Imagine scrolling through your news feed and seeing a headline that makes your blood run cold: “Ukrainians are committing crimes against Poles on a massive scale.” Or perhaps a story about a secret Ukrainian drug ring taking over Poland, or a shadowy “fifth column” supposedly working to destroy the country from within. These are not just random internet rumors. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, which operates under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, such stories are part of a deliberate and ongoing information campaign aimed at poisoning the relationship between Ukrainians and Poles. The Center recently announced that this campaign continues to spread manipulative claims through Polish media and online platforms, often echoing narratives that have long been promoted by Russian propaganda. The goal, the Center says, is not simply to make Ukrainians look bad. It is to create a lasting negative attitude toward Ukrainians in Polish society, to deepen tensions between two nations that have historically been close, and to weaken the broad public support that Poland has shown to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. In other words, this is not about honest reporting or legitimate concerns. It is about using fear, anger, and prejudice as weapons in a larger geopolitical struggle. The Center’s warning, posted on Telegram, urges people to be careful about what they read and share. But to understand why this matters, we need to look at the specific stories being circulated, the pattern behind them, and the real-world harm they can cause.
The Center’s statement identifies several recurring narratives that have been appearing in the Polish information space. One is the claim that Ukrainians are committing crimes against Poles on a massive scale. This is a classic disinformation trope: take a real but isolated incident, exaggerate it, strip it of context, and present it as a systemic problem. Another narrative suggests that Ukrainians are establishing a massive criminal drug-manufacturing operation in Poland. This is designed to paint Ukrainian refugees and workers not as people fleeing war or contributing to the economy, but as dangerous criminals who bring chaos and addiction wherever they go. Perhaps even more sinister is the idea of a so-called “Ukrainian fifth column.” According to this theory, Ukrainians living in Poland are secretly working to undermine the country from within, destroying its social fabric, its politics, and its identity. This kind of language has a long and ugly history in Europe. It dehumanizes an entire group and makes them a target for suspicion, harassment, and violence. The Center also points to a bizarre conspiracy theory about Polish territory: the claim that Ukraine is somehow helping to shrink Poland’s borders to the boundaries of the so-called Duchy of Warsaw. This is not grounded in any reality. It is a fantasy designed to tap into historical anxieties and to make Ukrainians appear as a threat to Poland’s very existence. The Center stresses that these messages are not intended for Ukrainian audiences. They are crafted specifically for Poles, using local fears and historical memories to make the lies more believable. By framing Ukrainians as a source of crime, drugs, political subversion, and territorial loss, the campaign tries to turn ordinary Poles against their neighbors. It is a cynical strategy, but one that has proven effective in many places around the world. The best defense, the Center argues, is awareness. When we recognize the pattern, we are less likely to fall for the individual story.
Why would anyone go to such lengths to turn Poles against Ukrainians? The answer lies in the strategic importance of the relationship between the two countries. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has been one of Ukraine’s most important allies. It has taken in millions of refugees, provided military and humanitarian aid, and served as a key hub for Western weapons and supplies. This solidarity has been a major obstacle to Russia’s plans. If Russia can weaken that bond, it can reduce the flow of aid, create chaos on NATO’s eastern flank, and demoralize Ukrainian society. Disinformation is one of the cheapest and most effective tools for doing this. You do not need to win a battle or launch a missile. You just need to plant enough suspicion and anger in people’s minds. The Center’s statement emphasizes that the current campaign is designed to incite hatred toward Ukrainians among Poles, provoke interethnic conflicts, and hinder aid to Ukraine. This is not an abstract concern. When a Polish citizen reads a viral post about a Ukrainian “drug kingpin” or a “fifth column,” they may start to view their Ukrainian neighbor, coworker, or classmate with distrust. They may support politicians who promise to cut aid to Ukraine or to close the border. They may hesitate to offer help to a refugee family. And each small act of suspicion feeds a larger atmosphere of hostility. The Center also notes that this campaign is not new. It is a continuation of previously documented attempts to influence Polish audiences through anti-Ukrainian messages. In other words, we are not seeing a one-off mistake or a few bad articles. We are seeing a sustained, organized effort to reshape public opinion in one of Ukraine’s most important allied countries. Understanding this context is crucial. It helps us see that the stories are not random. They are part of a pattern, and the pattern has a purpose.
