British organization placed incorrect advertisement about de-occupied territories in Kyiv.

The British charity organization Halo Trust, which deals with humanitarian demining, has placed unsuitable advertisements about de-occupied territories in the Kyiv metro. This was reported by the Zmina Human Rights Center.

A Facebook user drew attention to the incorrect communication in the advertisement, posting a photo of the advertising banner, which read, 'After de-occupation, territories may pose a threat.'

'Something is wrong here in this communication. Territories do not pose threats; they are our land, our home for many. The threat comes from explosive objects. Clear wording with specific guidelines for handling dangerous objects should be applied,' he wrote on social media.

Subsequently, a reaction from Ukrainian human rights defenders emerged.

'What is this, if not malice? The photo shows a woman with children. The text is about the dangers of de-occupied territories. This message could be interpreted as 'it is not worth de-occupying, because it is dangerous.' There is no mention that it refers to the mine danger,' responded Alona Lunova, advocacy director of the Zmina Human Rights Center.

The founder of the Crimean Human Rights Center 'Diya,' Oleksandra Dvoretzka, in turn, wrote on Facebook: 'I checked the organization's profile – it is about mine safety. And presumably, that should be the advertisement. When donors believe that international organizations implement projects better because they have nicer reports and better English, it turns out like this.'

Journalists reached out to the international non-governmental organization Halo Trust for a comment.

By the way, this is not the first advertisement in Kyiv that has caused public resonance recently. In 2024, citylights appeared in Kyiv with the inscriptions 'Life has no meaning,' 'There's no way out of depression,' 'It will only get worse.' The text is written in large letters and occupies almost 50% of the advertising space, below in small print is the following: 'Are such thoughts tormenting you? Call...' – and the phone number: 5522. This short number belongs to the #VartoZhiti call center, which provides free psychological support to civilians in Ukraine. The founder of the call center is a well-known TV presenter and journalist Yanyna Sokolova.

Medical journalist Daryna Danylenko published a photo of the citylight online and stated that she wants this cringe to be removed immediately. 'Urgently, because if this message reaches the target audience, their actions will be directly opposite to what is written in small letters,' Danylenko wrote.

Also, the Ukrainian brand brabrabra, which specializes in producing women's underwear, is conducting an advertising campaign that has been sharply criticized by internet users. Initially, on the company's website and social media, and then in the Kyiv metro, appeared photographs of famous public Ukrainian women supposedly quoting female soldiers. The quotes somehow relate to the discomfort caused by uncomfortable underwear.

Intense reaction to the advertisement

The most outrage was caused by a quote presented in the name of actress Olena Kravets, who speaks for a soldier with the call sign 'Piranha': 'There were moments when the underwear did not hold, and while performing my duties, breasts just fell out.'