Russian propaganda spreads new fake news about Ukrainian skeleton racer during Olympics
The Russian propaganda machine continues its campaign to discredit Ukraine during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Most of the false stories circulated during the Olympics have been about skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who had intended to compete wearing a helmet featuring portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russian forces.
Source: Center for Countering Disinformation
Details: A new fake video, styled as a Reuters report, has recently been circulated by Russian media outlets. It claims that Ukrainian authorities intend to put pressure on members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding Heraskevych's disqualification by publishing their personal data.
The claims are false. Russian propagandists have manipulated original footage from the trusted news agency, adding misleading commentary and inserts – a common Russian tactic that repurposes global media reports.
Russian outlets have also circulated a fake Charlie Hebdo cover that portrays Heraskevych as a Nazi. No such issue of the French satirical magazine exists.
The Center for Countering Disinformation says there has been a surge in Russian propaganda activities targeting Ukraine since the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, aimed at undermining the reputation of the country and its athletes.
Background: This is not the first Olympic-related fake news circulated by Russian propagandists. Earlier, an image appeared online of Hungarian skier Ádám Kónya holding up his hand with a message that reads "We're all fed up with U (Ukraine)" – supposedly in reaction to the situation around Heraskevych. The original photo, however, had been posted earlier, and there was no such message in it.
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