The Russian government’s official newspaper thought John McCain really wants the US to invade FIFA

The official newspaper of the Russian government has mistaken a satirical New Yorker article for a real news report. Andy Borowitz’s May 28 humor column, titled “McCain Urges Military Strikes Against FIFA,” sparked an angry editorial by Vladislav Vorobyev, a deputy editor at Rossiskaya Gazeta, where he attacked American politicians for “losing touch with reality” and “violating international law with impunity.”

The confusion about Borowitz’s article is all the more surprising, given that the word “humor” appears in the New Yorker article’s URL ("newyorker.com/humor").

Rossiskaya Gazeta’s chief editor, Vladislav Fronin, told the news website The Insider that he was unaware of the situation surrounding Vorobyev’s text, and refused to comment further.

Vorobyev is the author of several polemical articles published in Rossiskaya Gazeta, including titles like “The US Has Weaponized the Bible for War Against Russia,” “Poroshenko’s Ratings Have Reached Obama-Level Lows,” and others.