How they tried to make us quarrel with the Poles in 2025. TOP-10 fakes
While Ukraine fights on the front lines, an information war continues in the information space of our neighbors – Poland, aiming to incite hostility between Poles and Ukrainians. The year 2025 tested the strength of Ukrainian-Polish relations: the number of planted stories and manipulations multiplied. As part of the “Bridges of Ukraine” project, the public initiative “Holka” collected ten of the most resonant fakes of the year, ranging from cringeworthy, such as Ukrainian men abroad allegedly being ordered to impregnate Polish women, to dangerous, including allegations that Ukraine is supposedly preparing an attack on Poland but will blame Russia.
This year saw several “firsts” in the disinformation war in Poland. For the first time, anti-Ukrainian hate was used as a key topic in the presidential elections in the spring. For the first time, Russian drones reached and crashed in Poland, yet Polish social networks blamed Ukraine for this. For the first time, fakes were followed by sabotage on railway tracks, involving both false bomb threats and real explosives that miraculously did not kill several thousand people.
Mass fake attacks caused not only an increase in the wave of hate on social networks but also led to “emotions spilling out” onto the streets, where Ukrainians began to be attacked on public transport and in other public places.
Most often, behind this entire pile of fakes, the hand of the Kremlin and its minions is easily recognizable. Last week, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces published a warning about the escalation of a Russian disinformation operation in the Polish segment of the Internet to incite anti-Ukrainian sentiments in Poland and undermine Polish-Ukrainian relations. Military officials labeled Russia’s actions a cognitive operation.
Conversely, among social media accounts publishing inflammatory content pitting Poles against Ukraine and Ukrainians are numerous profiles of Polish right-wing politicians, according to a study by the Polish organization Demagog, which has been verifying and countering disinformation since 2014. Data from the Digital Forensic Research Lab at The Atlantic Council also proves that a network of manipulative Polish-language accounts exists on social media, operating in a coordinated manner to turn Poles against Ukrainians.
A fresh end-of-year fake – Ukraine is preparing to attack Poland’s southeastern lands. It was spread by a very “credible source” – Russian intelligence services. Allegedly, Ukraine will attack Poland, but the blame will be pinned on Russia. The information quickly spread through social networks. It was picked up by one of the radical politicians, Jacek Wilk, who scared Poles with “little green men” from Ukraine. Poland’s Ministry of the Interior labeled this disinformation an attempt to “cut Ukraine off from the support of Poland and NATO countries.”
Screenshot from the page of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Poland on network X
If you think the previous fake is absurd, here is another one. The evergreen conspiracy theory of “Ukrpolin” was amplified ahead of the presidential elections in Poland in the spring, and elsewhere. According to it, Poland must become part of Ukraine under the protectorate of Germany or Israel. To fuel the theory, disinformation agents rip news out of context or invent evidence of the gradual absorption of Polish space by Ukrainians. The “Ukrpolin” theory is actively supported by one of Poland’s most scandalous Ukrainophobes – politician Grzegorz Braun. He believes that Zelenskyy himself – a Ukrainian with Jewish roots – is perfect for bringing it to life.
Screenshot of a video from the Wbrzew Censorze YouTube channel titled “Grzegorz Braun: Sources of the Rebellion”
According to a study by Demagog, Grzegorz Braun and his posts top the ranking of inciters of Poles against Ukrainians.
This list also includes other Polish “right-wingers” such as Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Włodzimierz Skalik, Konrad Berkowicz, and in general representatives of the KORWiN party and the Confederation of the Polish Crown (Braun’s party).
Fake forms went viral on social networks claiming that when registering for a Polish identity number PESEL, Ukrainians are forced to answer questions such as “Do you consider Stepan Bandera a terrorist?” and “Do you recognize the genocide of Poles during the Volhynia massacre?” The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security debunked this information. Historical themes are favorites of many Polish politicians, starting with the president, and are also among the top constant Kremlin “offerings.”
The pinnacle of this year’s manipulations, a fake that quite literally struck home and aimed to make an impact on both sides of the Ukrainian-Polish border. Following a Russian kamikaze drone attack on September 10, when at least 19 UAVs flew into Polish territory, on that same day, the Polish analytical foundation Res Futura released a special report on narratives in social networks. It included an infographic: 38% of social network users place the blame on Ukraine. In its study, Res Futura analyzed 179 thousand comments on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram, which together received a reach of 118 million views. In contrast, some Ukrainian resources presented this as the “results of a poll of Poles,” rather than an analysis of comments on social networks. Polish researchers believe the drone incident is not only a test of air defense but also a test of informational resilience in Poland and Ukraine. In Poland, the aim was to create chaos, undermine trust in Polish state institutions and NATO, and drive a wedge between Poland and Ukraine to weaken solidarity against Russian aggression. In Ukraine, manipulation of the Res Futura study data was used to intensify Ukrainians’ negative attitude towards Poles, which has worsened amid tense relations between the two countries recently.
Disinformation plants are becoming increasingly dangerous and can directly threaten Ukrainians living in Poland. This is evidenced by one of the latest fakes spread by radical political public pages (specifically supporters of “Confederation”). They exploded with the news that in the city of Jelenia Góra, a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl allegedly brutally murdered her Polish classmate. Certain politicians used the tragedy as “ironclad proof” that Ukrainians bring aggression with them, and that the crime rate in Poland is rising precisely because of refugees.
Conversely, the Polish police and prosecutor’s office issued an official debunking, stating that the suspect girl is a citizen of Poland. The tragedy was a domestic conflict between local teenagers.
