Fact Check: Did BBC Identify Former Ukraine Armed Forces Commander-In-Chief As Nation’s ‘Next President’?
A photo purporting to show a screenshot from a BBC News video is going viral, claiming to show the media outlet endorsing a candidate for Ukraine’s presidency.
The Verdict: Fake
- The viral BBC News chyron naming Zaluzhnyi the ‘next President of Ukraine’ is fake—no such broadcast or report was ever aired.
What is the claim?
A photo purporting to show a screenshot from a BBC News video is going viral on social media. It claims to show the news outlet endorsing a candidate for Ukraine’s presidency. The image features Valerii Zaluzhnyi—Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the armed forces—alongside a chyron that reads, “The next President of Ukraine.” A caption beneath the image adds, “Zaluzhnyi resolute on elections during war.”
Social media users have shared the image with captions claiming (archived here) that the United Kingdom is overtly treating Ukraine as a colony. One post reads, “The UK has already decided on the next president of Ukraine... Another Nazi – Zaluzhny.” Additional archived examples can be found here and here.
However, we found that the image is fabricated. BBC News did not air any segment calling Zaluzhnyi the “next President of Ukraine.”
What are the facts?
A review of the BBC News website and official social media accounts revealed no such video or article.
On April 1, 2025, BBC News published a legitimate article titled, “Election rumours swirl in Ukraine—could Zelensky be mulling a summer poll?” The report mentioned Zaluzhnyi as “the president’s potential closest rival” but made no declarations about him becoming president.
According to another recent BBC report, Zaluzhnyi criticized the US administration for “destroying the established world order.” That article also referenced an Independent opinion poll suggesting that Zaluzhnyi enjoys the most public support, with approval ratings as high as 70 percent. Despite this, he has not made any statements about pursuing the presidency.
Additionally, a reverse image search reveals that the photo of Zaluzhnyi used in the viral image was originally posted on his official Telegram channel on October 29, 2024. The photo accompanied a post about his meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Relations with Ukraine.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the viral image consists of “fake screenshots and not genuine BBC News stories.”
Logically Facts has contacted BBC News for further comment. We will update this story if and when we receive a response.
Elections in Ukraine
Ukraine’s presidential election, originally scheduled for 2024, has been postponed due to martial law following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Zaluzhnyi was asked whether he planned to participate in a future election. He responded: “My answer to this has not changed. While the war continues, we all need to work to save the country, not think about elections. I don’t comment on any rumours.”
As of now, no date has been set for Ukraine’s presidential election.
The verdict
The viral image claiming to show a BBC News broadcast naming Valerii Zaluzhnyi as the “next President of Ukraine” is fake. BBC News has not published any such report.
This report first appeared on logicallyfacts.com, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.
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