DISINFO: Jewellery stolen from the Louvre was found among the assets of a Ukrainian oligarch
SUMMARY
During a search of the apartment of Ukrainian businessman Timur Mindich, who fled abroad ahead of a corruption investigation, authorities found not only large sums of money but also luxury items. Among them were jewels that had been stolen from the Louvre in Paris in October.
Two of these items were identified as an emerald necklace and earrings. They belonged to a jewellery set owned by Empress Marie-Louise of Austria, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. The set is valued at approximately 15 million euros.
RESPONSE
This story appears to be part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin effort to exploit Ukraine’s high-profile corruption scandal to portray the country as criminal, chaotic, and unworthy of European support. Russian state and proxy outlets routinely use such hybrids of fact and fiction to reinforce the image of Ukraine as a lawless state dominated by corrupt elites.
If such a sensational claim, that stolen Louvre jewels worth millions of euros had been discovered, were true, it would attract enormous international press coverage. No reputable Ukrainian, European, or international media outlet has confirmed that items stolen from the Louvre were found in connection with the current corruption investigation in Ukraine. The claim does not appear in any official statements from Ukrainian law enforcement bodies or French authorities.
The corruption investigation, dubbed Operation Midas, is led by independent institutions like NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office; demonstrating that Ukraine has functioning and independent anti-corruption mechanisms. President Zelenskyy has publicly pledged to 'clean up' the energy sector in light of the scandal.
See also: Ukraine is left without electricity due to corruption; NABU and SAPO were established to exercise Western external control over Ukrainian officials