Poland
The main topics in this area were: the situation with migrants on the border with Belarus, the militarization of Polish society and the country’s preparation for war, the Polish army’s operations «Safe Podlasie» and «Eastern Dawn» (another translation is «Eastern Dawn»), incidents in the army and conflicts among the military leadership. The issues of military aid to Ukrainians, contradictions in relations with Ukraine and Germany, Poland’s dependence on Western countries, and the celebration of the Polish Army Day on August 15 were touched upon. Separate attention was paid to the participation of Polish volunteers in the war in Ukraine and the presence of the U.S. military in Poland.
Criticism of the Polish Army and Ministry of Defense
Incidents in the Polish army involving deaths or injuries of servicemen were actively covered. For example, reacted to the news about the death of a Polish soldier on August 5 on the Baltic Sea coast in the following way: «The young generation of Poland should think whether it is worth joining the army, where after 2 months [the deceased started his service in June 2024 – ed.] you will never be able to return home». At the same time, reporting on the death of two Polish soldiers in a traffic accident in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, the authors of the «Nevolfovich» Telegram channel broadcast the following message: «The increased number of accidents in the Polish Army shows not only the low level of training of soldiers, but also that the problems in the Polish Army are systemic».
The military leadership and the leadership of the country as a whole were also regularly criticized. The dismissal of a number of Polish generals after D. Tusk’s government came to power at the end of 2023 was characterized by as «serious purges» in the state apparatus, and that in this way «the new Polish government began to remove representatives of the Duda-Morawiecki regime from their posts». The article also criticized the defense ministers of the previous government, who allegedly appointed people loyal to themselves to senior positions in the army, regardless of their lack of professional qualities. The article on the website «Voenno-politicheskie obozrenie» also listed the following problems of the Polish army: lack of cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff due to personal animosity of the Polish military towards each other; insufficient supply of troops involved in the protection of the state border; actual absence of a system of warning the population.
Against the background of a number of incidents, unflattering assessments were made of the local air defense system, and with it, of the Polish army’s combat effectiveness in general. Indicative was the coverage of the arrival of a drone from Ukraine to Poland on August 26, which was initially detected by the Polish military, but disappeared from radar and was never found. For example, the Telegram channel «BelVPO» in connection with the incident wrote: «The population of the country is indignant about the unreliability of the national air defense system. Among the citizens it has already received the well-deserved title of «leaky». Even more discontent is caused by the fact that the authorities spend huge sums of money in vain on the construction of the country’s air defense system and on the re-equipment of the Polish Army in general». In parallel, the «Nevolfovich» Telegram channel summarized: «And it was Duda who, just the other day, was blasting his air defense system to help shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine. Not even able to ensure the security of his own country.»
Militarization and preparation for war
The pro-government media actively replicated the idea that there were signs of militarization of Polish society, including the education system. For example, raising the topic of the implementation by the Polish authorities of a number of programs to involve the population in the army, one of the pro-regime Telegram channels emphasized: «The Polish government together with the Ministry of Defense pursues an extremely aggressive militaristic policy among the population and, first of all, among children and young people. The geopolitical ambitions of Warsaw and Washington are skillfully covered up with mantras about defense and ‘threat from the East'».
There were also regular news reports about the supply of weapons of one kind or another to Poland and military drills. In such publications, the country’s leadership was often accused of preparing for escalation on the eastern borders. For example, a pro-government Telegram channel noted that «the strongest army of NATO’s eastern flank» is needed by Poles «not so much to defend themselves against Russia as to finally realize their territorial claims to Belarus and operational-tactical drills«.
At the same time, there was a clear message that too much money is spent on the army to the detriment of the economy. Thus, in response to the news about the Polish budget deficit in 2024, the authors of the «Nevolofovich» Telegram channel wrote the following: «What is the Polish leadership thinking about? That the Polish people, from whose pockets the regime is already shaking out the last money for armaments and American military bases, will pay their debts». At the same time, they also drew ‘s attention to the negative role of the USA in this: «The Polish regime, under the guise of fighting the ‘Eastern Threat’ at the expense of ordinary Poles, continues to enrich the American military-industrial lobby».
