Russian group duped celebs into anti-Zelensky propaganda

Multiple American stars, including Elijah Wood, Kate Flannery and John McGinley, unwittingly became pawns in a Russian propaganda campaign aimed at discrediting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, per a Microsoft report.

An unknown Russian group has been asking celebrities to make short videos on the app Cameo. The app allows people to pay celebs to make videos. The groups asked the celebs to send encouraging messages to someone named Vladimir, who is struggling with addiction.

Those messages were later doctored with emojis, links and logos and then spread online by Russia-backed trolls.

The goal? Make it seem like these famous folks were confirming fake rumors about the Ukraine President having substance abuse issues.

Microsoft also spotted similar misuse of videos featuring Mike Tyson, Dean Norris and Priscilla Presley. Its report labeled the tactic as a novel approach by pro-Russia entities amplifying false narratives online.

Zelensky’s office highlighted Russia’s ongoing information warfare and called for a united front against such threats.

Representatives of the misled celebrities clarified their client’s intent, asserting the videos were meant to support a fan battling addiction, devoid of any connection to Ukraine or Russia.