Ukrainian Independence Day Marked In Milan With Focus On Countering Russian Propaganda

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) One of the event's organizers told Ukrinform.

Key topics included countering Russian propaganda in Italy, continued support for Ukraine, and the role of the Ukrainian community in helping Italians develop an objective understanding of the country.

Organized by the Ukrainian association UaMi, the event brought together Ukrainian and Italian diplomats, politicians, military personnel, civil society representatives, cultural figures and young people. The organizers described it as a space for Ukraine and Italy to meet around shared values of freedom, culture, memory and the right to choose their own future.

From left: Anna Gordon, Volodymyr Vorona, Iryna Molovytsia

Ukrainian Consul General in Milan Volodymyr Vorona took part in the event. In comments to Ukrinform, he stressed that Russian propaganda in Italy has deep roots and has been developing for decades.

“Russian propaganda in Italy has very deep roots dating back to the 1990s, when much of the information was presented from a pro-Russian perspective. After 2022, changing this was not easy, but in recent years we have seen a shift in the position of Italian media. Italians are beginning to understand that much of what they had heard previously was disinformation and propaganda,” Vorona said.

Volodymyr Vorona

According to the consul general, there have been cases in which Italians who had been exposed to one-sided information for years have“almost apologized” after learning the facts, realizing how deeply Russian propaganda had influenced their perception of Ukraine.

The diplomat believes that one effective way to counter it is to work directly with Italian audiences.

“Through educational and informational events like these, we can convey our truth. Today, I deliberately spoke exclusively in Italian to address Italians directly, and I began my speech with Kyivan Rus. The most effective cooperation is when, at events like these, we tell Italians the truth,” the consul general stressed.

UaMi representative and event organizer Anna Gordon also emphasized the need for continued engagement with foreign audiences.

“We have to work with foreign audiences, and here our audience is Italians. It is important to find common ground, introduce them to Ukrainian culture and traditions, explain our policies, and tell them every day about the situation in Ukraine. If we do not do this, Russian propaganda will prevail here,” she said.

Gordon was also recognized by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for her support of the military.

“For me, this means that my work was not in vain, that I made my contribution to Ukraine's victory and did not stand on the sidelines. It motivates me to keep moving forward,” she said.

Another part of the program focused on the price of freedom and the people who have personally taken up the defense of Ukraine. Among the participants was Lieutenant Colonel Denys Demydko of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who came from Ukraine with his wife. He had suffered a serious injury while defending his comrades during an enemy attack.

Denys Demydko

Asked about the so-called“war fatigue” in Europe, the serviceman stressed that Europeans have an opportunity to help stop Russian aggression without sending their own citizens to fight.

“Europe now has a unique opportunity to stop this war without directly being involved in it. There is no need to send your people - give us the opportunity to defend Ukraine. Support us economically, financially and morally, do business with Ukraine, and help develop our economy. Russia will not stop at Ukraine; it has plans to go further. Ukraine will stand - and Europe will be preserved,” Demydko said.

Addressing the Ukrainians currently living in Italy and other European countries, he urged them not to lose their identity and to use their voices to support Ukraine.

“Never forget that you are Ukrainians. Do not be ashamed to say so. Support Ukraine with your voice - attend rallies, organize panel discussions and forums. Do not give Russian propaganda a chance to seize Europe,” the serviceman stressed.

Another participant in the discussion was Yuri Previtali, an Italian who left his life in Italy behind after Russia launched its full-scale invasion and traveled to Ukraine, where he joined the military as a volunteer.

Yuri Previtali

According to him, his decision was driven primarily by his personal values and his rejection of a situation in which a stronger state attempts to subjugate another by force.

“My values motivated me. Ukrainians are defending their own home. I was young, in good physical shape, and understood that I could do something, so I decided to go to Ukraine and join the military as a volunteer,” Previtali said.

Addressing his fellow Italians who view the Russian-Ukrainian war as distant and unrelated to them, he stressed:“Ukraine is defending itself. And we, as civilians, have a moral obligation to help. No one is asking us to go and fight - Ukrainians are asking us to provide them with weapons and the necessary assistance so they can defend themselves.”

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Previtali also spoke about the creation of the STUR (Support for Ukrainian Resistance) association, which supports Italian and other foreign volunteers fighting alongside Ukraine. The organization provides them with food and protective equipment, offers psychological support before and after their time at the front, and supports the families of fallen volunteers. STUR was among the partners of the Milan event.

Previtali also has a personal connection to Ukraine: in 2023, he met a Ukrainian woman from Vinnytsia there, and the couple married in November 2025.

Ukrainian business potential in Italy was also discussed by entrepreneur Bohdan Hladchuk.

“Ukrainians are highly creative and dynamic in business, willing to experiment and quickly seek new opportunities. Therefore, there is enormous potential here for the development of Ukrainian business,” he said.

Bohdan Hladchuk, Andrii Andrikevych

The“La Nostra Indipendenza” program featured a series of thematic discussions ranging from Ukrainian culture, literature, sports and medicine to youth participation in shaping Ukraine's future, Russian captivity and the stories of military personnel. A separate panel focused on Ukrainian civilians held captive by Russia and the families of prisoners of war.

Participants in the first discussion included Ukrainian Consul General in Milan Volodymyr Vorona, Member of the European Parliament Pierfrancesco Maran, Milan City Council Vice President Roberta Osculati, and, online, Ukraine's Ambassador to Italy Ihor Brusylo.

The program also featured video addresses by Save Ukraine founder Mykola Kuleba, Italian politician Carlo Calenda, Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, and Hero of Ukraine Sviatoslav“Kalyna” Palamar, one of the commanders of the Azov Regiment and a defender of Mariupol and Azovstal.

Participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Ukrainian military personnel and civilians who were killed in Russia's war against Ukraine, and also remembered those who remain in Russian captivity.

The cultural program included a screening of the Ukrainian film“Roses. Film-Cabaret” and a performance by the Lviv folk group Eteria, which presented Ukrainian folk songs and traditional melodies.

The organizers stressed that UaMi's goal is to create platforms in Italy where Ukrainians and Italians can meet, exchange ideas, launch joint projects and build long-term ties between the two societies. They also seek to convey the truth about Ukraine, counter Russian propaganda and disinformation, and support Ukraine and Ukrainians in every possible way in their struggle for freedom and independence.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, a commemorative event highlighting Russia's crimes against Ukraine was held in Lisbon.

Photos via Lorenzo Ceva Valla

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