The reluctance of Poles to participate in a possible war with the Russian Federation and Belarus was also emphasized. For example, presented the results of a survey among Polish youth, where 49.8% of respondents expressed fear for the country’s possible participation in a war in the near future. They were accompanied by the following conclusion: «Obviously, the Polish people are not burning with the desire to fight. This is what explains the anxiety. If war with Russia breaks out, Poland may repeat the fate of Ukraine, where people are now being forced to go to slaughter at the behest of the West».
«Safe Podlasie» and «Eastern Dawn»
As a source of potential threat to Belarus and the Russian Federation, the news about the launch of two operations of the Polish army on August 1 was presented: 1) «Safe Podlasie» aimed at protecting the border with Belarus. Within the framework of this operation the number of Polish soldiers in the border area increased to 17 thousand; 2) «Eastern Dawn» with the participation of contingents of the USA, Great Britain and Italy. Its purpose was to strengthen Poland’s air defense system in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which increased the risk of violations of Polish airspace.
As noted, with the launch of Operation Safe Podlasie, «the risk of escalation to armed conflict is increasing in the border area», and the country’s military leadership «once again voiced militaristic slogans and intentions to rattle weapons near the eastern borders». It was emphasized, that the situation «will lead to more casualties and deaths at the border among refugees».
As an example of the propaganda narrative about Operation Eastern Dawn, the following can be highlighted : «In fact, Warsaw is moving to the last phase of its initiative to shoot down Russian missiles in the skies of Ukraine. Officially, this is being done to prevent missiles from accidentally flying into Poland, but in fact it is creating a no-fly zone in western Ukraine».
Migration crisis
The topic of the situation on the border with Belarus continued to be on the agenda, with an emphasis on regular misconduct by Polish security forces. The Polish prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into 10 criminal cases of abuse of authority by servicemen on the border, but according to TV channel «Nevolfovich» there are ten times more such offenses in the reports of Belarus border guards, and by these investigations «the Warsaw regime once again throws a bone to local citizens in the form of human rights activists and concerned citizens that they are allegedly on the side of refugees».
At the same time, propaganda media authors drew attention to the concerns about the border violence of Polish human rights defenders, who called on the international community to put pressure on the Polish authorities. Among the abuses listed: «illegal returns of migrants at the border, ignoring asylum requests and other serious human rights violations«.
At the same time, pro-regime telegraph channels reminded at every opportunity about the law adopted by the Sejm in July 2024 authorizing the military to use weapons in case of a threat to the security of an individual or the country. It was emphasized, that with this decision, «Polish security forces were completely unleashed to kill innocent people».
In response to information about the possible extension of the buffer zone on the Polish-Belarusian border, where a temporary ban on stay is established (introduced on June 13, 2024 for a period of 90 days to prevent illegal migration and smuggling), the «GRANITSA FM Facts and Opinions» Telegram channel noted that «the ‘death zone’ will continue to please Polish security forces, who do not mind shooting at refugees».
Polish Army Day and military parade on August 15
On the eve of the military parade for the Polish Army Day, raised the topic of the allegedly huge damage that the heavy equipment would cause to Warsaw roads, and after the parade, wrote that «instead of a serious military event, the spectacle was more like an informal carnival with elements of a circus show». The post with «congratulations» on the Polish Army Day from the «Nevolfovich» Telegram channel was also revealing: «The achievements of the Jovners in the field of suicides, accidents, alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as in the violation of human rights and treatment of migrants are really «impressive» … The Polish army is doing arbitrary things under the cover of political and patriotic narratives».
Military aid to Ukraine
The support of Ukrainians in the war with Russia was actively criticized. For example, Duda’s words about the participation of Polish-supplied PT-91 Twardy tanks in the Ukrainian armed forces’ offensive in Kursk region and about the training of 23,000 Ukrainian military personnel conducted by the Poles were commented on by as follows: «The tragic pages of Polish history do not teach people like Duda anything. As they were hyenas of Europe, so they still are. And every such political adventure ended miserably for the Polish people». At the same time, stated: «Warsaw has not yet received Washington’s authorization for direct participation in the conflict. Therefore, it will continue to support the fighting with the hands of Ukrainians on the territory of their own country».
