Media: False Russian story claims German chancellor shot polar bears during Canada trip PHOTO

A fake news article circulating online this summer falsely claimed that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shot a polar bear and two cubs during a recent hunting trip in Canada.

According to Politico, the fabricated story appeared under the banner of a fictional outlet, the Toronto Journal, following Merz’s visit to Canada for the G7 summit in June.

The article included an image of a bloodied bear and an angry-looking Merz, alongside staged witnesses describing the incident as a “senseless slaughter” of the bear family.

Experts say this fake news is part of a broader wave of Russian disinformation targeting European leaders. Chancellor Merz, in office for only four months, has quickly become a primary target due to his staunch support for Ukraine.

“Given his very, very open support for Ukraine — how he mobilised the international community in Ukraine’s favour and publicly opposes Russia — these campaigns have become more aggressively targeted against Merz,” said Pablo Maristany de las Casas, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), which specialises in disinformation.

By Khagan Isayev