Is it true that during the match of the Ukrainian national team at Euro 2024 at the stadium, a flag was posted with the inscription “Return the elections”?

In June 2024, Telegram channels and the media distributed reports of a political banner at one of the matches of the Ukrainian football team calling for elections in the country. We checked the reliability of this news.

Photos of the National Flag of Ukraine with the inscription in the English “Return the Elections”, posted on the rostrum of the stadium, appeared on June 21. It was argued that such a banner was seen at the match of Slovakia - Ukraine as part of the European Football Championship. This, in particular, reported "Kommersant","Sport-Express","Gazeta.ru" And "Komsomolskaya Truth". Also about the flag with a political slogan told Telegram channels "Mash"(971,000 views at the time of writing this analysis),"Live broadcast • News"(730 000),"RIA Novosti"(675 000), Readovka (440,000) and "Solovyov"(202 000).

The match of the group stage of the European Football Championship between Slovakia and Ukraine was held in German Dusseldorf on June 21. To establish whether the flag with a political slogan was posted in the stands, “verified” turned to recording the broadcast of the match. The flag for the first time falls into the frame even before the start of the game, during the performance of national hymns (though only the English words Give us can be analyzed).

During the communication of the judge with the captains of the teams, it becomes clear that the flag was posted almost in the center of the field.

Already in the first minute of the match, the flag falls into the frame entirely: it says “Give Us Elections”, that is, “Return the elections to us”.

The flag fell into the frame every time the ball was in the middle of the field. However, by the 26th minute of the match, he was no longer there: apparently, either the audience themselves or the stadium workers removed a banner with a political slogan.

In 2024, the presidential election was to be held in Ukraine. However, due to the Russian full-scale invasion of the country's authorities, they decided not to conduct them, Referring on martial law and difficulties in organizing voting among the military and refugees. At the end of 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky declaredWhat in such a situation to discuss the elections is untimely. After that, Russian propaganda began to force the topic of Zelensky's illegitimacy. Russian President Vladimir Putin declaredthat after May 20, 2024 (exactly five years later Zelensky was in the post of head of state), the Verkhovna Rada remains the only legitimate authority in Ukraine. However, Ukrainian lawyers and authors of the country's constitution assure that this is not so: in the main law there are some flaws, but during martial law the election cannot be carried out in any case. In the office of the President of Ukraine Convincedthat the topic of the illegitimacy of Zelensky and the need to hold the elections at all costs is the result of a Russian information attack.

It was not possible to find out who hung a flag with the inscription “Return the elections” at the stadium in Dusseldorf-it could be like Ukrainian fans who sincerely survive due to this political and legal conflict, and the audience had nothing to do with Ukraine. In any case, there was such a banner at the match of the European Championship, and the extended photos are true.

Photo on the regionOLCK: screenshot "Checked"

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