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| - Fact Check: Zelensky was NOT greeted by 'Glory to Urine' billboard in US
India Today found that this video is old and has nothing to do with Zelensky's recent US visit.
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India Today Fact Check
This video is old and has nothing to do with Zelensky’s recent US visit.
Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent visit to the US, a video of a busy urban intersection featuring a digital billboard with “Glory to Urine” written over the colours of the nation’s flag went viral. Allegedly, this was displayed in New York City to welcome Zelensky and the text “Urine” instead of “Ukraine” was a technical error.
The archived version of one such claim can be seen here.
India Today found that this video is old and has nothing to do with Zelensky’s recent US visit.
Our Probe
Zelensky’s US visit received worldwide coverage. Had such a message been displayed in New York City, it would definitely have been reported in the media. However, we didn’t find any such report.
The viral video bears a “Fox News Digital” logo. However, a Fox News Digital spokesperson told India Today that they did not publish any such video. Clearly, the logo was digitally added to give the impression that this video was broadcast by the channel.
Geolocating the place
Markian Kuzmowycz, a digital threat analyst based in the US, wrote on Twitter that this video was taken at the intersection of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue at Times Square, in Manhattan, NewYork. He also posted a recent picture from this location. Similarly, NBC News journalist Ben Collins, too, posted a video from the same spot.
On comparing them, we could say with certainty that this was indeed the location seen in the viral video. However, certain elements in the video posted by Collins appear to be different. For example, there was a McDonald’s outlet in the place of a brown building and a narrow digital advertisement strip below the main advertisement.
Using Google search, we found that the McDonald’s outlet has existed at this location at least since April 2023.
We found an image of the restaurant posted in February 2023 as well, but in this image, the logo at the top of the building was missing. There could be a possibility that this outlet was opened to the public between February and April.
In a November 2022 YouTube video of this location, we can see that the McDonald’s outlet is not there and instead, it’s the same brown building with black stripes as seen in the viral video.
India Today contacted Big Outdoor, the company that manages the advertisements displayed on the signage at the spot seen in the viral video. Erin Watkins, General Counsel at Big Outdoor, said that the advertisement seen in the viral video was not run by them.
Though many Twitter users have claimed that this video was manipulated, we could not independently verify its source.
However, it is evident that an old video from New York’s “Times Square” is being circulated in connection with Zelensky’s recent US visit.
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