Russia spreads fake claims about simplified doping controls for Ukrainians at Olympic Games
Photo: Russian propaganda fakes reach the 2026 Olympic Games (Getty Images)
Russian propaganda is spreading fake TV reports on social media about Ukrainians at the 2026 Olympic Games, disguising them as content from foreign media outlets. In particular, the claims concern an alleged easing of doping controls for athletes, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation.
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According to the CCD, false information is being actively spread online claiming that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) allegedly "simplified doping controls for the Ukrainian national team."
Propagandists assert that this supposed decision was justified by "psychological stress due to the war" and the possible use of sedative medications by athletes. These claims are presented as if they were the official position of international sports bodies.
In addition, another fake is being circulated, a fabricated story alleging that an interpreter for the Ukrainian team in Italy supposedly became the "52nd interpreter to flee the delegation" in recent months. According to Russian sources, after speaking with journalists, he allegedly disappeared, leaving his phone in a hotel to avoid being tracked.
The Center for Countering Disinformation stressed that both stories are completely fabricated. WADA has not made any decisions to ease doping controls for Ukrainian athletes. There is also no official confirmation whatsoever of the story about the “escape of an interpreter” from the Ukrainian delegation.
The CCD noted that the fakes traditionally first appeared on Russian channels and were then amplified by a network of propaganda accounts to scale them across the information space.
A distinctive feature of this campaign is the imitation of television reports by Western media, intended to create an illusion of credibility for the fabricated stories. The Center recalled that it has previously debunked similar information operations, including a fake report about the alleged isolation of Ukrainian athletes’ accommodation during the Olympics.
According to the CCD’s assessment, the goal of this campaign is to discredit Ukrainian athletes on the international stage and undermine European support for Ukraine.
Russian fakes
Russia constantly invents fakes about Ukraine and Ukrainians, using them as an element of hybrid warfare. In addition to turning Russians against Ukrainians, propagandists often try to provoke internal tensions within Ukrainian society, set people against each other, and undermine public trust in the authorities, the military, and other institutions.
For example, it was recently reported that Russia spread short AI-generated videos on social media in which Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, military enlistment officers, police officers, or MPs appeared extremely overweight; the aim of that campaign was to provoke disgust among Ukrainians.
Another Russian propaganda fake is circulating on social media about an alleged "national resistance" to mobilization in Kharkiv.
