The French outlet Le Parisien has not published any reports suggesting an AIDS epidemic in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. There is no evidence of a sudden spike in infections within Ukraine’s military or the country at large.
Social media users are circulating images purporting to show front pages from foreign media claiming that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are experiencing an AIDS epidemic. The posts allege that blood donations are improperly screened before being delivered to troops, supposedly resulting in infections among servicemen.
Propaganda outlets reference a screenshot of an article supposedly published by the French newspaper Le Parisien containing these claims. In reality, this is part of Russia’s “Doppelganger” operation, which fabricates content to mimic reputable Western media. StopFake found no evidence of such an article on Le Parisien’s website or official social media channels.
Additionally, all Ukrainian blood donation centers are mandated to screen donations for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. Transmission of HIV through officially regulated blood supplies is considered highly improbable.
No international body, including WHO and UNAIDS, nor any Ukrainian government authority, has reported an “AIDS epidemic” in the Ukrainian Armed Forces or mass HIV infections from donor blood. An event of this magnitude would attract widespread coverage; instead, it appears solely in Russian outlets using fabricated screenshots.
In recent years, Ukraine has seen a decline in new HIV/AIDS cases and expanded testing coverage, even as the conflict and occupation of certain territories continue to pose public health challenges. No large-scale HIV outbreaks have been recorded within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Earlier, StopFake also refuted false reports claiming that HIV/AIDS rates in Armenia were allegedly increasing due to the presence of Ukrainian refugees.
