Pro-Russian posters appear in Parma promoting anti-NATO narratives

Parma was one of several Italian cities where large pro-Russian billboards appeared during a coordinated poster campaign documented through the summer of 2024. The posters carried the slogan "Russia is not our enemy" alongside an image of a handshake rendered in the colours of the Italian and Russian flags, and some versions criticised the funding of weapons for Ukraine, framing the message as a call for peace. CNN reported the campaign on 13 September 2024, listing Parma among the cities where the material was seen after the posters first surfaced in northern Italy in June.

In the Emilia area, the affixing of the posters across the provinces of Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia was promoted by a set of associations including Carpi Consapevole, Kairos, Omnia and Reggio Emilia Nuova, groups that trace their origins to protests against Italy's Covid-19 lockdown measures. As reported by Gazzetta di Reggio, the organisers framed the slogan as a peace appeal rather than support for a Russian victory.

The appearance of the billboards drew critical reactions from local administrators in the region, who described the material as pro-Russian propaganda that packaged a justification for the occupation of Ukrainian territory inside an apparently pacifist message. Italian intelligence services reportedly took an interest in identifying who was behind and financing the nationwide campaign.

The Parma posters form part of a campaign assessed as pro-Russian influence activity that surfaced across multiple Italian cities in 2024. Open-source reporting links the effort to associations rooted in earlier anti-lockdown movements and to advertising space funded within a campaign estimated at tens of thousands of euros, though any direct Russian state direction remains suspected rather than proven. The matter reportedly drew the attention of Italian intelligence. This entry may be updated as further public findings emerge.