Russian propagandists have fabricated a Deutsche Welle video to spread disinformation about Ukrainian refugees
Pro-Russian Telegram channels are circulating a video that falsely claims a Ukrainian refugee in Germany set fire to his own Tesla in protest against the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has provided aid to Ukraine. The video also alleges that the man blamed Elon Musk for the shutdown, stating that Musk currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to the fabricated report, the Ukrainian faces deportation and a EUR 15,000 fine.
However, this is a complete fake. No such video exists on Deutsche Welle’s official website or social media platforms.
The video was artificially created using various online photos and footage. Some materials were edited with graphic software to make verification more difficult. The original video of a Tesla fire, which was falsely presented as a Ukrainian protest, was mirrored, enlarged, and overlaid with a black-and-white filter.
The real footage first appeared online in March 2024 and has no connection to either Ukraine or Germany. The incident actually took place in Detroit, U.S. — not Brandenburg, Germany, as claimed by the fake video. The video shows an unidentified man smashing the rear window of a Tesla with a brick and throwing an incendiary device inside.
Both the original and edited videos share identical details, such as the room’s interior, text on the perpetrator’s jacket, and other clothing elements.
To create the fake video, Russian propagandists also used an image of Tesla’s gigafactory in Germany and a clip from a Bloomberg video featuring the USAID flag.
These types of fabrications are part of Russia’s ongoing effort to discredit Ukrainians abroad. Kremlin propaganda also seeks to convince audiences that European governments — particularly Germany — oppose Ukrainian refugees.
Russian media recently spread another fake investigation falsely claiming that Ukraine was behind terrorist attacks in Germany under the banner of the far-right party AfD.
On January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days pending a review to determine if they align with his policy goals.
On January 24, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the cessation of all foreign aid operations. The only exception made was for emergency food aid, which could include, among others, the Gaza Strip and Sudan.
Elon Musk, a vocal critic of USAID, has called it a “criminal organization” and said that it was “time for it to die.” Shortly after, Trump advocated for USAID’s closure, citing corruption and fraud.
Subsequently, the largest U.S. unions – the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association – sued the Trump administration, demanding the halt of USAID’s closure.
Andriy Olenin
Source: Russian fake: Ukrainian set Tesla on fire in Germany to protest Elon Musk over USAID closure
