A video circulating on social media that purports to show political campaigning on board a flight operated by Russian national carrier Aeroflot is fake.
The clip features an audio announcement urging passengers to vote for Russia's ruling party, United Russia, but analysis shows the video was actually recorded inside a Polish aircraft and edited with superimposed sound.
In the video, a voice presenting itself as an official flight broadcast claimed to remind passengers to select United Russia and choose victory while traveling.
Evidence of video and audio manipulation
Visual details within the footage confirm that the video was fabricated. An emergency exit sign visible in the cabin displays the Polish word wyjscie rather than the Russian word for exit.
Investigation revealed that the original footage was filmed on board a Polish airline flight and has been available on the internet since at least 2024.
Technical analysis also identified clear signs of audio manipulation. Standard passenger announcements on commercial flights are delivered live by flight attendants, producing distinct cabin acoustics. The fake clip instead uses a pre-recorded audio track overlaid onto the footage.
Aviation regulations and legal restrictions
Under rules established by the Ministry of Transport of Russia, passenger public address systems on commercial aircraft are strictly designated for flight condition updates and emergency procedures.
Political announcements during flights would qualify as election campaigning, which is restricted under Article 56 of Russian Federal Law Number 67. In addition, internal regulatory documents from Aeroflot show no authorization for cabin crew to broadcast advertising or political messages.
The report on the fake video was published on 17 August 2026 by operational information editor Anton Pokhilyak, working alongside Lapsha Media, a Russian fact-checking initiative. Pokhilyak noted that the video failed to gain traction on social media and was not reported by mainstream news organizations.
