Is it true that the BBC named Zaluzhny as the next president of Ukraine?

At the end of March 2025, Russian media and Telegram channels distributed a screenshot allegedly capturing incorrect subtitles on the BBC television channel. We have verified the authenticity of this image.

Numerous publications were based on a screenshot allegedly taken during a broadcast on the British television channel BBC News. The plaque accompanying the photo of the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK contains the caption: “Valery Zaluzhny. The next president of Ukraine." Pro-Kremlin resources distributed this screenshot as evidence of a change in preferences among Kyiv’s Western partners: supposedly now they would like to see the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as the Ukrainian leader, and not the current President Vladimir Zelensky. Telegram channels such as “Sheikh Tamir"(133,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), "Cat Kostyan"(81,000), "Tsargrad-TV"(76,000), "Olesya Loseva" (38,000) and "DPR Info"(37,000).

“Verified” studied the official resources of BBC News, part of the British Broadcasting Corporation: section on the official website BBC, YouTube channel, pages in Facebook, Instagram, X, And TikTok. Recently, news that would have used such an image of Zaluzhny has not appeared in these sources. Based on the design, it may seem that this is a frame from the BBC’s own report, but this photo was taken from the Telegram channel of the ex-commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where it was published October 29, 2024.

Other elements of the screenshot also raise questions. Although the design of the lower part of the frame resembles standard TV broadcasts BBC News, fonts and shape of the broadcaster's logo differ between the screenshot and the original video.

Moreover, the phrase “Zaluzhnyi resolute on elections during war” (“Zaluzhnyi is categorical about elections during the war”) in the ticker is the headline articles on the English-language version of the website of the Ukrainian publication New Voice, published on the morning of March 31, a few hours before the viral screenshot appeared on the Internet. This article is dedicated to I'll answer Zaluzhny was asked by the RBC-Ukraine news agency to comment on rumors about his possible participation in the next elections to the Verkhovna Rada, including nomination from Zelensky’s party. The former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine responded as follows: “My answer on this matter has not changed. While the war is going on, we all need to work to preserve the country, and not think about elections. I don’t comment on various rumors.” The BBC reported this the next day and in another form.

The earliest “Verified” publication found containing this screenshot appeared in a pro-Russian Telegram channel Nina Vatt March 31 at 15:20 Moscow time. This channel repeatedly featured V debriefings "Verified"as the primary source of misinformation.

Thus, the viral screenshot is a fake, created on the basis of an old photograph of Zaluzhny using inauthentic graphic design elements that mimic the BBC’s corporate design.

Cover photo: social networks

Fake

What do our verdicts mean?

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