In the pro-Russian segment of social media, a video bearing the logo of the German publication Die Welt is being actively circulated, claiming that a diplomatic incident allegedly occurred in Ukraine. The authors of the video claim that while expressing condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack in Sydney, Ukrainian diplomats supposedly confused Australia with Austria.

This was reported by StopFake.

The video also claims that this was not the first such incident: according to the narrative, the Office of the President of Ukraine had previously referred to JD Vance as “DJ Vance”. In addition, the report makes the baseless assertion that Australian law enforcement authorities are investigating a supposed “Ukrainian connection” to the terrorist attack and suspect that the weapons and instructions used by the attackers may have originated from Ukraine.

Verification shows that both the video and the information it contains are fake. Die Welt primarily publishes content in German, and the last English-language content on its website appeared back in 2018. Neither the German-language nor any other version of the publication contains a report claiming that Ukrainian diplomats allegedly confused Australia with Austria.

No other reputable foreign or Ukrainian media outlet reported any such “mistake”, either by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by the Office of the President regarding the name of JD Vance.

In reality, the Ukrainian authorities did officially respond to the tragedy in Sydney, although not through the Foreign Ministry’s account. Condolences were expressed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X:

“We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and wish a speedy and full recovery to all those injured. Terror and hatred must never prevail – they must be defeated everywhere and always”.

In addition, Yuliia Svyrydenko commented on the tragedy in a Telegram post. She emphasized Ukraine’s solidarity with the people of Australia and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and those affected. Her statement was published in a post dedicated to the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah at the Government House together with representatives of Jewish communities.

Another sign of manipulation is the very structure of the video report: most of it is devoted to the fabricated “diplomatic blunder”, while the serious allegation that Ukraine allegedly supplied weapons to terrorists is mentioned only briefly at the very end of the video.

There is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim. Australian law enforcement authorities are not investigating any theory involving Ukrainian involvement in the terrorist attack. It is known that the older of the two attackers legally possessed his weapon as an official member of a shooting club.

It should be recalled that the shooting during Hanukkah celebrations on a beach in Sydney on 14 December claimed the lives of 16 people, including a ten-year-old girl from a family of immigrants from Ukraine. One of the attackers was shot dead at the scene, while the other sustained severe injuries and fell into a coma. The perpetrators were identified as a father and son who adhered to a radical Islamist ideology.