Fake about eight members of the Ukrainian Olympic delegation not returning from Italy
russia continues its coordinated disinformation campaign against Ukrainians in the context of the Olympic Games in Italy, injecting new fakes into the information space.
▫️ In particular, pro-russian resources are spreading false claims that eight members of the Ukrainian Olympic delegation allegedly did not return to Ukraine after the conclusion of the Olympic Games in Italy.
▫️ This disinformation is presented as a report by the television channel Euronews. However, no such material exists on the outlet’s official platforms. There is also no confirmation from the competition organizers or official representatives of the Ukrainian delegation regarding the alleged “non-return” of technical staff.
▫️ This is entirely fabricated content, created for dissemination through a network of pro-russian accounts. The falsification of reports attributed to well-known Western media outlets is a long-standing tactic of russian propaganda. In particular, it is systematically employed by the disinformation network Matryoshka, which specializes in forging videos and news items under the brands of reputable international media outlets and organizations.
▫️ The concept of this fake is not new. russian propaganda has repeatedly circulated similar claims about the alleged “escape” or “non-return” of interpreters, assistants, or other technical staff members of Ukrainian delegations following international events. None of these cases has ever been substantiated.
The purpose of such information operations is to discredit Ukraine and Ukrainians on the international stage, as well as to sow distrust within the country.
