Ukraine demands Fox apologize for labeling Kiev as Russian

Ukraine has demanded an apology from Fox News after the New York-based broadcaster erroneously labeled Kiev as located in Russia. The incident must be investigated to find who is responsible, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The gaffe occurred earlier in the day during the channel’s Easter broadcast, which featured Christian services going on at various locations, including Moscow and the Vatican. One of the segments featured the Ukrainian capital, with the events initially labeled as taking place in “Kyiv, Ukraine.” The caption, however, was changed to “Kyiv, Russia” later and was reportedly displayed like that for over 20 minutes before being corrected.

The error drew the ire of the pro-Ukrainian crowd on social media and the country’s authorities, with the Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy calling for an investigation and demanding an apology from the channel.

“If this was a mistake rather than a deliberate political statement, there should be an apology and an investigation into who made the mistake,” he stated.

The message was further amplified by Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security (CSCIS). The government agency, established in early 2021 with the proclaimed goal of building up “national resilience” and fighting misinformation, has become a key propaganda tool for Kiev in the conflict with Russia.

“Praising the Russian dictator and promoting pro-Russian narratives is nothing new for Fox News, but last night’s designation of Kiev as a city in Russia is a new low. Amid outrage across social media, Ukraine’s MFA demands an apology,” the agency said.

The incident was also apparently referenced by Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, who said on social media that “instead of broadcasting religious service from Moscow, the focus should be on pressuring Moscow to genuinely commit to a full ceasefire.”

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise 30-hour ceasefire with Ukraine to mark Easter, urging Kiev to follow suit and pause hostilities. Kiev reluctantly agreed and proposed prolonging the truce for at least 30 days. However, both sides have already traded accusations of repeatedly violations, and the prospect of an extension remains unclear.