Category Poland

Manipulation: Poles No Longer Want to See Ukrainian Refugees in Poland – CNN

Russian propaganda, using the CNN article, made a manipulative generalization that Poles in general do not want to see Ukrainians in their country anymore. The original source does not talk about the mood in Poland in general, but only covers a rally of the far-right Confederation party, known for its anti-Ukrainian rhetoric. In the parliamentary elections, this party received the lowest result, and a national poll in September 2023 showed that 65% of Poles support the reception of refugees from Ukraine.
Read MoreManipulation: Poles No Longer Want to See Ukrainian Refugees in Poland – CNN

Fake: Poland Kicks Out Refugees to Get Them Drafted into Ukrainian Forces

Ukrainian law enforcement officers send requests to Poland to extradite only those Ukrainians who are involved in the organization of illegal migrant traffic to the EU.
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Fake Video: Anti-Ukrainian Flash Mob in Poland

The German state radio station and TV channel Deutsche Welle did not shoot a video about the "anti-Ukrainian flash mob in Poland". No such video is available on the website and social networks of the Polish and English-language versions. Russian propaganda used Deutsche Welle's signature style to create a fake story about a non-existent anti-Ukrainian flash mob.
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Fake: Ukrainian Refugees Provoke a Dangerous Disease Outbreak in Rzeszów

The propagandist claim that Ukrainian refugees are the source of the bacterial infection is completely unfounded. It is yet unknown what exactly became the source of the infection in Rzeszów. Moreover, the World Health Organization reports that no cases of direct transmission of infection from person to person have been registered to date. Poland's Internal Security Agency is investigating whether this legionellosis outbreak could have been a sabotage.
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Manipulation: Presidential Office of Ukraine Threatens Poland With Relations Severance

In a recent interview Ukrainian Presidential Office adviser Mykhailo Podolyak did make a statement about competition with Poland, but only in the context of post-war free trade and market economy. He noted that Ukraine and Poland have different positions on some economic issues, but this does not threaten relations between the two countries.
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Fake: 10 Thousand Poles Dead in Ukraine Since the War Began

The information about 10,000 Poles allegedly dying in Russia's war against Ukraine is baseless. The publication in Myśl Polska, which is cited by the Russian media, does not exist. This was announced by the media's editorial board.
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DISINFO: Europe is preparing for war with Russia and Poland is claiming Ukrainian territory

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West of warmongering, direct involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and attempting to distract attention from the crimes Russian forces committed during the invasion. See our article All roads lead to Poland. None of the states neighboring Ukraine, except Russia, has any territorial claims to Ukraine. Poland has repeatedly and categorically denied statements by the Russian leadership about the intentions of these countries to "occupy Ukrainian territories."
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DISINFO: NATO plans to draw Belarus and Russia into the war through border provocations

Poland and NATO are repeatedly presented by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets as an aggressive forces planning anti-Russian provocations and posing a security threat to Russia. This is in line with how pro-Kremlin outlets portray NATO and Western countries as aggressive towards Russia. See our article All roads lead to Poland. This claim was made in connection with the accusations and statements of the Polish Judge Tomasz Szmydt, who ran away to Belarus on 9 May 2024 seeking "political asylum" in this country. In Poland, he is under the suspicion of espionage in favour of Belarus and was stripped of his immunity. When in Belarus, Tomasz Szmydt appeared on the Belarus state outlet of Belta as well as RT and Sputnik with allegations against on the current Polish government.
Read MoreDISINFO: NATO plans to draw Belarus and Russia into the war through border provocations

DISINFO: Eastern European nationalist ambitions will destroy the EU

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation Poland, Romania and Hungary as states with imperial ambitions. Apart from smearing these EU members, the aim is also to deflect attention away from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This is a modification of a recurring disinformation narrative about the alleged disintegration of the EU. As our past analysis explains, the 'imminent collapse' narrative is often used in pro-Kremlin outlets in relation to the EU, European countries, or capitalism.
Read MoreDISINFO: Eastern European nationalist ambitions will destroy the EU