A video allegedly showing municipal housing in Warsaw reserved exclusively for Ukrainians is circulating on social media and is a part of an anti-Ukrainian disinformation campaign. Such content is aimed at provoking outrage among Poles, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation (UCD) warns.
The information space in Poland saw a doubling of anti-Ukrainian messages between August and November 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. The largest spike occurred after Russia’s first massive drone attack on NATO territory, when Polish society was in a heightened state of alert.
Purpose: creating an image of "privileged refugees"
The UCD assesses that this wave of messaging aims to suggest an unfair allocation of social resources, favoring Ukrainian refugees. The video claims mass settlement of Ukrainian families in municipal housing and “simplified access” to social apartments.
“The purpose of such narratives is to radicalize public sentiment among Poles, undermine social trust, and reduce support for Ukraine and Ukrainians in Poland,” the Center notes.
These messages work subconsciously to create conflict between local residents and refugees, increasing societal tension amid a difficult security situation.
Reality: Ukrainians have the same housing rights as Polish citizens
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.
In fact, the claims in the video are false. Warsaw city authorities have officially denied the existence of buildings designated exclusively for Ukrainians. The building shown in the video is not inhabited by Ukrainians, and municipal housing in Warsaw is not allocated based on nationality.
Ukrainians can apply for municipal or social housing under the same conditions as Polish citizens. Nationality gives no preferential treatment, the UCD emphasizes.
The disinformation campaign is thus an attempt to fabricate a "special privilege", while reality completely refutes these fakes.
