A German publication used the name "Oleshok," which was invented by the Russians

The Russian-language edition of the German media outlet Deutsche Welle used the name “Oleshky” for the Ukrainian city—a name fabricated by Russian propagandists. It was listed as the primary name in the text.

This was reported byYuriy Antoshchuk, head of the “Ob’ednannya” Foundation and a cybersecurity expert.

In the publication, the outlet used the term “Aleshki,” presenting the Russian version as the primary name and the official Ukrainian name as secondary.

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According to Yuriy Antoshchuk, the phrase “Aleshki (Oleshky in Ukrainian)” subtly establishes a hierarchy: one name is primary, while the other is a local linguistic variant. This already influences how readers perceive the city’s name.

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The expert in information and communication technologies noted that such linguistic practices normalize a Russia-centric worldview and entrench the occupation-era names in the international information space.

"When a reputable international media outlet uses such a name, readers may perceive it not as a Russian linguistic tradition, but as a neutral journalistic standard. Other media outlets, translators, search engines, or language models may reproduce the already widespread name without analyzing its historical and political context,” Yuriy Antoshchuk stated. 

Юлія Калабайда