Fake video about the Paris bomb, not made by the Ukrainian government

Editor’s note: This story has graphic content.

On March 11, the official Twitter account of the Parliament of Ukraine appeared published an amazing video showing a woman standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, right in front of a bomb.

“Would be the famous Eiffel Tower # Paris or Brandenburg Gate’s # Berlin to stay standing under the endless bombardment of Russian troops? Do you think that does not apply to you? Today it is # Ukrainetomorrow it will be all over # Europe. Russia will not stop at anything, ”it is said on Twitter. This video has garnered over 2.2 million views.

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Merezhko also posted a video.

The events depicted in the video are not real; Currently, Paris is not bombed. But online, amaze people when the Ukrainian government ordered a video to spread anti-Russian propaganda.

Did the Ukrainian government order a propaganda video that bombed Paris?

• French film producer Jean-Charles Levy
• Directed by Olias Barca

No, the Ukrainian government did not create or order a video that bombs Paris. Jean-Charles Levy, the producer of the videos, told VERIFY that he and director Olias Barca created it to raise awareness of what could happen if Russia continues its invasions. They did not receive payment from anyone, including the Ukrainian government, for the video.

The video begins with a woman posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. It seems that bombs hit the tower later, and the woman escaped from the cell. Screams are heard in the background.

Then the video shows the planes flying overhead, and in the background sound the sirens of the air raid. The video shows the destroyed Eiffel Tower and other buildings in Paris. At the end of the video is a message in English: “Think if it happened in another European capital.”

Also on the screen is a quote from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “We will fight to the end. Giving us a chance to live. Close the skies over Ukraine, or give us air fighters. When we fall, you fall. ”

Despite the fact that the video was widely distributed in the accounts of the Ukrainian government on social networks, it was not created by the Ukrainian government, VERIFY was told by telephone by French film producer Jean-Charles Levy.

Levy and French filmmaker Olias Barca created the video. The couple wanted to raise awareness to show the world that what is happening in Ukraine can happen anywhere, Levy told VERIFY. Barco spoke with the French edition of Le Monde from a place in Western Ukraine and repeated these sentiments.

«[The video is] what I wanted to do myself with producer Jean-Charles Levy was to hit the West with an electric shock. For me, we are in World War III, and this conflict will be common. This is a science fiction film, not a propaganda film, ”Barca Le Monde said in French. Barco quotes have been translated using Google Translate.

Levy and Barka have been working in Ukraine for about four years and instead of posting the video in their social media accounts, they sent it directly to people they knew in Ukraine, hoping it would then be distributed online. Levy said he was surprised at how viral the clip had become. He has since posted the video to his Instagram account.

“It went viral because it affects people, which is what we wanted,” Levy said. “It is important to understand that the idea was not to create propaganda or spread false information. We don’t want people to look at science fiction … and think it’s a concept. We are filmmakers who have the tools and instruments that we can use to tell people what is happening and what can happen. ”

Using visualizations to create an air strike on Paris was part of a plan – to try to show the world that Ukraine needs air support or a no-fly zone to defeat Russia, Levy said. Military analysts say it is unlikely that the United States and its European allies will impose a no-fly zone because it could easily turn the war in Ukraine into a nuclear confrontation between NATO and Russia. This was reported by the Associated Press.

“Today Ukraine needs more means of air protection than ever before. That’s what kills them, “Levy said.