On October 13-14, Russian-speaking Facebook users (1;2) shared the cover of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, supposedly from the October 11, 2024 issue. The cover depicted a caricature of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s “peace formula,” with the symbol of peace drawn using dismembered bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. The caption on the cover reads: “Ukraine’s Peace Formula.”
The image of Charlie Hebdo’s alleged cover was also shared on Russian-speaking websites and Telegram channels.
The cover photo spread in the name of Charlie Hebdo is fabricated. The latest issue, number 1682, was published on October 16 and does not mention the Russia-Ukraine war or the “peace formula.”
The fabricated cover has issue number 1682 and lists the release date as October 11. In reality, the 1682nd issue had not yet been published by October 11. Charlie Hebdo‘s 1681st issue is dated October 9 and covers the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As for the 1682nd issue, it was released on October 16. This issue also does not focus on the Russia-Ukraine war or Zelenskyy’s “peace formula.” Instead, the cover features a caricature related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing events in the Gaza Strip.
Fabricating the covers of well-known Western publications is a propaganda tool of the Kremlin, which has intensified since the start of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine. This type of disinformation aims to create the impression that prominent publications are mocking Zelenskyy and other Western leaders, acknowledging the strength of Russia while portraying Europe and the United States as weak.
Source:
Facebook user Георгий Кушиташвили consistently spreads false information. Myth Detector has debunked disinformation spread by this account multiple times in the past.
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