(MENAFN) Ukraine has called on Fox News to issue a formal apology after the American network mistakenly labeled Kyiv as being in Russia during an Easter Sunday broadcast. The error sparked outrage among Ukrainian officials and supporters, prompting demands for an internal investigation into the incident.

The mistake occurred during a segment showing Christian services from various global cities, including Moscow, the Vatican, and Kyiv. While the broadcast initially labeled the Ukrainian capital correctly as "Kyiv, Ukraine," it was later changed to "Kyiv, Russia" and remained that way for over 20 minutes before being corrected.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy condemned the error, urging Fox News to clarify whether it was an honest mistake or an intentional political message. “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 said.

Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security (CSCIS), a government agency tasked with countering disinformation, also criticized the network. The agency accused Fox News of routinely promoting pro-Russian narratives, adding that labeling Kyiv as a Russian city marked “a new low.”

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky appeared to reference the controversy as well, suggesting the media should focus on encouraging a true ceasefire rather than airing services from Moscow.

The labeling blunder occurred against the backdrop of a temporary Easter truce declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although Kyiv agreed to a short pause in hostilities and proposed extending it to 30 days, both sides have since accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

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