Pro-Kremlin media and social media accounts are circulating claims that Ukrainian refugees allegedly stole valuables from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Posts feature photos of people being detained and assert that the suspects are Ukrainians who «robbed the Louvre.»
Social media users are circulating claims that French authorities apprehended two Ukrainian refugees in connection with a theft at the Louvre. The posts feature images of two men allegedly detained for the October 19, 2025, incident, in which nine jewels from the museum’s Napoleon Collection were reportedly stolen.
In reality, this information is false. The photos used in the posts do depict two Ukrainian citizens, but they are from a different incident: on the night of October 9–10, the men, intoxicated, attempted to steal a tractor from a yard in Opole Lubelskie, Poland. Even without using reverse image search, it is clear they were not involved in a Louvre robbery—the law enforcement officers in the photos are wearing Polish police uniforms (POLICJA), not French Police Nationale attire.
French authorities—including the Paris prosecutor’s office, the Ministry of Culture, and local police—have not reported any arrests of Ukrainian refugees in connection with a theft at the Louvre. The claim appears exclusively on pro-Russian disinformation channels, underscoring its origins as a propaganda-driven falsehood.
Russian propaganda consistently manufactures and amplifies false narratives tying Ukrainian refugees to criminal activity, aiming to stoke fear and resentment among host populations by depicting Ukrainians as ungrateful or dangerous «guests». StopFake has previously debunked numerous similar disinformation campaigns, including Fake: Germany Blames Ukrainian Refugees for «All Problems» – BILD, Fake: Ukrainian Refugee Strikes Woman on Her Wedding Day – ABC Channel, and Fake: Ukrainian Refugees Broke a Museum Artefact — «Van Gogh’s Сhair» among others.
