The Kremlin is breaking Ukraine's alliance with Poland at the hands of the Poles. The General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces reports that large-scale operations aimed at undermining Polish-Ukrainian ties have intensified across the country.
The goal of Russia is to reduce Western support for Ukraine. Poland is the main hub for weapons being sent to Ukraine. Therefore, disrupting the connection between these two allies is especially important for Russia.
Russian narrative operations are creating an "atmosphere of fear and anxiety regarding Ukrainian claims in Poland" and are taking actions aimed at destroying positive Polish-Ukrainian emotional relations, inciting anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
Fear becomes a weapon against Ukrainians
The operations are divided into real actions and intensive online narratives. The first ones include arson of Ukrainian vehicles and the masking of anti-war murals.
Online narratives are being spread through portals and accounts that promote hate speech against Ukraine.
In particular, an increase in anti-Ukrainian behavior has been observed in locations where weapons or other support are being transferred to Ukraine, such as in Gdynia and Gdańsk.
The fire of propaganda: distorting historical narratives
According to the General Staff, the aim of these actions is "to instill fear and a sense of threat in our society due to the presence of Ukrainians in Poland." In the Russian information space, this creates a narrative that the attack on Ukraine also represents support for Poles in retaliation for the Volyn tragedy, supposedly improving Poland’s perception of Russia’s actions.
Russia’s actions portray Ukrainians as a greater threat to Poland than Russia itself. The goal is to direct emotions toward Ukraine, while Polish citizens, wishing to return to their comfort zone, may pressure their government into making decisions that are contrary to national interests.
The light of truth: separating victim from aggressor
The General Staff calls for resilience against emotional manipulation, as it is unfounded, and emphasizes that the sabotage incidents are part of a coordinated Russian operation.
"Separating Poland from Ukraine would ease the burden of war for Russia," and any actions that undermine support for Ukraine, whether narratively or emotionally, serve Russian aggression.
The aggressor is in the East, and it is Russia; therefore, maintaining support for Ukraine is critically important for regional security, the Polish General Staff claims.
