulation, including spliced segments lifted from the official UN channel.
During UN General Assembly sessions, partially empty halls are routine, except during opening ceremonies or high-profile addresses. Delegates often rotate between plenary debates, bilateral meetings, and side events — meaning attendance fluctuates throughout the day. A less-than-full hall, therefore, reflects the rhythm of UN proceedings, not a lack of interest or a diplomatic snub.
StopFake previously debunked a comparable narrative suggesting that members of the European Parliament had «ignored» a report on Ukraine — another example of how pro-Kremlin networks recycle the same disinformation tropes to cast doubt on Western support for Kyiv.
