A wave of fakes about Ukraine ahead of the Olympics in Italy
On the eve of the Olympic Games in Italy, russian propaganda has launched a wave of disinformation aimed at discrediting Ukraine and Ukrainians in the international information space.
In particular, over the past few days russian outlets have spread the following fakes:
▪️ “Italy has banned the entry of 120 SSU (Security Service of Ukraine) agents who were supposed to ensure that athletes do not defect” — a fake circulated under the guise of a report by a well-known British news agency.|
▪️ “The granddaughter of a Ukrainian billionaire bought out all luxury suites in three Italian hotels for €8 million” — a false story allegedly supported by a fabricated report from a French television channel.
▪️ “Ukrainian authorities confiscated the passports of athletes’ relatives” — another invention by russian propagandists with no factual basis.
All of these claims are entirely fabricated. A characteristic feature of this campaign is that the fakes are disguised as “reports by Western media,” yet first appear in the russian Telegram segment and are then amplified across a network of propaganda outlets. The Center has repeatedly documented the use of this information tactic by the enemy.
The goal of this campaign is to discredit Ukraine and Ukrainians ahead of the Olympic Games, particularly amid criticism of the participation of so-called “neutral” russian athletes.