The Center has documented several examples of this pattern in the recent past, and they offer a useful window into how these operations work. In August, for example, a fake photo circulated online showing a sign in a Warsaw taxi that supposedly prohibited the use of the Ukrainian language. The image looked convincing at first glance, but an investigation revealed that it had been created using artificial intelligence tools. This is a perfect illustration of modern disinformation: it uses new technology to create old lies. Another example involved reports of an attack in Poland that was allegedly committed by a 16-year-old Ukrainian. The story spread quickly, feeding the narrative that Ukrainian youth are dangerous and ungrateful. But the Polish Ministry of the Interior stepped in and refuted the information. The attacker, the ministry said, was a Polish citizen, and the victim was also Polish. The truth did not travel as fast as the lie, but it did eventually catch up. A third line of attack targeted the rehabilitation program for Ukrainian military personnel in Poland. Claims circulated online that Ukrainian veterans who came to Poland for medical treatment would stay in the country after completing their treatment and could pose a security threat. This is particularly cruel, because it takes a program that represents the best of human solidarity—helping wounded soldiers recover—and turns it into a source of fear. The Center labeled these claims as manipulative, and rightly so. What makes these examples so troubling is not just that they are false. It is that they are designed to be believable. They use real places, real events, and real emotions. They exploit the natural human tendency to pay attention to threats. And they are often shared by people who do not realize they are spreading propaganda. The goal is not to convince everyone. It is to create enough doubt and division that the relationship between Poles and Ukrainians becomes strained, and that support for Ukraine begins to crack.
So what can we do about it? The Center’s advice is simple but powerful: pay attention to the sources of such publications, and verify sensational claims before sharing them. In a world where information travels at the speed of a click, this is more important than ever. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the flood of headlines, posts, and videos. It is tempting to share something that makes us angry or afraid, especially if it confirms what we already believe. But that is exactly what the creators of disinformation are counting on. They want us to react emotionally rather than rationally. They want us to share first and think later. The best defense is to slow down. Before sharing a shocking story, ask a few simple questions: Who published this? What is their track record? Is there an official source that confirms the claim? Have reliable fact-checkers looked into it? If the story seems designed to make you hate a particular group, that is a red flag. If it uses words like “massive,” “secret,” or “from within,” be especially careful. The Center also urges people to recognize that these narratives are not aimed at Ukrainians. They are aimed at Poles, and by extension at the entire Western alliance. The goal is to weaken the unity that has been so important in defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. By being aware of this, ordinary citizens can play a role in countering it. We do not need to be intelligence experts or journalists to fight disinformation. We just need to be thoughtful consumers and sharers of information. We need to check our sources, question our own biases, and refuse to spread stories that we have not verified. This is not always easy, especially when we are tired, scared, or angry. But it is one of the most effective ways to protect our societies from manipulation. And it is something each of us can do, every day, without any special training. That is a form of resistance that no propaganda machine can easily overcome.
The current campaign against Ukrainians in Poland is a reminder that disinformation is not a side issue. It is a central part of modern warfare. It can be as damaging as bombs and bullets, because it destroys the trust and solidarity that make a society strong. But it is not invincible. The very fact that the Center for Countering Disinformation is speaking out is a sign of resistance. It means that the manipulation is being exposed, that the lies are being documented, and that the truth is being defended. It is also important to remember that the relationship between Poland and Ukraine is deeper than any propaganda campaign. The two nations share centuries of history, culture, and family ties. They have had their disagreements, and there are painful memories on both sides. But in the face of Russian aggression, they have shown remarkable unity. Millions of Poles have opened their homes and hearts to Ukrainian refugees. Polish cities have become places of safety for women and children fleeing war. Ukrainian soldiers have fought to defend their country, and Poland has helped them do it. No fake news story can erase that reality. No AI-generated image can break the bonds that have been forged in the hardest of times. The Center’s warning is a call to vigilance, not to despair. It reminds us that we must be careful about what we believe and share, but also that we can choose to act with empathy and reason. We can choose to see Ukrainians not as a “fifth column” or a source of crime, but as people who deserve our support and respect. And we can choose to stand together against those who would use lies to tear us apart. In the end, that is the real battle. It is not just about facts and figures. It is about who we are and what kind of world we want to live in.