Original article (in Albanian) was published on 18/10/2024; Author: Vjolanda Peca
The disinformation war against Ukraine targets the former boxer with claims of involvement in prostitution
Accusations made by a Ukrainian journalist against the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaly Klitschko, are also spreading among Albanian Facebook users. These posts claim that FEMEN movement journalist, Diana Panchenko, has proven that the well-known former boxer, now the administrator of Kyiv, is involved in managing a prostitution ring in Ukraine.
Panchenko wrote in a social media post: ‘Vitaliy Klitschko manages the largest strip club network. There are 100 brothels just in Kyiv! He sells hundreds of girls to the EU and the USA.’ The allegations indicate that Klitschko has chosen to live with his family close to two brothels in Ukraine. She also accuses him of drug dealing and being under investigation for corruption and treason against the state.
While all the accusations sound serious from a journalist, what is not clarified in these posts is the credibility of their source.
Following her media career, Panchenko has been accused of being recruited by the Kremlin and spreading disinformation on behalf of the Russians. After moving to the United Arab Emirates, she has posted videos that are often filled with propaganda, accusing Ukrainian authorities of Nazism and claiming that Ukraine will ‘collapse’.
So far, no credible national or international sources have disclosed any connection between Mayor Klitschko and illegal trafficking.
As a public figure and political leader, Vitaliy Klitschko has played a significant role in Ukraine, especially since the beginning of the war with Russia. Allegations of trafficking and other serious crimes are a persistent part of the Russian narrative that targets Ukrainian public figures.
