Al Bano from Russia, incredible gaffe on Tg1: "Turn on the TV and it seems like there are bombs". The journalist: "This is not war"

The video of the interview given by Al Bano to Tg1 while he was in St. Petersburg, Russia is going around the web. The singer from Puglia, on an official visit, said a sentence that sparked criticism and reactions on social media and in the Italian media.

"You turn on the television in Italy and it seems like there are bombs and cannons everywhere. Do you know what that means?" Al Bano said, addressing the journalist Caterina Doglio, sent from Moscow. The reporter's answer was clear: "No, but there is no war here." A clarification that immediately deflated the artist's ironic insinuation.

Al Bano's words were interpreted by many as a downplaying of the conflict in Ukraine, with the effect of unleashing a social storm and reigniting the debate on his historic ties with Russia.