New false stories about Ukrainians are being spread in Poland — CPD
The Center for Countering Disinformation announced the continuation of a campaign aimed at discrediting Ukrainians in Poland. According to the Center, manipulative claims are being spread in the Polish media about alleged mass crimes committed by Ukrainians, the drug trade, and the existence of a so-called “Ukrainian fifth column.”
The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reported the continuation of an information campaign against Ukrainians in Poland. The Center believes that its goal is to create a negative attitude toward Ukrainians, exacerbate tensions between the two nations, and undermine support for Ukraine. According to the Center, a number of media outlets and information platforms are being used to spread such messages; these outlets regularly publish narratives that align with Russian propaganda. Through these channels, publications enter the Polish information space that portray Ukrainians as a source of crime and problems.
In particular, this includes claims that “Ukrainians are committing crimes against Poles on a massive scale.” There is also a narrative circulating that Ukrainians are allegedly establishing a massive criminal drug-manufacturing operation in Poland. The Center for Public Diplomacy (CPD) describes such reports as part of a broader campaign to create a negative image of Ukrainians. Separately, according to the Center, the Polish media landscape is promoting the idea of the existence of a so-called “Ukrainian fifth column.” Supporters of this theory are being led to believe that Ukrainians are allegedly operating within Poland and “destroying the country from within.”
Another aspect of this campaign involves conspiracy theories about Polish territory. In particular, a narrative is circulating that Ukraine is somehow contributing to Poland’s borders allegedly shrinking to the boundaries of the so-called Duchy of Warsaw. The Center for Public Diplomacy (CPD) calls such claims part of information manipulation. The Center notes that such messages are not intended solely for Ukrainians. They are being disseminated specifically within the Polish information space to influence the Polish audience and intensify negative attitudes toward Ukrainians. “This campaign is designed to incite hatred toward Ukrainians among Poles, provoke interethnic conflicts, and hinder aid to Ukraine,” the CPD stated.
According to the Center, this is not the first time such anti-Ukrainian messages have been circulated in Poland. Previously, the Center had already documented fake news about alleged crimes committed by Ukrainians, as well as manipulations regarding aid to Ukrainian military personnel and veterans in Poland. In particular, in August, the Center reported on a fake photo that purportedly showed a sign in a Warsaw taxi prohibiting the use of the Ukrainian language. An investigation revealed that the image had been created using artificial intelligence tools.
The Center also cited reports of an alleged attack in Poland supposedly committed by a 16-year-old Ukrainian. The Polish Ministry of the Interior refuted this information and stated that the attacker was a Polish citizen and the victim was also Polish. Another line of disinformation attacks targeted the rehabilitation program for Ukrainian military personnel in Poland. Claims were circulating online that Ukrainian veterans would allegedly remain in the country after completing their treatment and could pose a security threat. The CCP labeled these claims as manipulative.
Thus, according to the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, the current campaign is a continuation of previously documented attempts to influence the Polish audience through anti-Ukrainian messages. The Center urges the public to pay attention to the sources of such publications and to verify sensational claims before sharing them. It is important to note that the cited claims about mass crimes committed by Ukrainians, a “fifth column,” or alleged plans to change Poland’s borders are presented in the CCI’s statement specifically as examples of disinformation narratives, not as established facts. This was stated in a CPD post on Telegram on Thursday evening.
