Pro-Russian posters appear across Verona as part of coordinated campaign

Verona was an early focal point of a coordinated pro-Russian poster campaign that spread across Italy in 2024. The billboards displayed the message that Russia is not an enemy, accompanied by a handshake in the colours of the Italian and Russian flags, with some versions opposing military aid to Ukraine. CNN, reporting on 13 September 2024, named Verona among the cities where the posters appeared after the campaign first emerged in northern Italy in June.

According to L'Arena, the Verona posters were claimed by a committee tied to anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown movements, "Verona per la Libertà," acting together with associated groups, which stated that the affixing campaign carrying its "peace" message had started from Verona. The committee said the initiative was funded through donations, including from regional and former parliamentary figures.

The appearance of the material prompted political scrutiny over its origins and possible foreign financing. As reported by L'Arena, parliamentary figures questioned the interior minister about the campaign, and Italy's parliamentary security committee took an interest, while open-source reporting noted that similar imagery had also surfaced in Russian-occupied Donetsk.

The Verona posters are assessed as part of a broader pro-Russian influence campaign that recurred in several Italian cities through 2024. Reporting attributes the local activity to a committee rooted in anti-lockdown and pro-Moscow circles, while questions over financing and coordination drew parliamentary and reported intelligence scrutiny. Any direct Russian state involvement remains suspected rather than confirmed. The record may change as further public information becomes available.