Over the past year, there have already been several cases where Polish right-wing radical politicians announced Ukrainians as committing crimes on social networks. Conversely, as police investigations revealed, they were carried out by Poles. However, the wave of hate on social networks can no longer be stopped.
“Ukrainians are trying to seize Polish power,” Polish activist Godek sounded the alarm. She spread messages on social networks that Anna Tymoshenko wanted to conquer power in Częstochowa in the local elections under yellow and blue flags. This information was very quickly picked up by media and Telegram channels of dubious origin.
What really happened? They targeted one of their own. As it turned out, Anna Tymoshenko is a Polish woman who took the surname of her Ukrainian husband. Her election campaign colors correspond to the flag of the city of Częstochowa, not Ukraine. Activist Godek, who failed in her exposure of the “agent of influence,” also received a share of ridicule from her compatriots in the comments. Allegedly, the investigation was at the level of a 5-year-old child. But she, in turn, did not give up, writing that both the yellow-blue colors of Częstochowa and the Tymoshenko surname are a “brilliant tactic for the long-term destruction of Poland.” “No trudno” (Well, hard luck/it’s a pity), as her compatriots say when they realize they cannot change anything in a difficult situation.
In 2025, disinformation reached the level of “limitless absurdity.” Russian propagandists began using AI and strange conspiracy theories that seemed impossible to believe, yet they spread by the thousands on social networks. In this way, Russia seeks to reach the point where the “wildness” of the fake sows doubt that the lie could not be so blatant, and that some basis exists.
One of the wildest fakes of the year: an “order” from the nonexistent “Ministry of Copulation and Reproduction” was spread on social networks. If you think your eyes deceived you and read the name of the ministry again, you are seeing it again. Well, according to its order, Ukrainian men abroad are obliged to impregnate as many local women as possible to “improve demographics and spread Ukrainian influence,” while Ukrainian women are obliged to seduce men. The source turned out to be a satirical profile with memes, but amid general anti-Ukrainian sentiments and prior warming up with “Ukrainian women are taking men away from Polish women,” doubt creeps in about where to laugh in this “joke.”
Screenshot of the Facebook page Prawdziwe polskie memy (Real Polish memes)
Artificial intelligence was employed to fan social hatred, but in a humorous, entertaining manner. Videos written according to a template are actively shared on TikTok and Instagram, looking like a multi-episode, low-quality sitcom. But the conclusion must be one: “Poles have problems? It’s all the Ukrainians’ fault, hahaha.” For example, a Pole trips over a table and hurts his toe? “Fing Ukrainians.” In another video, a Pole asks a homeless person under a dumpster: “Why are you living on the street?” And he replies: “It’s the fault of the fing Ukrainians.” Laughter.
An avalanche of such “witty” videos on social networks aims to plant a clear thought: Ukrainians are enemies.
Ukrainians themselves were chosen as targets of planted stories in Poland. Because the enemy hunts every Ukrainian, wherever they may be. Panic and creating an image of Poland as a trap are the goals of such information operations. Last year, Ukrainian men were scared by TCCs with summonses in Warsaw, especially since this story had real-world problems in the offices of the SE Document. This year, summonses were supposedly sent through the Office for Foreigners. The fake letters received by Ukrainian men stated that in connection with Ukrainian legislation on military service and mobilization in Ukraine, the recipient should expect a visit from representatives of the agency with subsequent dispatch to a mobilization point for service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They also mention criminal liability for evading mobilization and the threat of extradition.
These “summonses” were actively distributed in messengers and TikTok.
Copy of the false letter shown by the Office for Foreigners of Poland
“Ukrainians take places in hospitals and kindergartens and parasitize social payments” – well, who is surprised by this anymore? A tired narrative that the majority of Poles believed, officially confirming that the efforts of Russian propagandists and Polish politicians worked: 86% of Poles expressed themselves in favor of canceling social payments for unemployed Ukrainians.
But this year, manipulators released the “new season” of the popular narrative and planted a fake that Ukrainian soldiers allegedly have an advantage over Poles in receiving medical care in Polish hospitals. The fake arose after the distribution of a video filmed near a hospital in Stalowa Wola, where training exercises, specifically on battlefield medicine, were ongoing. The Polish Ministry of Defense, which is involved in this program, attributed this to Russian propaganda aimed at inciting emotions and polarizing society. The video from just one page was reposted 11 thousand times, received over 1 million views and 4 thousand comments, which are better not to read for those sensitive to hate messages.
Still frame from a video on the fb page udostepnij.pl
Poles were convinced that it is enough for a Ukrainian to work for one day, having 25 years of work experience in Ukraine, to claim the Polish minimum pension. Meanwhile, 25 years is not enough for Poles even under the condition of social contribution payments. And here are million views, outrage, and distribution wherever possible. Again, social pain, which propagandists never tire of hitting. Allegedly, Ukrainians are “parasitizing” on everything already prepared.
Screenshot from the Facebook page Tomasz Kudła
Artur Kolmodasov, chairman of the board of the Alliance 24/08, which unites Ukrainian youth for dialogue with Polish youth, and a doctoral candidate at Warsaw’s SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, where he researches the impact of conspiracy theories on politics, says that disinformation agents successfully and skillfully adapt their messages and manipulations to the local political context.
In countering disinformation, a key role is played by cooperation between the media and institutions of both countries, which would allow for prompt verification of facts and exposure of manipulations at the stage of their emergence. However, the main safeguard remains media literacy and the ability to keep a cool head. This will prevent the destruction of the trust between the countries that Ukraine and Poland have tried to build in recent years.
Exclusively for Glavcom
