Shame on Russian diplomacy: Zakharova and the Russian Foreign Ministry are caught spreading falsehoods about the rabbi of Poland and Zelensky during the anniversary ceremony of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Russian propaganda has once again descended into falsehood, and this time its misinformation apparatus has brazenly invoked anti-Semitism to bolster its narratives. The exploitation of Jews as a tool for manipulation is a longstanding tradition in Russian politics that continues unabated in the 21st century.

The official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, claimed that the leaders of religious communities “boycotted events with the participation of Zelensky,” and that Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Shudrich stated: “I consider it shameful to be at the same event with a person who is the leader of the Nazi regime.”

However, an investigation by the “Checked“ project revealed that this statement is entirely fabricated by Russian propagandists.

As confirmed by the investigation, the chief rabbi of Poland not only did not make such statements, but also attended the events alongside Zelensky commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. Furthermore, the original source of the quote attributed to Maria Zakharova originates from a Russian Telegram channel that doctored a video featuring the logo of the British television network Sky News.

This fabricated narrative was crafted exclusively for the domestic Russian audience, which has long been enveloped in a bubble of Kremlin propaganda, often neglecting to verify facts and blindly accepting the government’s lies.

Such distorted statements are not aimed at the external world, where fact-checking and freedom of speech expose Putin’s deceit; rather, they resonate well with a confused audience within the Russian Federation, steeped in the militaristic and anti-Semitic rhetoric of Kremlin propaganda.

The falsehoods appeared in various Telegram channels and rapidly spread through Russian media, including TASS, RT, “Komsomolskaya Pravda,” and even the official account of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Zelensky’s appearance in Auschwitz sparked outrage in Jewish religious circles in Poland. Chief Rabbi Michael Shudrich stated that their representatives considered it shameful to share an event with a dictator who has manual Nazis. Thanks to Michael Shudrich for this civic courage,” Zakharova stated.

Once again, Russian propaganda has succumbed to lies, underscoring that fakes, manipulations, and anti-Semitism are not mere random mistakes, but part of the systematic approach of the Kremlin’s information machine. The false statements ascribed to Chief Rabbi Michael Shudrich are not just efforts to discredit Ukraine but also illustrate the entrenched anti-Semitic agenda of Russian propaganda. In Russia, where anti-Semitism has historically been a tool of power, such fabrications are used to amplify internal hatred and justify the regime’s own transgressions.

How did this fake emerge?

The saga began on January 28, 2025, when a brief video featuring the Sky News logo circulated on Russian Telegram channels. It claimed that Polish rabbis were boycotting Zelensky’s participation in the Auschwitz commemoration.

Among the sources of this fake were:

• Swiss Vatnik (60,000 views)
• Mordor’s Voice (38,000 views)
• Kremlin Mockingbird (17,000 views)
• Avdeevka-th (6,800 views)

However, fact-checkers examined the official website and social media accounts of Sky News and found no evidence of such a statement. The video was indeed a fabrication, with altered fonts and stylistic inconsistencies.

Nevertheless, on January 31, Zakharova reiterated this fabrication during an official briefing, after which it was perpetuated by Russian state media.

Official data against propaganda

Evidence demonstrating that Zakharova’s claims are false includes:

1. The chief rabbi of Poland never made such statements.
2. He personally participated in the ceremony alongside Zelensky.
3. The quote first appeared in pro-Russian Telegram channels known for disseminating fake news.
4. The fake video referencing Sky News does not conform to the network’s official style.
5. The Polish media has not reported any such statements.

Russia and its lies about Jews: a systematic approach

This is not the first instance of the Kremlin utilizing Jews as a propaganda instrument. Russian media and officials routinely:

• Fabricate anti-Semitic statements supposedly made by Western rabbis.
• Accuse Ukraine of Nazism, distorting historical facts.
• Manipulate the memory of the Holocaust when politically expedient.

The incident involving Rabbi Shudrich is yet another testament to how low Russian diplomacy has fallen.

Once more, Russian propaganda has resorted to falsehoods, employing its misinformation apparatus to shamelessly engage in anti-Semitism to lend credence to its narratives. The use of Jews as objects of manipulation is an old tradition of Russian politics that persists even in the 21st century.

Another case in point is the fabricated quote attributed to Chief Rabbi Michael Shudrich, which was publicized during a briefing by Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Russian version claimed that the rabbi had stated that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky’s presence at the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz incited the indignation of Jewish religious leaders in Poland.

The problem is that this statement was never made. Additionally, Michael Shudrich himself was in attendance at the ceremony, participating in the Kaddish prayer along with representatives from various nations. However, in Russia—where anti-Semitism is woven into the fabric of state policy—such details do not impede propaganda; the aim is not to convey truth, but to construct a convenient narrative for domestic consumption.

This instance represents but one of many where the Kremlin seeks to depict Ukraine as a “Nazi” nation, despite the Jewish heritage of its president and the robust support of Ukraine from Jewish communities across the globe. Russian propaganda has long harnessed anti-Semitic narratives, and they resonate with a Russian audience that has been subject to years of ideological conditioning.

The falsification targeting Jews and Israel is not incidental. It is a tool that Russia employs deliberately and systematically to justify its aggression, rewrite history, and portray Ukraine in a light favorable to the Kremlin. As Russian society continues to absorb this lie without scrutiny, anti-Semitism remains an intrinsic component of Russian state policy.

Conclusions: Why is it important?

1. Fakes are tools of Russia’s information war.
2. Russian diplomacy has finally devolved into a propaganda factory.
3. Russia systematically employs Jews in its narratives while distorting historical facts.

This incident is not just another lie from Moscow but an attempt by the Kremlin to fabricate a false image of the “international isolation of Ukraine.”

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