On July 29, 2025, the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano published two articles that make it clear: this outlet has long abandoned the pursuit of truth and now serves Russia’s interests. Disguised as “reflections,” the editorial staff discredits the Ukrainian diaspora in Italy while once again repeating narratives beneficial to the Kremlin.
Attacking Ukrainians is not Journalism
The first article concerns a peaceful protest in Caserta, organized by Ukrainians after the cancellation of a concert by Valery Gergiev — the Russian conductor who openly supports Putin and the war against Ukraine. But instead of explaining why people protested, Il Fatto chose to go after the activists themselves.
The headline reads: “Picierno demonstrates next to a Ukrainian neo-Nazi.” The article refers to Italian politician Pina Picierno, a Member of the European Parliament from the Democratic Party, who attended the rally with Ukrainians.
The text mentions the name of Oles Horodetskyi — a leader of the Ukrainian community in Italy and head of the “Christian Association of Ukrainians.” Without any evidence, he is labeled as an “extreme right-wing representative” and linked to far-right organizations.
In addition to this personal attack, the paper attempts to discredit the entire organization led by Horodetskyi.
Il Fatto Quotidiano writes: “The association’s website promotes the ‘Sector Ukraine’ portal, which publishes content praising the far-right paramilitary group ‘Right Sector,’ accused of crimes against civilians in Donbas. In his public appearances, Horodetskyi displays a flag bearing the image of Stepan Bandera (leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists), systematically collaborates with Italian far-right groups, and uses rhetoric centered on ‘European white identity.’”
These statements are not only baseless — they are dangerous. The association in question has been helping displaced persons since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, collecting humanitarian aid for Ukrainian hospitals, and organizing cultural events to preserve memory of the victims of Russian aggression. All alleged ties to neo-fascists are pure invention, grounded in speculation about historical figures and patriotic symbols.
Horodetskyi has already announced plans to sue the newspaper.
Pure Kremlin Narratives in a Paper That Calls Itself “Independent”
Another article by the same paper mockingly describes an initiative by the Radicale Europa organization titled “The Map of Putin’s Plague in Italy” — referring to politicians, journalists, and public figures who promote Russian narratives on various platforms.
“Forget about the heat, the hunt for Putinists is now going through a crisis. Enter Europa Radicale, which first launched a boycott of conductor Valery Gergiev in Caserta and is now mapping the spread of the ‘Putin plague’ in Italy,” the article says.
The likely reason for the paper’s attention to this initiative: the names of Il Fatto Quotidiano editor-in-chief Marco Travaglio and its media star Alessandro Orsini appear on the map as “spreaders of Putin’s plague.”
ХWho Are Travaglio and Orsini? Mouthpieces of “Neutrality” That Benefits Moscow
Marco Travaglio is the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. He sets the tone for most of its war-related content. Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, he wrote that the U.S. was exaggerating the threat. After the war began, his rhetoric shifted to “everyone is to blame.”
His columns regularly feature phrases like:
“Zelensky is a product of the Western media machine,”
“Ukraine sacrifices its people for the sake of geopolitics,”
“Sanctions hurt Italy more than Russia.”
At the same time, he never explicitly condemns Putin. He’s always cautious, relativistic, and “balanced.” That’s why pro-Kremlin media love quoting him.
Alessandro Orsini — a frequent contributor and talk show guest promoted by Il Fatto as an “alternative expert” — says everything the Kremlin wants to hear:
“Supplying weapons only prolongs the war”;
“We must compromise with Russia”;
“Crimea has never really been part of Ukraine”;
“The EU is dragging itself into war,” and so on.
Orsini has been involved in multiple scandals, including a lawsuit filed by Italy’s Ministry of Defence for falsely claiming Italian troops were deployed in Romania.
But instead of criticism, Il Fatto keeps giving him a platform. Because his rhetoric works. It frames capitulation as “common sense,” and abandoning resistance as “pacifism.”
How Russian Propaganda Uses Orsini and Travaglio
When Orsini says “Zelensky is using Trump,” or Travaglio writes “sanctions hurt Italy more than Russia,” Russian media pick it up immediately.
InoSMI (inosmi.ru) translates Orsini’s content for Russian readers as “the voice of a sensible West” that “doesn’t believe in Ukraine’s victory” and “knows the West is to blame.”
Z-propagandists on Telegram, such as “Rybar” and “Soloviev Live,” amplify Orsini’s messages by citing “Italian professors” or “independent editorial opinions.”
These messages don’t always come straight from Moscow — but they create an environment where:
the West appears tired,
Ukraine seems unreliable,
and support for Kyiv is portrayed as something Europeans themselves oppose.
That’s why Travaglio and Orsini are perfect “useful voices” in the hybrid war: they don’t work for RT, but they help paint the picture that the Kremlin wants — a disillusioned, unsupportive Europe.
“Independence” as a Cover
Il Fatto Quotidiano loves to claim that it isn’t tied to political parties or wealthy owners. Yet its “independence” somehow always aligns with Russia’s interests. In recent years, the newspaper has:
questioned whether Russia even invaded;
portrayed Ukraine as a “problematic state”;
called to “end the war” at Ukraine’s expense;
spread narratives about the West’s decline.
This is no longer about offering an “alternative viewpoint.” This is ongoing information warfare in support of the aggressor — and it needs to be stopped.
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