False claims about the alleged Nazi origins of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have once again begun circulating in the Czech information space. Fakes about her supposedly “Nazi ancestors” have been spreading on social media for more than three years, becoming especially active whenever the European Commission consistently supports aid to Ukraine. This time, propagandists have labeled the politician the “granddaughter of Karl Albrecht Hugo Laubero”, a Wehrmacht colonel. This was reported by the Czech outlet Denik.cz.

This time, social media posts depict Ursula von der Leyen next to a young officer in a Nazi uniform, claiming that she comes from a “family of fascists and Satanists”. Such messages are published in both Czech and Slovak and are accompanied by fabricated “evidence”. Previously, disinformers had already assigned the politician another fictional “grandfather” – an officer named Joachim von der Leyen. After that version was exposed as an obvious fabrication, it was replaced with a new character – Laubero.

In reality, none of Ursula von der Leyen’s ancestors had any connection to Nazism. She was born with the surname Albrecht; her father, Ernst Albrecht, was one of the first officials of the European Community, and her grandfather, Karl Eduard Albrecht, was a physician and psychologist. Her great-grandfather, Friedrich Karl Albrecht, was an entrepreneur. None of these individuals were linked to military or Nazi structures. Fact-checkers from AFP, Demagog.cz, and MythDetector reviewed the politician’s family tree using German genealogical archives and confirmed that none of her ancestors were involved with the Nazi regime.

The individuals referenced by disinformers did exist, but they have no connection whatsoever to Ursula von der Leyen or her family. Hugo Laubero served as a Wehrmacht officer during World War II, but he was not related to the politician. Another figure mentioned, Karl Albrecht Oberg, was an SS general who was convicted after the war for crimes against humanity. However, he also has no connection to Ursula von der Leyen’s family or to her husband.

Russian propaganda continues to spread false claims about alleged “atrocities committed by Ukrainian soldiers against the civilian population of Donbas”. This time, Russian propaganda outlets are promoting a fabrication that Ukrainian troops supposedly “use civilians to clear roads of mines in Pokrovsk”. According to this narrative, local residents are allegedly forced to walk along mined roads so that they would “neutralize the mines with their bodies”. The only “evidence” cited for this story is the words of a single Russian occupier. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

Russian Telegram channels are spreading a screenshot of what is allegedly a Facebook post by the National Police of the Sumy region. The fake message claims that a conflict occurred in the village of Nyzy in Sumy district between soldiers and local residents, during which fighters of the 95th Separate Assault Brigade supposedly killed three people. This was reported by VoxCheck.

In reality, the post is completely fabricated. The National Police of the Sumy region did not publish any information about such an incident, and no such event took place. A review of the official pages and website of the Sumy Regional Police confirms that no such message exists. The police press service also debunked the fake, stressing that the post is a forgery and that the described events never happened.

Kremlin media and pro-Russian bloggers are spreading disinformation claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was allegedly not met by anyone in Washington during his working visit to the United States. Propagandists argue that this supposedly “demonstrates the true attitude of the Trump administration toward Zelenskyy and Ukraine”. This was reported by StopFake.

One of the promoters of this disinformation, Irish commentator Chay Bowes, even claimed that the person standing near the aircraft stairs was supposedly “Zelenskyy’s pilot”, implying that no U.S. officials were present. In reality, the photo shows not a pilot, but Ukraine’s defense attaché to the United States, Major General Borys Kremenetskyi. The presence of diplomats, including a military attaché, at meetings with a head of state is standard international practice.

In fact, the claim that “no one met” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an outright lie. The Ukrainian president published a video of his arrival in Washington, which clearly shows that he was greeted not only by the Ukrainian delegation. In particular, Zelenskyy was welcomed by the Acting Chief of Protocol of the U.S. Department of State, Abigail Jones.

According to U.S. protocol, the level of officials who greet foreign leaders depends on the type of visit. During a state visit, guests are welcomed by the U.S. president or vice president, while during a working visit they are met by the head of the State Department’s protocol service. Zelenskyy’s visit in October 2025 was a working visit focused on military and energy assistance, so being greeted at the level of the chief of protocol fully complies with diplomatic norms.