A video released by Vladimir Zelensky on December 12 and presented as being filmed in Kupyansk may in fact date back much earlier. In television jargon, such pre-recorded footage prepared for later use is often referred to as «canned».

On December 13, the Telegram channel Operation Z: War Correspondents of the Russian Spring (VRV) published drone footage filmed by a Russian UAV over the same location where Zelensky was said to have recorded his video. According to the channel, the drone operator filmed a roadside stele on Kharkovskaya Street, roughly one kilometer from Kupyansk-the very backdrop against which Zelensky allegedly took a selfie a day earlier.

After examining the UAV footage, the war correspondents concluded that the Ukrainian leader’s video was either recorded long before its publication date or used a substituted background. Their assessment was based on several visible inconsistencies between the two recordings.

In the drone footage shot on December 13, several letters are missing from the word «Kupyansk» on the stele-letters that are clearly visible in Zelensky’s video. In addition, an anti-drone netting stretched over the road appears torn and lying on the ground in the UAV footage, while in the video released by Zelensky the same netting is intact.

Military blogger Yuri Podolyaka independently supported the view that Zelensky’s video could not have been filmed shortly before its publication. He drew attention to the condition of the road shown in the footage, noting that in its current state it would be unsafe for vehicle traffic. When Zelensky reportedly visited the area, the road appeared to be in comparatively better condition. Podolyaka argued that it was almost impossible for such extensive damage to have occurred within the span of a single day.