Neither Euronews nor any other trustworthy source has reported such an incident.
Pro-Russian sources have been running headlines like “France covers up for Ukrainian corruption” and claiming that the French Foreign Ministry refused to share information with US intelligence about Ukrainian citizens who had supposedly bought 12 luxury mansions in France since 2022. The total value of these properties was said to be €95 million. The Americans allegedly suspect that these houses belong to Ukrainian military officials involved in corruption schemes to siphon off Western aid, although no names were given due to an ongoing investigation.
But this story’s total fake. First, the official Euronews website and its social media accounts don’t have any such report. This isn’t a surprise, as Russian propaganda has used stock footage with Euronews branding to make up fake news before. Recently, StopFake debunked a similar fake report claiming that 71% of Ukrainians abroad believe the Euromaidan revolution was a mistake. A keyword search for ‘CIA’, ‘France’, ‘Ukraine’ and ‘corruption’ revealed that no reputable foreign media outlet had published such information.
Moreover, several inconsistencies in the story reveal its fraudulent nature:
1. It is unclear why the CIA would be investigating “corruption and misappropriation of military aid to Ukraine”, given that the agency’s primary role is intelligence and national security analysis. If such an investigation existed, it would more likely be conducted by the US Department of Defense or Congress, which could initiate an audit.
2. It is highly unlikely that the investigators – who, according to the video, want to keep the investigation confidential – would ask the French Foreign Ministry for property records, which could be obtained much more easily through the Service de publicité foncière (Public Property Registry).
3. The propagandists claim that the French Foreign Ministry sent an “official refusal” to the CIA. If this were the case, why is there no trace of this document in any official French government communication?
This fake story is a prime example of how Russian propaganda attempts to convince audiences that any financial aid to Ukraine is being embezzled by its military leadership. Similar disinformation has been debunked before, including the false claim that eight houses belonging to Ukrainian generals were burned down in Los Angeles.
