Journalists waiting to cover Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a high-stakes European Union summit in Brussels found themselves chasing more than breaking news, with a mysterious smell repeatedly driving reporters out of the European Council press briefing room.

The bizarre episode, which quickly became a talking point on social media, saw international correspondents grappling with what POLITICO Europe dubbed a mystery: who keeps farting in the press briefing room?

Political economy analyst and correspondent Shankkar Aiyar, who said he was among those affected, described the episode as “hilarious” but clearly less amusing for those trapped in the press room.

COFFEE, BREAKING NEWS AND BAD AIR

The wait for a presidential briefing can be gruelling, with correspondents spending long hours in press centres to ensure they do not miss a crucial announcement. This time, however, the challenge appeared to involve keeping a safe distance from the source of the mystery smell.

“Everyone is running on nothing but coffee and the fear of missing out on a briefing, so we suppose it is to be expected,” Aiyar wrote.

He nevertheless had a request for the unidentified culprit, wishing that the “mystery malodorer” would step outside and sort out the problem before people passed out.

POLITICO Europe brought the episode to a wider audience by flagging the mystery on X, asking who was responsible for repeatedly letting one rip while reporters waited for Zelenskyy.

SOCIAL MEDIA GETS A WHIFF

The story also struck a chord with journalists familiar with the less glamorous side of covering politics and diplomacy.

Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko reacted to the news with the quip, “God, I miss press rooms and centres,” while US political reporter Ben Jacobs joked about the culinary culprit, writing, “Just wait till you try the Senate Bean Soup they make in Brussels.”

National security reporter Robbie Gramer took a geopolitical angle, joking that “NATO has yet to respond to the Russian-backed malign flatulence campaign”.

POLITICO Europe later capped its coverage with a pun on the summit itself, joking that the gathering had been “a load of hot air”.

For journalists accustomed to navigating diplomatic tension, tight deadlines and marathon briefings, the Brussels summit had apparently offered one more challenge: figuring out who was responsible for clearing the room, without saying a word.