Overview

• A disinformation campaign, allegedly linked to Russian conspiracy networks, falsely claimed a tissue and toothpick on a train to Kyiv were cocaine paraphernalia.
• The Élysée released high-resolution images showing the white object was a crumpled tissue and the so-called 'cocaine spoon' was a toothpick.
• Independent media outlets, including France Presse, corroborated the Élysée's rebuttal with their own photographic evidence.
• Figures such as Alex Jones and Maria Zakharova amplified the false narrative on social media, widening its reach internationally.
• EU leaders, including Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Tusk, traveled together to Kyiv to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, underscoring the unity targeted by the hoax.