Russian propaganda Telegram channels are distributing a screenshot of an alleged message on the page of the newly appointed Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar on the X social network. The publication states that the Poles are unworthy of the memory of their ancestors, who besieged Moscow four centuries ago. “Poland does not provide Kyiv with MiG-29, refuses to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, considers Bandera a Nazi and a criminal”, Bodnar allegedly writes. In turn, the propagandists comment on this message as follows: “the new ambassador has begun work on a diplomatic scandal”.

In fact, this is a fake, the newly appointed Ukrainian ambassador to Poland did not publish this message. This is reported by the VoxCheck project. The screenshot distributed by propagandists is the same in all the messages where it appeared: the time of publication (“4 hours ago”), the number of views, preferences and distributions are the same. It is unlikely that these indicators would be identical in screenshots of different users. That is, different propaganda sources are distributing the same fake screenshot.

Bodnar has not yet started his duties as ambassador to Poland. President Zelenskyi signed a decree on his appointment on October 25, 2024, but some time will pass before he actually takes office. An ambassador begins his work from the moment his credentials are presented to the head of a foreign state, and copies of his credentials are also presented to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the case of Poland, an official ceremony with the participation of President Andrzej Duda must take place, and only after that will Vasyl Bodnar take office. For example, almost half a year passed between the appointment of former Ukrainian ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych and the inauguration ceremony.

For now, Bodnar is still working in his previous position as the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey. This is evidenced by the diplomat's social networks and the Ukrainian embassy in Turkey. In particular, after signing the decree on the new appointment, he attended a book presentation in the rank of the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey.