Identities of actors in Russian video aimed at undermining mobilisation in Ukraine revealed – photo

Two professional Russian actors took part in the Russian propaganda video aimed at undermining mobilisation in Ukraine: Maksim Gromov, 26, and Aleksandr Panov, 31, from Yaroslavl and Tumen respectively.

Source: Agentstvo, a Russian media outlet

Details: The video, in Ukrainian, has the following catchphrase: "His son is the elite, and you are cannon fodder," was posted on pro-Russian Telegram channels on 1 April.

The video is based on the juxtaposition of two fictional young men. It shows one of them leading a luxurious life: flying on a private jet, visiting the Swiss Alps, spending time with beautiful girls, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. The other young man is fighting on the front, where he is injured in a battle.

The video ends with the words: "You know whose sons will avoid mobilisation" and is apparently aimed at stirring up discontent among Ukrainian citizens.

According to Agentstvo, a graduate of the Yaroslavl Theatre Institute, 26-year-old Maksim Gromov, was cast as a member of the elite. Gromov lives in Moscow and has taken part in performances at the Antrepriza Theatre in Moscow.

Ahead of the recent presidential elections in Russia, Gromov took part in a propaganda video urging people to vote. He told Agentstvo at the time that he was recruited to take part in the video via an actor recruitment chat.

Aleksandr Panov, a 31-year-old actor from Tumen, was cast as a Ukrainian soldier. He graduated from the Tumen State Institute of Culture and has a degree from the theatre department of the Yekaterinburg Theatre Institute. Panov worked at the Tumen Puppet Theatre between 2009 and 2022 but is not currently employed there.

In a video from 2022, Panov says that he acted in several Russian films: Tobol, Bratik (Brother), Ne Speshi (Don’t Rush), Lyubovnaya Mahiya (Love Magic) and Vorozhka (Fortune Teller). Panov lives in Tumen.

Both actors refused to answer Agentstvo’s questions regarding their participation in the making of the anti-Ukrainian video.

Agentstvo said that the video’s message can be easily extended to the Russian elite, with children of high-ranking Russian officials and business owners avoiding mobilisation.

Previously: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that the Kremlin has previously used high-cost propaganda videos as part of centrally managed information operations, and the characteristics of this latest video suggest that it supports the Kremlin's broader efforts to undermine Ukrainians' trust in the government, undermine Ukrainian mobilisation efforts and incite internal discontent.

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