Deepfake audio falsely portrays Rubio vowing to cut Ukraine's Starlink access
An AI-generated deepfake audio video falsely portrayed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledging to persuade Elon Musk to cut off Starlink service to Ukraine. The manipulated video, which spliced synthetic speech into real CNN interview footage, spread across X in multiple languages in March 2025 during a period of strained US-Ukraine relations.
What happened
A video circulated on X starting March 4, 2025 falsely depicted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to meet Elon Musk and cut off Ukraine's Starlink access, with the fabricated audio spliced into footage from a CNN interview.
The video began with real CNN footage of anchor Kaitlan Collins asking Rubio about statements he wanted Ukrainian President Zelensky to make, then cut to a different meeting while an AI-generated voice attributed to Rubio stated: 'In the next few days, I will see Elon Musk, and I swear I will convince him to cut off the Ukrainian Army from Starlink.'
The false clip spread across X in multiple languages including French and Polish as the US suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine following a contentious White House meeting.
Reported impact
The fabricated video contradicted statements from President Trump's administration regarding Starlink policy toward Ukraine.
The disinformation spread during a sensitive period when the US had suspended military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, potentially amplifying tensions and spreading false claims about US policy intentions.
Index analysis
A media forensics expert told AFP the voiceover was generated by artificial intelligence, confirming the audio was fabricated rather than genuine statements by Rubio.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.