BERLIN: A false cover of the German magazine Handelsblatt, which makes fun of Ukraine’s mandate for male citizens living abroad to possess an updated military document for passport renewal, is being shared online.
Recent Ukrainian legislation enforcing strict regulations regarding army mobilization came into effect on May 18, which includes a stipulation for Ukrainian men residing abroad to possess an up-to-date military document for services such as passport renewal.
The counterfeit front page features the Handelsblatt logo atop an illustration of a severed hand holding a Ukrainian passport on a battlefield. An individual who shared the image on Facebook on May 6 claimed, “The German newspaper Handelsblatt mocked Ukraine’s decision to issue passports to its citizens only after a visit to the mobilization office.”
However, no such cover exists in Handelsblatt’s online archive or on its social media platforms. Issue 87, released on May 6, features multiple stories on its front page, with the main story covering Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe. Handelsblatt has yet to respond to a request for comment from Reuters. However, there is no evidence of such a cover in Handelsblatt’s online archive. Issue 87 was published on May 6, not May 4, and has a different cover.
