As part of a Russian provocation, not only was a document forged that allegedly announced the “suspension” of exhumation work in Puźniki, Ukraine, but a fabricated video — a so-called “deepfake” — featuring Professor Andrzej Ossowski was also circulated. The scientist has issued an official statement on the matter. “These actions violate my personal rights, undermine the credibility of the research, and may mislead public opinion,” he emphasized.
Exhumations in Puźniki: Deepfake Featuring Prof. Ossowski
A fake document recently appeared online claiming that the search and exhumation work in Puźniki had been halted — a move that is almost certainly a Russian provocation. In addition to the falsified document, an AI-generated deepfake video was released.
In the video, created using artificial intelligence, a digital likeness of Professor Andrzej Ossowski — a prominent Polish geneticist involved in identifying victims of the Volhynia Massacre — appears to “confirm” the false claim that exhumation efforts have been suspended.
The situation was flagged by, among others, Law and Justice (PiS) MP Dariusz Matecki.
“This is serious. In 2024, a fake Facebook profile using his identity was created, and a video was manipulated so that AI makes him speak about this forged document. I’m reporting this to Facebook’s administration. This is exactly the kind of thing the Internal Security Agency (ABW) should be dealing with!” — wrote Matecki.
Professor Ossowski Responds
Professor Ossowski issued a special statement regarding the incident.
“With great concern, I must inform you that a fake profile impersonating me has appeared online, along with a fabricated statement regarding the exhumation work (…) These actions violate my personal rights, undermine the integrity of the research, and may mislead the public.” — emphasized the scholar.
The Fake Facebook Profile
The counterfeit profile of Professor Ossowski on Facebook raises immediate suspicions. The profile photo shows a bearded, well-dressed man, with the word “RESEARCH” in bold red letters in the background. The bio reads: “I restore face, identity, humanity, dignity. Geneticist, criminalist, forensic anthropologist” — a paraphrase of the professor’s motto. It also lists his alleged affiliation with the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin and a home address in Szczecin.
The profile has just 294 friends, whereas the professor’s authentic account has thousands of followers. It lacks Facebook’s blue verification check and contains no posts older than a few months. Only a few images are visible: a Polish flag, an excavation site, a political event, and a conference — all easily accessible via Google Images.
The most critical post is dated June 6, 2025, at 3:47 PM, which reads: “Ukraine has suspended all archaeological work,” accompanied by the doctored video. In it, the “professor” is seen in a navy blue lab coat alongside a document fragment bearing the Ukrainian coat of arms and the heading “Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine”. The static frame and clean audio suggest a well-crafted deepfake.
Exhumations in Puźniki
Puźniki is a former village in today’s Ternopil Oblast in western Ukraine, where during the night of February 12–13, 1945, Ukrainian nationalists murdered between 50 and 120 Poles, according to various sources. Exhumation efforts began there on April 24, marking the first such activity since Ukraine lifted its moratorium in November 2024 on searches and exhumations of Polish war and conflict victims on its territory.
The remains of at least 42 individuals — women, men, and children — were uncovered during the work.
The operation, coordinated by the “Freedom and Democracy” Foundation, involves experts from the Pomeranian Medical University, the Volyn Antiquities company, and the Institute of National Remembrance. The work is fully funded by Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.