Fact Check: Louvre Jewels Were NOT Taken From Zelenskyy Associate, Ukrainian Billionaire Timur Mindich

Reports suggesting that Ukrainian authorities have retrieved the jewels stolen from the Louvre from the possessions of Ukrainian billionaire Timur Mindich, an associate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are incorrect.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), which was allegedly involved in the seizure, has not published any statement on its social media accounts regarding this matter. NABU explicitly denied the claim in communication with a European fact-checking organization. Additionally, no coverage in French media has reported such a recovery, which would be expected if the claim were accurate.

The claim originated from a post on the @SprinterPress account on November 18, 2025, which included a video asserting that NABU had discovered Marie-Louise's stolen Louvre jewels among Mindichs assets. The post described Mindich as a close friend of President Zelenskyy and stated that he had fled to Israel.

Timur Mindich is a prominent Ukrainian businessman and former co-owner of Kvartal 95 Studio, a company founded by Zelenskyy. NABU has previously accused him of corruption in the energy sector, allegedly involving former Ukrainian ministers Herman Halushchenko and Rustem Umerov. The bureau reported that approximately $100 million passed through the alleged corrupt network.

The post claimed that during searches of Mindichs apartment, investigators found large sums of cash and luxury items, including an emerald necklace and earrings purportedly belonging to Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of France. These jewels, valued at roughly 15 million euros, were reported stolen from the Louvre on October 19, 2025. The stolen items were recovered by French authorities shortly afterward.

However, fact-checking organizations in Europe, including Belgiums VRT and Germanys DW.com, concluded that the video spreading this claim was generated using artificial intelligence. They noted that the jewels shown in the video do not match those actually stolen from the Louvre. NABU has confirmed that the videos content is false, identifying it as either disinformation or pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Searches on Google News for Louvre jewels show no articles supporting the alleged recovery. Coverage remains focused on the arrests of the individuals responsible for the theft.

The recent rumors about the recovery of the stolen jewels from the Louvre, allegedly found among the possessions of Ukrainian billionaire Timur Mindich, have been thoroughly debunked. Despite initial claims circulating on social media, there is no credible evidence to support these allegations. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), which was said to have been involved in the seizure, has not released any official statements confirming the discovery of the jewels. Moreover, NABU has explicitly denied the claim in communications with fact-checking organizations across Europe.

The original claim stemmed from a post on the @SprinterPress account, which included a video asserting that NABU had recovered the Marie-Louise jewels from Mindich's assets. The video suggested that Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had fled to Israel after being involved in the theft. However, European fact-checking organizations, including Belgium’s VRT and Germany’s DW.com, have determined that the video was generated using artificial intelligence and does not feature the actual stolen items from the Louvre.

It's important to note that the actual stolen jewels, which were reported missing on October 19, 2025, were swiftly recovered by French authorities. No reputable news sources, including French outlets, have reported the jewels' recovery in connection with Mindich or his assets. This lack of credible coverage further undermines the validity of the original claims.

Ultimately, this incident highlights the dangers of misinformation and the role of fact-checking in combating fake news. As of now, investigations continue into the individuals responsible for the theft, but the claim linking Mindich to the stolen Louvre jewels remains false and unsubstantiated.

Sources:

• Fact Check: Stolen Louvre Jewels Were NOT Seized From Zelenskyy Associate, Ukrainian Billionaire Timur Mindich