MoD presses YouTube to remove ‘Russian state’ hoax videos of Defence Secretary

YouTube is facing demands from the Ministry of Defence to remove hoax videos featuring Defence Secretary Ben Wallace or risk helping the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The calls came after a third extract of a hoax call between Mr Wallace and an imposter posing as Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal was published on Wednesday.

The MoD says the clips have been “doctored” to aid disinformation and “propaganda” at the behest of the Kremlin, as it struggles in the war.

But the footage has remained on the video sharing giant owned by Google since Monday when the first video extract emerged, despite the attempts of officials to get them blocked or pulled down.

The MoD wrote to YouTube saying that the apparently altered clips wrongly claim British-supplied Nlaw anti-tank missiles have failed and falsely suggest the UK is running out of its own supplies.

“Any perceived failure of our lethal aid supplied to support Ukraine will provide an immediate detrimental effect upon the morale of Ukrainian forces mounting resistance to Russian aggression and create another chapter in the Kremlin’s playbook of disinformation and lies,” the letter reads.

It says that the “modified and edited clips” risk being used by Vladimir Putin’s Russian state as a premise for more attacks breaching international law and to “inflict further human rights abuses”.

The letter adds: “I am confident you would not wish to be a conduit for Russian propaganda or be in any way associated with the potential consequences of this time of media manipulation.”

Saying the “Russian state was responsible for the hoax call”, the letter insists “you remove (or at least block) access to the videos”.

Officials fear further videos may emerge during the emergency Nato summit on Ukraine on Thursday, with Home Secretary Priti Patel also targeted and more touted from Mr Wallace

A defence source said: “YouTube is in danger of aiding and abetting the Russian state propaganda machine, putting people at risk.”