Digitally Altered Photo Shows Zelenskyy Snorting Cocaine
The Claim
A photo shows Volodymyr Zelenskyy sniffing cocaine.
News posted on
Emerging story
A photo purportedly showing Volodymyr Zelenskyy snorting cocaine is circulating on social media.
Social media users circulated the photo alongside allegations that Zelensky is a drug addict.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be misleading.
The photo originally depicted Volodymyr Zelenskyy walking through the town of Bucha on April 4, 2022.
The photo circulating has been digitally altered to portray Zelenskyy sniffing cocaine.
Ronaldo Schemidt, an AFP photographer, took the original photo in April of this year in Ukraine.
What Happened in Bucha?
Ukraine accused Russian forces of war crimes and a "massacre" in Bucha after finding unarmed civilian bodies and mass graves in April 2022. Bodies of civilians with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds, and torture marks were found after Ukrainian troops reclaimed the town 18 miles northwest of Kyiv.
Zelenskyy Accused of Addiction
This is not the first time Zelenskyy has been accused of drug addiction, Misbar previously debunked a video that alleged Ukraine's president had drugs on his desk.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian president has been the target of misinformation.
Deep fake videos, doctored photos, and misattributed statements about the Ukrainian president have been previously investigated by Misbar's team.
Read More
