On August 25-26, Russian-speaking Facebook accounts (1,2) and Facebook groups (1,2) shared a photo of a cover allegedly from the German magazine Handelsblatt. The image features a sign with the inscription “Kursk” and a headline stating “Ukrainian soldiers invade Russian territory.” Behind the sign, there are crosses stuck into piles of dirt with Ukrainian military helmets placed on them. 
The Handelsblatt cover circulating on Facebook is fabricated. The magazine does not feature such a cover in its issues from August 25-27, nor in any issues before or after these dates.
The cover, purportedly from the German publication Handelsblatt, is fake. The image claims the cover date is “Weekend, August 23/24/25.” However, the actual cover for that period features Armin Papperger, the director of Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms manufacturer. Additionally, the issue number on the fake cover is incorrect; the magazine issued during those dates was number 163, not 164. 
The fabricated cover does not appear in any other issues of the magazine before or after these dates. 
The fabricated cover aims to portray Ukraine’s offensive in the Kursk region as a failure, with a question under the headline asking, “What is the cost of the temporary occupation of the Kursk region?” The field filled with graves of Ukrainian soldiers suggests significant losses of manpower.
This is not the first time Handelsblatt’s cover has been fabricated to discredit Ukraine. In June 2023, Myth Detector uncovered a fake cover aimed at portraying Ukraine’s counteroffensive launched that month as unsuccessful. For more details, see the full article:
Fabricated Covers of Handelsblatt and Humor Times Spread on Facebook (in Georgian)
About the Sources:
Russian-speaking Facebook accounts Volodymyr Zheleznij and Юрий Михно frequently spread anti-Western and anti-Ukrainian disinformation, as well as anti-vaccine fake news.
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