A scandal involving a Bolt driver in Milan has sparked a strong reaction on social media. Ukrainian women claim they were subjected to insults because of their language. The driver might have been Russian.
A taxi driver in Milan attacked Ukrainian women / © inpoland
Attacks and insults against Ukrainians abroad based on nationality continue. This time, an unpleasant incident occurred in Italy with Ukrainian women. As the women were traveling in a Bolt taxi in Milan, the driver, upon hearing them speak Ukrainian, cursed at them, began to insult them, and made obscene gestures.
The incident became known through Threads.
Taxi driver in Milan attacked Ukrainian women with profanity and gestures
The story was shared by user aniadaniliuk:
“Today, my friends and I were in a taxi with @bolt_ukraine in Milan. Throughout the ride with the driver, Tetyana, we didn’t interact with her; we spoke Ukrainian amongst ourselves. At the end of the trip, as we were getting out of the car, a friend said ‘thank you,’ to which we received a reaction in the form of insults, profanity, and gestures.”
Only one fragment of the argument was captured on video, but before that, the taxi driver used many offensive words and gestures, the young woman added.
She sent a complaint to the transport company and is awaiting a response. She added that the most offensive thing is that in 2026, a person working in customer service would treat people poorly because of the language they speak.
Bolt Ukraine promised to conduct an investigation.
According to the screenshot available, the taxi driver’s name was Tanya. And judging by the video footage, the taxi driver might have been Russian.
“Should I show you the middle finger so you ‘understand’? Get the f*** out of here. Because you p*** me off, Ukrainian women. F***, you’ve all come here. Go on, get out of here. She speaks Ukrainian to me, f*** off,” the taxi driver stated in the video.
In the comments under the post, Ukrainians expressed their outrage:
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“She says ‘you’ve all come here’ in Milan?”
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“What Russian filth.”
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“Girls, if you really want to punish her, file a complaint according to Italian law, and also contact Bolt Estonia representatives, because in the video, you even thanked her, despite the situation.”
Also, in the comments, a young woman who had previously ridden with this Tetyana found. She shared that this happened last year. This woman also asked the Ukrainian women where they were from and started speaking to them in Russian.
“I, of course, replied sharply that we don’t speak Russian and don’t know it. Then she just remained silent, but the vibe was already unpleasant, and the feeling was that she was from Russia, but I just wanted to get out as quickly as possible. She really showed her true colors to you.”
Of course, some people also commented, stating that Ukrainians abroad should not speak Ukrainian, but only English or the language of the country they are in.
The comments reminded that Italy has strict criminal penalties for racism and xenophobia – the main punishments are the Mancino Law (Legge Mancino) and articles 604-bis and 604-ter of the Criminal Code. The woman could face penalties such as imprisonment for up to 1 year and 6 months or a fine of up to 6,000 euros, or for incitement to hatred – imprisonment from 6 months to 4 years.
Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland: latest news
Recall that in Poland, law enforcement officers detained a 63-year-old resident of the Lesznowola commune after videos were published on social media in which he threatened Ukrainians, insulted them based on their nationality, and damaged their car. The recordings were released by a 25-year-old Ukrainian living in the same apartment building as the suspect.
In mid-July, the Piaseczno police received a report of public insults, after which a criminal investigation was opened. The man is currently in a pre-trial detention center: for committing crimes based on national hatred and threats, he faces up to three years in prison.
Another one of the dozens of cases of attacks by Poles on Ukrainians occurred near Skawina. A Pole from a construction crew at a Lidl warehouse attacked two citizens of Ukraine from another company. He verbally abused the victims with profanity, urged them to “go to the front,” and used physical violence, while the Ukrainians did not respond to the provocations.
Since the attacker was wearing a vest with the inscription “Grupa Stadnicki,” the protective shield manufacturing company quickly identified its employee. Board member Łukasz Stadnicki stated that such behavior was unacceptable and announced the immediate dismissal of the aggressive employee without hearing his explanations.
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