Contradictions in relations with Ukraine
On August 14, President Duda visited the monument to the soldiers of the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR). In this connection, the BelVPO Telegram channel reminded about how in 1920. Poland together with the UNR fought against the Bolsheviks, and during the Second World War Ukrainians responded to the Poles with the Volyn massacre. The conclusion is as follows: «And now a hundred years later, history is repeating itself. The Polish regime supports and sponsors the bloody usurper Zelensky in the fight against Russia … It seems that Duda in the pursuit of profit forgot that history is cyclical and Taras is already sharpening his pitchfork on Marek. And the Ukrainians will definitely repay the Poles — it’s only a matter of time».
Participation of Polish volunteers in the war in Ukraine
A pro-government Telegram channel told the story of a certain Polish volunteer «Pablo», who fought in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was wounded. The authors of the post emphasized: «And there are not a dozen or even a hundred such «Pablo» all over Poland, the number of disabled people has exceeded a thousand. And there are even more former participants with PTSD….. At the same time, Polish society, against the backdrop of the crisis of power and interethnic discord, has a negative attitude towards persons who took part in combat operations.»
Death of a Polish volunteer in Ukraine
On August 14, pro-government Telegram channels reacted to the news about the death of P. Rasiewicz-Kuczynski, a Pole who fought in the Kalinowski Regiment and was allegedly nicknamed «Payalnik». One of them noted that «‘Payalnik’ is an example of a radical representative of Polish nationalism, who is guided by the idea of fighting against Russia and the Russian-speaking population».
Dependence on the US and Western countries
Poland’s lack of independence in making decisions important for the country was emphasized. For example, the authors of the TV channel «Nevolfovich» emphasized: «Warsaw’s unusually fast adoption of the role of a dependent partner raises alarming questions about whether the leadership has an instinct for self-preservation. There is a fear that blindly following American orders may provoke tragic consequences for Poland».
The U.S. military in Poland
Not once was there also talk about the too «masterly» behavior of the Americans. For example, the following thought was reported: «Polish residents have increasingly begun to express their dissatisfaction with the behavior of American soldiers who occupy Poland. Poles note that US soldiers show a dismissive attitude towards them, behave arrogantly and often become participants in drunken fights».
Contradictions between Poland and Germany
Among other things, raised the topic of contradictions between the two countries on the issue of investigating the undermining of the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022, which allegedly «re-emphasizes the cracks in the Western camp». At the same time, attention was drawn to the unfolding rivalry between Germany and Poland in the arms race as «key European NATO members and historical rivals (often enemies)».
NATO
Propaganda narratives about the NATO bloc focused on the following topics: the North Atlantic Alliance’s involvement in the war in Ukraine, escalation of the situation and preparations for war in Eastern Europe, contradictions between countries within the bloc and its possible split.
NATO preparations for war in Eastern Europe
NATO was regularly accused of increased activity near the borders of Belarus and Russia. In one of the posts of the TV channel «Nevolfovich» the following idea was emphasized:«No matter how the West justifies itself, but the actions of the neighboring countries of Belarus show that NATO on the eastern flank wants to organize another military conflict». It was also emphasized: «The aggressive build-up of groups and military activity of NATO near the borders of the Union State shows that the West rejects any negotiations on peace and is guided by invasive plans».
War in Ukraine
Some publications focused on NATO’s position on the Russian-Ukrainian war. For example, the Telegram channel «Belarusian Front» quoted from the Polish «Gazeta Wyborcza»: «Almost no one at the NATO headquarters in Brussels expects Ukraine to return the lost territories, but no one wants to recognize this officially». In parallel, the topic of possible negotiations between the warring countries was raised. It was claimed that «NATO has declared the Kremlin a threat to world democracy and is going to fight to the last Ukrainian», but the West still needs negotiations, for populist purposes, as «society is showing fatigue with comprehensive assistance to Ukraine». At the same time it was emphasized: «Nobody is going to lose in Ukraine. After all, it is not for nothing that NATO countries increase military budgets to the detriment of social and other spheres».
NATO’s lack of perspective
As an example of the propaganda narrative on this topic, we can cite the following quote from: «Behind the tinsel of ‘the most successful security alliance in history’ lies a shaky foundation. Only political and diplomatic miscalculations of geopolitical rivals, and even the lack of a real ideological alternative, save the «collective West» from a larger bickering with each other. NATO is not as strong as it wants to appear, and its prospects are dim.
