A fabricated video circulating on social media, viewed millions of times, falsely claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's parents are under investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) for illicit enrichment. The clip, which fraudulently uses the branding of Euronews' morning show Europe Today, alleges that an unexplained $11 million (€9.6 million) appeared in their bank account in 2025.
The video further claims that Zelenskyy's parents described the funds as a gift—some versions of the story suggest it came from European taxpayers—and that they were briefly detained before being released after pressure from the presidential office. However, none of these claims are true.
Fabricated Evidence and AI-Generated Narration
Euronews has confirmed it did not produce the video. The narration is clearly AI-generated, and no trace of the story exists on Euronews' website. The video also cites a supposed article by the Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda, but that article is likewise fabricated and cannot be found online.
Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, part of the National Security and Defence Council, has firmly denied the allegations. In a statement, the agency described the video as a complete fabrication and linked it to the Russian "Matryoshka" disinformation campaign, which specializes in creating fake content under the guise of legitimate news outlets to lend it credibility.
"Russian propaganda has repeatedly released similar fakes about the 'huge wealth' or 'expensive purchases' of the Zelenskyy family, which were massively spread on social networks, including their English-language segment, in order to discredit Ukraine on the international stage," the agency said.
Broader Disinformation Campaign
This is not an isolated incident. The agency noted that the campaign aims to undermine trust among Ukraine's allies, who continue to support Kyiv amid Russia's full-scale invasion, now in its fifth year. Previous examples include a fake BBC report alleging that Zelenskyy had a stolen painting in his office, and a series of deepfakes featuring Hollywood actors designed to pressure Europe into accepting a peace deal on Moscow's terms.
The fake video comes at a time when Ukraine is also facing internal political challenges, including recent protests over the dismissal of a popular defence minister, as reported in Ukrainians Stage Rare Wartime Protest After Zelenskyy Fires Popular Defence Minister. Such disinformation efforts seek to exploit these tensions and erode public confidence in the government.
European readers should be aware that these fabricated stories are part of a systematic effort to manipulate public opinion across the continent. The use of AI-generated voices and fake news outlet branding makes them harder to detect, but cross-referencing with official sources and reputable news organizations remains a reliable way to verify information.
