Marichka Padalko - attack 08.05.2024

On May 8, 2024, a short video was published on the TikTok channel tsn_ua2 НОВИНИ ТСН, featuring the image of 1+1 TV presenter Marichka Padalko. The video depicts a woman resembling Padalko, sitting in what appears to be a 1+1 TV studio against a background with the inscription “ТСН – Television News Service” on the wall. In the video, the woman claims that pensioners can receive additional payments of 2,000 UAH by following the link in the TikTok channel’s bio.

The video was AI-generated and fake. Indicators include an artificial voice that does not resemble Marichka Padalko’s real voice, desynchronization between audio and video, and an unfamiliar studio background that differs from the one where the presenter usually appears on air. Moreover, the lack of specific details about the supposed payments and the prompting of viewers to follow an external link further confirm the video’s inauthenticity. A similar fake video featuring Marichka Padalko’s likeness was also posted on the same TikTok channel on May 4, 2024.

Additionally, the tsn_ua2 НОВИНИ ТСН TikTok channel uses AI-generated videos featuring other 1+1 TV hosts, including Yuliya Borysko, Solomiya Vitvitska, Alla Mazur, Lyudmyla Babir, and others.

The likely goal of such actions is to exploit the brand of a well-known television network and the familiar, trusted faces of its presenters to spread fake narratives or pursue fraudulent purposes.