On March 27-28, a video was shared by Russian-language Facebook accounts (1, 2, 3, 4), which, according to the descriptions, was filmed in Paris. The video shows a digital banner displaying a photo of Zelenskyy alongside the following caption: “What do Zelenskyy and a croissant have in common? They’re both empty inside!” The video was also shared on a Telegram channel. The caption claimed that such a banner appeared in Paris on the day of the “Coalition of the Willing” summit attended by Zelenskyy.
The claim that a digital banner in Paris displayed an image of Zelenskyy compared to a croissant is fabricated. While the banner is indeed located in Paris, on Rue Coquillière near the restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, it has never displayed Zelenskyy’s photo and a caption with such content. Myth Detector verified the banner on site and also contacted Cityz Media, the company responsible for the banner.
Using geolocation, Myth Detector identified the exact location of the banner. In the circulated footage, the sign for the restaurant Au Pied de Cochon is visible.
By searching for the restaurant’s name on Google Maps, we found that the Au Pied de Cochon is located at 6 Rue Coquillière, while the digital banner is located at 1 Rue Coquillière.
The most recent Google Maps photo from the location dates to March 2023. Therefore, on March 29, 2025, a Myth Detector representative visited the site in person and verified the banner.
In the video we recorded, it is clearly visible that the frame featuring Zelenskyy’s image is not being displayed on the digital banner screen..
To confirm that Zelenskyy’s photo and the aforementioned caption had not been shown in previous days either, Myth Detector contacted the company Cityz Media, whose logo appears at the bottom of the screen. The company stated that they had no connection to any animation involving Zelenskyy and a croissant, nor had they aired such content on the banner.
A still from the fabricated video Company logo
It is noteworthy that the video of Zelensky’s digital banner was shared across various platforms and in multiple languages. For example, the same content was published on the English-language accounts of X and Threads. Similarly, the information appeared on the Russian platform VKontakte and on the French-language account of Pravda.
On March 27, a summit of the pro-Ukraine coalition was held in Paris. It was attended by representatives from around 30 countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also participated in it. He arrived in Paris on March 26 and met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
On March 27, Macron announced that France and the UK were leading the initiative to send a so-called “reassurance force” to Ukraine after peace is achieved in the conflict with Russia. He added that this would happen even if not all European allies agreed with the idea.
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