Ukrainian Australians prompt corrections to national broadcaster’s report on Russian fuel

The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) has announced that the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), one of Australia’s leading national broadcasters, will amend a recent article about Russian oil following discussions with representatives of the Ukrainian community.

AFUO met with the broadcaster’s leadership to review the article, which contained inaccurate statements regarding Russian fuel supplies and their impact on the war in Ukraine. 

The revisions reflect the community’s key concerns: removing statistical data from a sanctioned Russian official, eliminating references to “civilian casualties” on both sides, removing language describing Russian attacks on Ukraine as “retaliatory,” and updating the headline to be less sensational and more accurate.

“We appreciate SBS’s swift response to concerns of russian propaganda we raised on behalf of our community and their commitment to responsible journalism,” the AFUO said.

The organization added that it will continue raising awareness among Australians about Russian oil trade and advocating for the government to close sanctions loopholes that allow the Kremlin to receive billions of dollars following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, the Ukrainian community in Geelong staged a large protest against the import of Russian fuel, urging companies to clean up their supply chains and highlighting the government’s indirect role in financing the aggression.

The AFUO encourages supporters to join the campaign by writing to their members of Parliament, sharing information with the hashtag #StopFuellingrussiasWar, and visiting the campaign website.