In mid-September, a video was actively circulated on Polish social media that allegedly described an incident in which Ukrainian soldiers, referred to as “Banderites”, supposedly beat Polish soldiers at the Polish-Ukrainian border while returning from training. Polish fact-checkers from Demagog have debunked this fake.

Origin of the fake

A video claiming that Ukrainian citizens dressed in Polish military uniforms beat Polish soldiers was spread on Facebook and TikTok. The post stated that one of the soldiers was allegedly hospitalized in serious condition. The video gained significant traction: one repost was viewed more than 150,000 times, while another post received over 6,000 reactions and 600 comments on Facebook. Some comments contained hate speech and doubts about government transparency, for example: “So why is the government hiding this?”, “This is a damn scandal”, “It’s a pity to shoot cattle”.

Official rebuttal

Poland’s Ministry of National Defence (MON) officially denied this information in a post on the X platform:

“Information appearing online claiming that Polish soldiers were beaten by Ukrainian citizens at the Polish-Ukrainian border is a complete fake. No such incident occurred. This is a classic example of disinformation aimed at stirring emotions. Before sharing a post or comment, check the source. Use only reliable and official information. Disinformation works only when we allow ourselves to be deceived by it. Do not spread lies.”

As Demagog experts emphasize, such fakes are part of a coordinated campaign aimed at fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland. By spreading false information or sensational content that provokes strong emotions without verified facts, manipulators seek to sow distrust and hostility between nations.