In March, we noted a disinformation wave against France and its President Emmanuel Macron after Macron spoke about the possibility of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine. There’s been a set of fake covers among fakes we’ve debunked. This time, we’ve seen a Charlie Hebdo cover depicting a bullet-wounded French soldier in pro-Russian Telegram channels. Is this a real cover? We figured it out. 

What happened?

On May 7, 2024, the Telegram channel “Olesia Losieva” published a cover, reportedly by a French satirical outlet, Charlie Hebdo. On the cover is a French soldier, shot multiple times, and a headline, “What is cold, stinky, riddled with holes, made in France, but not cheese.”

The authors explained that the headline is a “mini-riddle” about a “French soldier in Ukraine.”

The cover was spread in other Telegram channels. 

Analysis

On the cover, there’s information that the cover issue was released on May 7, 2024, under #1659. We’ve checked if it’s real on Charlie Hebdo’s official website.

The number #1659 from May 7 has a different cover, as it occurred, and the issue was dedicated to antisemitism rather than the French soldiers in Ukraine. 

Also, on the issue itself, the date of the issue’s release is pointed as May 8, not May 7, like in the propagandists’ post. 

So, fake-markers once again try to discredit France through fake covers of Western outlets. 

Conclusion: Fake 

Author: Vlad Herasymenko 

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