Russian propaganda attacks affect not only Ukraine but more and more often false information produced by the Russian state apparatus is intended to hit the Western world, including Poland. In response to this threat, the Polish government has started its activities and reacted immediately to the emerging fake news.
Russian propaganda accused Poland of segregating refugees at the border, making it difficult or even impossible to evacuate citizens of Asian or African countries, and that it was guided by racial or religious considerations. Meanwhile, Poland helps everyone, regardless of their country of origin. All foreigners fleeing the war in Ukraine are taken in by Poland and receive the help they need.
The Polish government is in constant contact with diplomatic missions in Poland to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Foreign diplomats emphasize the professionalism and commitment of Polish services on the border. They are impressed by the volunteers involved in helping refugees. Recently, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister received official thanks from representatives of incl. Angola, Tanzania, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa.
For a few days, the French television BFM TV presented an infographic that showed European countries involved in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. For some reason, Poland was completely omitted. Thanks to the immediate reaction of the Polish embassy in Paris, this misleading message was corrected. It is the Poles and the Polish services that, from the first hours of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, are helping Ukrainians seeking refuge in our country, and Poland is providing fighting Ukraine with defensive weapons and ammunition.
Russia is conducting extensive disinformation activities aimed at spreading panic among Polish society, creating a fear psychosis in such a way as to make the functioning of the state as difficult and disruptive as possible. One of the examples is the campaign of sending fake text messages, in which people are called to appear at the headquarters of the Military Replenishment Headquarters and Provincial Military Staff. In this case, the Ministry of National Defense reacted immediately, informing that it was not the author of this content and that the Polish Army was not mobilizing.
In the wake of the enormous danger for Europe, it is crucial to fight fake news and propaganda. Disseminating information from unreliable sources can bring a lot of harm to war victims and make it difficult for the services to provide help efficiently. Let’s be responsible.
Adrian Andrzejewski