Viral USAID Deepfake Video Linked to Russian Disinformation Campaign
A video using AI-generated audio falsely claiming USAID paid celebrities to promote Ukraine was posted on X in February 2025, reportedly as part of a Russian disinformation campaign called Operation Overload. Despite being debunked by fact-checkers, the video reached millions of views after Elon Musk reposted it.
What happened
A video falsely claiming that USAID paid Ben Stiller, Angelina Jolie and other actors millions of dollars to travel to Ukraine was posted on X on February 5, 2025, appearing to be from the E!News entertainment channel though it never aired there.
The video originated from an account spreading Russian disinformation and was reposted by Elon Musk, whose 220 million followers amplified it to over 4 million views. Donald Trump Jr. also reposted it.
Researchers linked the video to Operation Overload (also known as Matryoshka), a campaign that pairs real images with AI-generated voice-overs and news organization logos to create false clips supporting Russian talking points.
Reported impact
The video was debunked by X's Community Notes fact-checking program, which noted that E!News and Ben Stiller had declared it false, yet it remained on the platform.
The false video reinforced Russian narratives aimed at weakening NATO countries' support for Ukraine and disrupting their domestic politics, particularly as it was amplified during efforts to shut down USAID.
Index analysis
Of 135 Kremlin-aligned propaganda posts analyzed in the Operation Overload campaign, 134 generated minimal engagement, mostly from bot networks. This video was the single exception to achieve significant reach.
Researchers at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub identified the campaign as presumed to be Russian-backed, though this was not officially confirmed.
Governance controls
X removed fewer than 20 percent of Operation Overload posts despite their false or misleading content. The USAID video remained on the platform as of the reporting date despite being debunked by Community Notes.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.