Several social media users accuse Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, of having bought a Bugatti with money from Ukrainian aid. The Cube has investigated it.
As it advances Russian invasion of Ukraineso does the disinformation war of Moscow against his adversaries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is no stranger to these types of false statementsbut this time it is his wife, Olena Zelenska, who is in the spotlight in an apparent attempt to discredit international support for your country.
This photo that is being taken viral on social media It supposedly shows an invoice for a 4.4 million Bugatti purchased by the Ukrainian first lady.
The currency is not specified, but some messages say it is in dollars, while others say it is in euros. Zelenska’s name appears on the invoice and that the car will be delivered in Parisalong with a production date set for January 2026.
Sometimes the image is shared with Allegations that the Bugatti was purchased with “American taxpayer dollars”while other online messages suggest it was “British taxpayers” who paid for it.
In any case, it is implied that Zelensky and his wife they are embezzling funds of aid from the West while continuing to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
But, as reported by the BBC‘the messages are false and are part of a Russian disinformation campaign directed to the United States before the presidential elections of November.
Did Zelenska buy the car?
The claim that Zelenska bought the car appeared in several Russian media outlets low profile online, all of which pointed to a supposedly reputable French website.
Ironically, it is called ‘Veritée cachee’ (‘Hidden Truth’ in French). According to the website, the Zelenskys had a private presentation with Bugatti during their stay in France.
Zelenska would have placed an order for a new ‘hypercar’ that has not yet been made public, which would have made her owner of one of the first 250 cars of this type manufactured in historysegún ‘Hidden truth’.
Journalists reportedly obtained the invoice, and the article also allegedly shows a salesman discussing the deal. However, everything is made up.
In a statement published in the official Instagram account from Bugatti Paris, the dealership where Zelenska allegedly bought the car denied both the existence of the transaction and the authenticity of the invoice.
To the invoice details such as order number are missing and the seller’s address, which are necessary for French invoices.
Legal actions by the dealer
“The Car Lovers group has already taken legal action against the aforementioned facts by filing a criminal complaint for falsification, use of fakesidentity theft and defamation,” the statement says.
“Once again, the Car Lovers Group strongly denounces this campaign of misinformation,” he adds.
ADVERTISINGA video generated by AI
Regarding the video of the car salesman talking about the sale, It is generated by AI. The man who appears in the video does not exist, and his face has been constructed from a file photo, according to fact-checkers.
Experts say that It can be difficult for the human eye to identify fakesbut there may be telltale signs, such as strange movements and robotic speech.
Always alert to Russian disinformation
Russian state media and others of pro-Russian tendency have repeatedly accused the Zelenskys of divert money and amass wealth to finance a luxurious lifestyle at the expense of Western aid. None of these accusations have turned out to be true.
What these stories do demonstrate is a massive Russian disinformation campaign designed for influence European and Western public opiniondestabilize support for Ukraine and undermine democracy.
ADVERTISINGThis type of fake news is increasingly common during election times, as happened in the United Kingdom and France last week and as it continues to happen on the eve of the US elections at the end of the year.
It’s not a bad ideato diversify the sources from which news is obtainedbut ultimately, whenever there is any doubt, it should be checked with reliable and unbiased news sources to avoid misinformation.
