DistantNews
Support us
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Culture & Society

Eurovision winner Dara suspected of supporting war in Ukraine

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Bulgarian singer Dara, winner of Eurovision 2026, is under scrutiny for allegedly supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.
  • Critics point to a social media post from December 2025 where she shared the letter 'Z,' a symbol used by Russia for its military vehicles.
  • Fans defend Dara, arguing she is not a propagandist and that the symbol has other meanings, while some commentators accuse her of spreading misinformation.

Bulgarian singer Darina Jotova, known as Dara and the winner of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Bangaranga," finds herself at the center of a new controversy. She is accused of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

This photo was posted by the Bulgarian singer who won Eurovision 2026. Don't even try to tell me she didn't know the meaning of this symbol and didn't want to say it.

· Social media userCriticism directed at Dara regarding her social media post.

The controversy stems from a social media post in December 2025, where Dara shared the letter 'Z' on her Instagram account. This symbol has been widely used by Russia to mark its military vehicles participating in the invasion of Ukraine. A social media user highlighted the post, questioning whether the singer was unaware of the symbol's meaning or intentionally used it.

Dara is not a vatnik. Don't spread false information. All Russian propagandists in Bulgaria have been bombarding her in recent weeks, calling her all sorts of bad names.

· CommentatorDefense of Dara by a social media user.

However, many of Dara's fans have come to her defense. They argue that she is not a "vatnik" (a derogatory term for a pro-Russian supporter) and urge others not to spread false information. Some commenters claim that Russian propagandists in Bulgaria have been targeting Dara with negative labels in recent weeks.

Z existed before Russia... Unfortunately, nobody remembers that.

· CommentatorCommentary on the historical context of the letter 'Z'.

Supporters also pointed out that the letter 'Z' existed before Russia's military actions and has other contexts, such as from the musical "Zorro." Other fans, identifying as Bulgarian, stated that the country supports Ukraine and cautioned against falling for propaganda. They emphasized that Dara is not a "vatnik" and that Bulgaria stands with Ukraine.

Z is from the musical Zorro, she is not a vatnik jacket.

· CommentatorAlternative interpretation of the 'Z' symbol.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog