Fake exposed: Russia targets Ukrainian soldier with forged icon smuggling story

Russian Telegram channels are spreading a screenshot of an alleged publication from a regional media outlet in the Lviv region. The post claims that a serviceman supposedly tried to flee abroad with an ancient icon. The caption to the image alleges that the person involved was a soldier of Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade.

This is a fake. The headline of the publication was altered using graphic editing software. The original article, published by Lviv.Media, carried the headline: “In Lviv, a court fined a man for attempting to take an ancient icon out of the country.”

The offense itself took place on October 22, and in late 2025 a court hearing was held, during which the defendant was ordered to pay a fine of 5,100 hryvnias. The publication contains no mention whatsoever of a serviceman being involved in the crime.

This fake is aimed at discrediting Ukrainian military personnel in order to undermine public trust in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, Russian propaganda earlier spread fake stories about “serious crimes” allegedly committed by Ukrainian servicemen in the Sumy and Chernivtsi regions.

By Andrii Olenin