First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska made no such statement regarding the acceptance of 40 million Israeli refugees. The claim is entirely false and has been circulated as part of a disinformation campaign. In reality, Ukraine successfully coordinated the evacuation of 176 individuals from Israel to Moldova, including 133 Ukrainian citizens and nationals of Moldova, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, and the United States.
As IDF military operations against Iran intensify, social media has become a breeding ground for disinformation—particularly targeting Ukraine. A wave of viral videos falsely attributes a statement to First Lady Olena Zelenska, claiming that Ukraine is prepared to accept “40 million Israeli refugees,” allegedly to be housed in the “vacant homes of displaced Ukrainians.”
A viral false quote attributed to First Lady Olena Zelenska claims: “In Ukraine, there is enough vacant housing to temporarily accept over 40 million refugees from Israel and ensure their safety, since many Ukrainians have left the country, and the people unanimously support the idea of using their homes to help our partners.”
Olena Zelenska never made any such statements. On June 13, 2025, the fabricated quote first appeared on social media via Panorama, a platform known for publishing parody news and labeling its content as “satirical feuilletons.” Despite its satirical origins, the fake quote was widely shared across social media, often stripped of any context indicating its parody nature, and presented misleadingly as a genuine statement from the First Lady.
No official from the Ukrainian government has extended invitations to Israeli citizens to relocate to Ukraine in the wake of the IDF’s military operations targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and military bases. On June 22, 2025, the United States joined Israel in launching overnight strikes against Iran’s illicit nuclear sites.
On the eve of the U.S. strikes on Iran, Ukraine carried out a special operation to evacuate civilians from Israel. Coordinated by the Main Intelligence Directorate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the effort successfully relocated 176 individuals to Moldova, including 133 Ukrainian citizens alongside nationals from Moldova, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, and the United States. The evacuation of civilians wishing to leave Israel remains ongoing.
The evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Israel is frequently exploited by pro-Kremlin media as a pretext for spreading disinformation. Propagandists seize on any escalation in Israel to cast Ukraine in a negative light. For further details, see StopFake’s previous reports: Fake: In Gaza Bucharest Will Save Ukrainians First, then Its Citizens and Fake: Ukraine Refuses to Evacuate Its Citizens from Israel.
