A fabricated video using Euronews branding falsely alleges that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s parents are under investigation for illicit enrichment involving $11 million; Ukrainian authorities and fact-checkers have confirmed the story is entirely invented and linked to a Russian disinformation operation.
A Viral Fake News Story Spreads Across Social Media
A video amassing millions of views on social media platforms has falsely claimed that the parents of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are under investigation for illicit enrichment, according to reporting by Euronews’ fact-checking team. The clip, which fraudulently uses Euronews branding and mimics the style of Europe Today, the broadcaster’s live morning show, alleges that Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is investigating President Zelenskyy’s parents, Oleksandr and Rimma Zelenskyy, over an illicit $11 million (€9.6 million) that supposedly appeared in their bank account in 2025.
As reported by Euronews’ My Europe desk, the fake video claims that Zelenskyy’s parents described the funds as a gift, with some social media posts asserting that it was a gift from European taxpayers’ money. The video also alleges that the president’s parents were detained but released shortly afterwards, following pressure from Zelenskyy’s office.
The Video Is Completely Fabricated
However, not only is the video fake, but the whole story is too, Euronews has confirmed. Euronews did not produce this video, and if there were any room for doubt, the voice narrating the report was AI-generated, and there is no trace of any such story on Euronews’ website.
The video also cites an article by the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, which supposedly describes the alleged investigation, but this is also fake and cannot be found anywhere online. Fact-checkers at AFP confirmed that the audio track was created using artificial intelligence, and both NABU and Euronews confirmed that the report is a fabricated, false material.
Ukraine’s Disinformation Centre Issues Strong Denial
Additionally, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, a body affiliated with the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council, has firmly denied the video’s claims. It said that the story is completely fabricated and attributed it to the Russian “Matryoshka” disinformation campaign, which specialises in creating fake content under the guise of legitimate news outlets to try and give them a veneer of credibility.
As reported by Lead Stories, a Ukrainian governmental body dedicated to stopping the spread of disinformation published a page titled “russian fake about ’11 million dollars in Zelenskyy’s parents’ accounts'” on July 3, 2026, stating:
“False information is being spread online that NABU allegedly conducted searches in the accounts of the President of Ukraine’s parents – Rimma and Oleksandr Zelenskyy. It is claimed that 11 million dollars were found in their accounts. This story is not true and is completely fabricated.”
No Evidence Supports the Allegations
There is no credible confirmation that Zelenskyy’s parents were detained, questioned, or that millions of dollars were found in their accounts, according to analysis by Polish outlet Wprost. No Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions or reputable media have reported on such a case. There is also no trace of the alleged Euronews material, which was not published on the station’s website or its official channels.
The creators of the fake video used the Euronews logo and fabricated a screenshot of an Ukrainska Pravda article. However, no such text exists. There is also no official comment from a NABU spokesperson, as claimed by the narrator in the video.
Real Footage Misused in Fake Narrative
The video used authentic footage previously published by NABU, but it did not concern Zelenskyy’s parents; it was from a completely different anti-corruption investigation, according to Wprost. Similarly, scenes purporting to show a house search do not match the described date and come from another material.
Instead, the creators took real footage and embedded it in a false narrative to make the whole thing look more convincing. The false message was also debunked by the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation.
Pattern of Russian Disinformation Targeting Zelenskyy
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, President Zelenskyy and his close circle have regularly been the target of misleading and false claims, often part of organised disinformation campaigns, as noted by AFP fact-checkers. The “Matryoshka” campaign specialises in creating fake content under the guise of legitimate news outlets to try and give them a veneer of credibility.euronews+3
This is not the first time Euronews branding has been misused in fake reports about Ukrainian corruption. In December 2023, a fake Euronews video claimed the broadcaster’s fact-checking segment The Cube had investigated cryptocurrency links with a senior Ukrainian official, which Euronews confirmed was never published. In April 2026, Moscow was found to be using AI-generated videos of Ukrainian soldiers to portray the country as weak and undermine trust in its central command.
How to Identify Fake News Videos
Euronews and fact-checking organisations have identified several telltale signs that the video is fake: the voice narrating the report is AI-generated; there is no trace of the story on Euronews’ website or official channels; the cited Ukrainska Pravda article does not exist; and NABU has not released any news confirming the claims.
Searches for the names of Zelenskyy’s parents on Euronews’ website did not generate any matching results, and no news has been released on NABU’s website to substantiate the claims.
Ukraine Warns Public About Ongoing Disinformation
The story about $11 million in Zelenskyy’s parents‘ accounts has no confirmation in the facts, according to Ukrainian authorities and independent fact-checkers. It is another viral provocation that feeds on emotions around the war and aid for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation continues to warn the public about such fabricated content, urging people to verify information through official sources and reputable media outlets before sharing.
