The screenshot, supposedly from a Telegram channel and presented as the only «evidence» of Ukrainians looting in Florida, is a fabrication. There are no reports of such incidents in local media, and Florida authorities have emphasized that crimes committed before and after Hurricane Milton will not go unpunished.
Russian media and social networks have been circulating claims that Ukrainians were allegedly looting in Florida as the hurricane raged and residents fled their homes. In addition, propagandists claim that Ukrainian refugees openly discussed their crimes on Telegram channels.
«All of Ukraine’s 2022 fantasies about toilets and washing machines are not fantasies at all—this is based on their own experience, particularly their long-standing history of looting in Donbas,» some users wrote.
Discrediting Ukrainian refugees is a topic that has been actively promoted by Kremlin propaganda. Especially since the full-scale invasion, when many Ukrainians fled abroad in search of safety, the spread of disinformation narratives has intensified.
The news about Ukrainians looting during the natural disaster in Florida is fake. First of all, the whole story is based on a single screenshot, allegedly from a Telegram channel called ЗАРОБІТОК Флорида/Маямі (Profits Florida/Miami), where users allegedly «discuss» which house to rob. Using various Telegram search tools, StopFake could not find such a channel or group. Even if it was a private group, other signs point to the fake nature of the story. For example, the unnatural use of the Ukrainian language is an indication that the fake was created by Russian speakers who translated the text.
Analysis of the screenshot with the InVID tool also shows evidence of image manipulation. The image has clearly been edited.
There were no reports of such incidents in the American media, although cases of looting during Hurricane Milton received considerable attention from journalists. For example, one widely covered story involved a man accused of trying to steal a generator that powered a traffic light that was likely damaged during the hurricane. The media also warned Florida residents about scammers who may use personal information from hurricane victims to fraudulently claim benefits. At a press conference, Florida State Attorney Susan Lopez and Governor Ron DeSantis said crimes committed before and after Hurricane Milton would not go unpunished. They listed cases already under investigation by authorities, none of which mentioned any looting incidents in Miami involving Ukrainians.
Previously, StopFake debunked a similar fake about three Ukrainians allegedly arrested in Israel for looting during riots.
