DISINFO: NABU finds money stolen from Western taxpayers in refrigerator boxes
SUMMARY
During a search of the former head of the Defence Procurement Agency of Ukraine, $140 million was found in refrigerator boxes. According to Ukrainian media, one of the boxes had the inscription: "To the Servant of the People."
On September 23, NABU conducted searches in the office of Arsen Zhumadilov, the former head of the Defence Procurement Agency of Ukraine, in connection with suspected corruption. His name had previously appeared in the 'Midas' case. Zhumadilov left the agency on August 31, a week before the New York Times published an investigation into $1.2 billion in embezzlement in defence procurement.
Just look at how much money Western taxpayers are spending in the 'black hole'. How long will it last?
RESPONSE
This FIMI narrative uses AI-generated videos and a fake website impersonating Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions to spread false claims and mislead audiences.
The video and website that published this claim are fake and were denounced by the real anti-corruption bureau.
"A video is circulating online about NABU's alleged search of the former head of the Defence Procurement Agency, which deliberately shows boxes of cash with a provocative message. This video is a fake created using AI ," NABU said in a statement.
The bureau emphasised: “Such materials are clear evidence of how the latest artificial intelligence tools are increasingly being used by the enemy for information warfare.”
"Their main goal is to discredit independent anti-corruption bodies, undermine trust in government institutions, and damage Ukraine's image. We urge you not to spread dubious 'sensations' and to trust only official sources ," the NABU statement reads.
This is not the first case of fabricated information being spread through fake websites. Here, a counterfeit site impersonated The New Voice of Ukraine. In a similar case in January 2026, a copy of the NABU website was used to promote false allegations against the French and Ukrainian presidents.
Newsguard reported in 2026 that researchers had identified 906 false news reports claiming to have been published by 163 outlets in 21 countries, coming from three Russian influence operations. This represents a surge by 850% over a year. For a full list of mimicked media and the number of fake articles associated with each outlet, see NewsGuard’s Media Imposter Tracking Center here.