Pro-Russian posters appear in Modena with slogans such as 'Russia is not our enemy'

Modena was among the Italian cities affected by a coordinated pro-Russian poster campaign during the summer of 2024. The billboards promoted the idea that Russia is not an enemy and depicted a handshake in the colours of the Italian and Russian flags, part of a wave of material that CNN, reporting on 13 September 2024, said had first appeared in northern Italy in June and spread to several cities including Modena.

Reporting by ANSA on 17 July 2024 described posters in the Modena area carrying messaging such as "Donetsk chiama... Modena risponde" and the line that the Italian people are not an enemy. The affixing in the provinces of Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia was promoted by associations including Carpi Consapevole, Kairos, Omnia and Reggio Emilia Nuova, which presented the campaign as a call for peace.

Modena's mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, condemned the posters as pro-Russian propaganda that sought to deceive the public by disguising a justification for the occupation of Ukrainian territory as pacifism, and the local Ukrainian community reacted with dismay. According to ANSA, at least two of the billboards were subsequently obscured by people opposed to the message.

The Modena posters are assessed as part of a wider pro-Russian influence campaign that surfaced across Italy in 2024. Local reporting attributes the affixing to associations rooted in earlier anti-lockdown movements and records strong condemnation from city authorities, while the broader campaign reportedly drew the interest of Italian intelligence. Direct Russian state direction remains suspected rather than proven, and this entry may be revised as further public findings emerge.