A historic tower in central Rome did not collapse because Italy «sent all its money to Ukraine.» The medieval Torre dei Conti fell during fully funded restoration work. Italian authorities are investigating the incident as a workplace accident and possible negligence.
Kremlin-affiliated outlets and social media accounts are circulating yet another fabricated story aimed at discrediting international support for Ukraine. This time, they allege that Rome’s medieval Torre dei Conti collapsed because Italy «diverted funds» to Kyiv instead of restoring its own heritage sites. The claim originated with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
«Let me remind you that in May of this year, the Italian Foreign Ministry reported that Italian support for Ukraine — including military aid and EU contributions — amounts to about €2.5 billion,» Russian outlets quoted Zakharova as saying. «As long as the Italian government keeps wasting taxpayers’ money, Italy will collapse entirely — from its economy to its towers.»
In reality, the collapse of the medieval Torre dei Conti on November 3 had no connection to Italy’s support for Ukraine. Italian media outlets including TGla7, La Repubblica, and Newsroom24 reported that one of the tower’s walls gave way during ongoing restoration work. According to the Rome municipal website, the site has been closed since 2007, with restoration efforts beginning in 2025 and nearly €7 million earmarked for the project. Italian officials and local media have made no mention of funding delays or any diversion of resources linked to aid for Ukraine.
According to TGla7, police are treating the collapse as a workplace accident and are investigating possible negligence. The Italian Foreign Ministry has also pushed back against Zakharova’s remarks, summoning the Russian ambassador over what it called an unfounded and inappropriate statement. As ANSA reported, the ministry dismissed Zakharova’s comments as «pure speculation.»
«No one in Italy—absolutely no one—would ever think of rejoicing over or exploiting a tragedy that affects us all,» ANSA quoted the ministry as saying. «Italy will always, under all circumstances, stand in solidarity and friendship with those who are vulnerable, in need, or under attack. That is why we support the Ukrainian people.»
Previously, StopFake also refuted a separate falsehood propagated by Maria Zakharova, who claimed that Russia had «never violated the Olympic truce.»
