Deepfake 'Chechnyan' soldier posts false Ukraine war stories

A Chinese man who masqueraded as a Chechnyan special forces soldier operating in Ukraine posted false stories about his exploits in the Russia-Ukraine war, in addition to selling vodka, honey and other products from his e-commerce store.

Operating under the pseudonym 'Baoer Kechatie', a Chinese individual used deepfake technology to alter his appearance and voice and to portray himself as a Chechnyan soldier on the front lines in Ukraine, claiming to have engaged in battles against US Marines and even boasting about seizing territory and weapons. 

Despite the fabricated nature of his persona, he managed to sell various products, including imported Russian goods like vodka and honey, through his online store.

While a number of the deepfake videos were labeled as movie or drama plots, comments posted by users indicated he had successfully convinced many people, some of whom 'even cheered for his success', according to Sixth Tone. 

Doubts about the man's identity began to surface amongst his 400,000+ followers, particularly surrounding his Chinese accent. 

Users then discovered that the IP address of his Douyin (the original, Chinese version of TikTok) account showed he was in Henan, matching his accent.

Douyin said it had indefinitely suspended the account for violating its terms.