The first incident came the evening before the summit, during a diplomatic briefing, when a strong smell drove reporters out of the room. It happened again the following day as journalists waited for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to speak.

Politico Europe posted about the episode, asking "Who keeps farting in the European Council press briefing room?" The question circulated widely among reporters covering the summit.

Shankkar Aiyar, a political economy analyst covering the summit, described the scene on X, calling it "hilarious" and saying the journalists packed into the room were running on "nothing but coffee and the fear of missing out on a briefing." He suggested whoever was responsible for the smell should leave before anyone passed out, referring to the culprit as a "mystery malodorer."

No one was identified. Social media users speculated about the source, with some joking that the smell amounted to a form of Russian hybrid warfare. Others pinned blame on a specific writer in the room, though no name was confirmed.

The disruptions did not affect the substance of the summit, where Zelenskyy met with EU leaders to discuss the war.