Russian media are disseminating information that Ukraine plans to “take hostage” relatives and friends of athletes who are members of the Olympic team. In particular, they quote the acting Minister of Sports of Ukraine Matvii Bidnyi, who allegedly proposed that athletes traveling to the Olympics leave a trusted person of military age, and if the athlete does not return, this person will immediately be mobilized and sent to the front.

However, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine did not make such statements. Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to this. They also found out that not a single Ukrainian media, official departmental communication channels or government websites reported such a proposal from Matvii Bidnyi. This information can only be found in propaganda media.

Moreover, such a proposal, according to StopFake, is absurd, since in Ukraine, due to martial law, there is a general mobilization of all citizens liable for military service, which does not exclude the category of “relatives or friends of an athlete”. During martial law in Ukraine, all men 18-60 years old are subject to mobilization. Some workers of critical companies, government agencies and athletes may be protected from mobilization. Athletes participating in international competitions may also be allowed to travel abroad. However, not everyone receives reservations, and many athletes voluntarily went to defend the country from the first days of a full-scale war.

Matvii Bidnyi, to whom propagandists attributed this “suggestion”, spoke about the mobilization of athletes as follows: “... It is important to understand that men must defend Ukraine so that we have a future, in particular a sports one. This applies not only to men, because at the front women also fight. In the sports environment, we do not see anyone hiding from mobilization. A draft notice will come - everyone will fulfill their duty”.

Propagandists spread such fakes in order to disrupt the mobilization process in Ukraine and strengthen their message about the “politicization of sports”. Detector Media also refuted other fakes on the topic of mobilization.