Verdict: False. A fabricated article on a counterfeit New Voice of Ukraine site claimed $140 million was seized from former procurement chief Arsen Zhumadilov in boxes marked "For the Servant of the People."
Independent searches of major news outlets and NABU's website found no evidence of such a raid. The real New Voice of Ukraine called the claim an AI-generated Russian disinformation effort.
Claims that investigators found $140 million in cash labeled "For the Servant of the People" at the home or offices of former Defence Procurement Agency head Arsen Zhumadilov are false. The story originated on a counterfeit website pretending to be The New Voice of Ukraine and was amplified on social media, but independent checks found no credible evidence to support it.
On Sept. 23, 2026, a fabricated article appeared on a lookalike site using the domain nvukraine.com. The fake item asserted that Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) had raided Zhumadilov's offices and seized more than $140 million in cash packed in refrigerator boxes, one of them marked "For the Servant of the People." Short videos and social posts circulated alongside the story, including a widely shared X post by the account @DragaMariba.
Independent fact-checkers and the real New Voice of Ukraine determined the item was fabricated:
The counterfeit domain nvukraine.com was registered on Sept. 21, 2026 — two days before the fake report was published. The authentic New Voice of Ukraine publishes at english.nv.ua, and it posted its own debunk on Sept. 25, 2026, saying the claim was an AI-generated fake amplified by Russian channels.
Lead Stories and other verifiers searched Google News and Yahoo News for corroborating coverage using terms such as "Zhumadilov," "140 million," and "Servant of the People" and found no credible reports. A search of NABU's official website returned no records of any raid or seizure involving Zhumadilov.
Zhumadilov left the defense procurement agency on Aug. 31, 2026. A separate New York Times investigation into procurement fraud — unrelated to the fabricated raid — detailed issues in the sector amounting to $1.2 billion. The fake story appears to have been part of a disinformation effort aimed at portraying Ukraine as corrupt.
This allegation originated on a fraudulent site and was spread through social media posts and short videos. It is not supported by reputable news organizations or official government sources. Readers should rely on established outlets and official statements when evaluating dramatic claims about corruption or large-scale seizures.
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